From Nanaimo to Parliament Hill: ROAR’s Voice Reaches Ottawa

Board Chair Horst Backé and three newcomers (one supported by ROAR) testified before a Canadian parliamentary committee on the plight of LGBTQI+ refugees from Uganda.

On March 9, 2026, something remarkable happened. Horst Backé, ROAR’s board chair, sat before the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Canadian Parliament with ROAR-sponsored newcomer Meddie Ssentongo. Alongside Christopher Nkambwe and Rainbow Railroad-sponsored Steven Kabuye, they spoke directly to Canadian lawmakers about the reality facing LGBTQI+ people in Uganda and the urgent need for Canada to do more.

It was a moment that captures what ROAR is about: ordinary people in Nanaimo making an extraordinary difference in the lives of LGBTQI+ refugees, and then carrying that mission all the way to the halls of national government.

The Testimony

Steven Kabuye is a survivor of horrific homophobic violence in Uganda. He described to the committee how he was ambushed and stabbed in January 2024 while walking to work, and how the police treated him as a criminal rather than a victim. He is now safely in Canada, but told parliamentarians that millions of Ugandans still have no voice and no safety.

Meddie Ssentongo shared his experience of spending three years in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, where LGBTQI+ refugees face ongoing threats and assaults with no police follow-up, and where some people have waited over nine years for resettlement. Meddie told the committee that he had lost hope entirely — until he connected with ROAR through Horst. That connection changed everything.

“Nothing changed for me until we met our private sponsors through Mr. Horst Backé, the President of Reaching Out Assisting Refugees. That’s when we started feeling hope again.”

— Meddie Ssentongo, testifying before the Subcommittee on International Human Rights

Horst used his testimony to challenge the committee directly. He described Kenya as a choke point for LGBTQI+ people fleeing persecution across East Africa — a place where hundreds of queer refugees are collected but not processed for resettlement. He argued that Canada’s credibility as a human rights leader depends not on the statements it issues, but on the concrete measures it takes to protect the persecuted.

Why This Matters

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, signed into law in 2023, has made life unbearable for LGBTQI+ Ugandans. It criminalises same-sex relationships with penalties up to life imprisonment and, in some cases, death. The law has emboldened public violence and driven thousands of people to flee — often to neighbouring countries where conditions are barely better.

ROAR exists because communities like Nanaimo can offer something these refugees desperately need: a safe home, a welcoming community, and a chance to rebuild. Every sponsorship group, every donation, and every act of advocacy contributes to that mission. The parliamentary testimony is proof that when a small community organisation does this work with care and persistence, its voice can reach the highest levels of government.

What Comes Next

The witnesses called on Canada to increase resettlement slots for LGBTQI+ refugees, boost funding for organisations that support queer newcomers, and apply diplomatic pressure on Uganda to repeal the Anti-Homosexuality Act. Representatives from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch echoed these calls.

For ROAR, this moment is both a milestone and a reminder of how much work remains. There are people in refugee camps right now who have been waiting years for the chance at a safe life. ROAR’s sponsorship groups in Nanaimo are ready to welcome them — but the government needs to act.

How You Can Help

Your support makes stories like Steven’s and Meddie’s possible. Whether you give monthly, attend an event, or simply share ROAR’s story with someone new, you are part of the reason LGBTQI+ refugees can find safety on Vancouver Island.

This article draws on reporting by Joto La Jiwe published in Erasing 76 Crimes on March 31, 2026. Read the full article: 76crimes.com