Defying censorship, three LGBTQ+ playwrights from Kenya and Uganda navigate acceptance and resistance as their plays are staged at the Criminal Queerness Festival in NYC.

67 nations currently criminalize LGBTQ people, and ADAM ODSESS-RUBIN created the Criminal Queerness Festival to highlight plays from countries where being gay is illegal. Playwrights STEVEN (Uganda) and JONATHAN (Kenya) live in countries that have made it illegal to be openly LGBTQ+, leaving them unable to share their plays without fear of recrimination. ACHIRO P OLWOCH, after enduring physical attacks for staging her play with LGBTQ+ themes, is forced into exile from Uganda. All three playwrights submit their work to the Criminal Queerness Festival for the opportunity to have their plays staged at Lincoln Center in NYC. Their hopes are realized as they are accepted.

Through poignant excerpts of their works, the plays echo the injustice of their homelands' laws, shedding light on the pain inflicted by ostracization and discrimination. Speaking passionately to the audience after her play premieres at Lincoln Center, Achiro reminds us that if we were in Uganda, everyone would be arrested. The cast, the crew, and everyone in the audience would be thrown in jail because we would be accused of ‘promoting homosexuality’.

While the United States, with its existing freedoms, serves as a beacon of hope to many worldwide, there is growing apprehension as people become afraid to seek refuge here. After the Supreme Court votes down Roe v Wade, gay marriage and other rights are now at risk. Then Kentucky passes ‘the worst anti-trans bill’ in America. Activists globally unite to condemn anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments and discriminatory legislation.

In the face of adversity, storytelling remains one of the most potent tools of resistance and celebration. We can use it to spread love instead of hate. The three playwrights wrestle with the stark contrast between the newfound freedom of expression they experienced in NYC and the ongoing censorship of their homelands. The Criminal Queerness festival has impacted their lives in both negative and positive ways. Despite escalating political discrimination, they persist in writing and amplifying their voices.