Johnson, age 24

“The woman who took me in when I was kicked out from home said, ‘It’s God who gives this to people, and you cannot change what God gives you.’”

After my mother died in 1994, I grew up with my father. In 2004, my father rejected me. It was

April 16. He found out I was homosexual.

At first, he heard rumors. My father’s wife mistreated me, and said things about me to my father – that I behaved badly, and that I was homosexual. My father said, “My son’s not homosexual, don’t say that.”

Then one day my father said he had to talk to me. He said, “Come sit here, you can tell the truth. Is it true what they say about you, that you are homosexual?” I said, “No, it’s not true,” because I was afraid. Most Burundians think this is taboo – they don’t understand what homosexuality is. My father said, “I’ve heard this a thousand times, that you like boys.” I said, “My father, all of this is lies.” He said, “I’m going to follow you closely. If I find out that this is true, I will choose the punishment to give you.”

There was a boy in my neighborhood who was also gay. We understood each other. We walked around together and people would criticize us, saying, “Those boys act like girls.” They threatened to hit us, to throw rocks at us, they whistled at us, but we tried to ignore it and keep walking. One day my cousin came when I was walking with this boy. He said, “Why do I always find you together? What are you talking about? What are you hiding?” I said, “Leave us alone, this is my private life. I don’t interfere with your private life.” He said, “I’m going to go tell my uncle.” I said, “If you want, go tell him.”

My cousin started fighting with my friend. A lot of people came to watch, and my cousin told them that we were homosexuals. They took my friend to the police to put him in jail.

I was summoned by the police to explain what had happened. I said that I didn’t know why my cousin had attacked my friend. The police said, “Why do they say that you are homosexuals?” I was afraid to tell the truth. I knew that if you say that, they might think you are a demon. They can’t understand you. They think you’re crazy. I said, “No it’s not true, I couldn’t even think of doing that.” The police were convinced and they let my friend out.

My father heard about these things and asked if it was true. He said, “The fight your cousin had with your friend: it was your fault.” I said, “It’s not true. What can I say to convince you?”

One day, a little girl in the neighborhood saw me kissing my friend. The girl went to my aunt and said, “It’s true, they’re homosexual.” My aunt brought the little girl to my father and she told what she had seen.

I saw how my father was getting angry. He hit me, and said, “How many times have you said no, no, when you’re doing that?” I said, “My father, what did I do?” He said, “How can you deny this when there is someone describing what you did?”

My father kept hitting me. He said, “From today, take all your things and leave. Go find somewhere to live with your dirty behavior.”

I moved in with a Muslim friend who is divorced with four children. She is “gay-friendly.” Some people criticize her for taking me in, but one of her sons was born like me, so she understands me. She says “I can tell my son is like you, so I understand. Even if our religion doesn’t support people who act like you, what can I do when it’s my own son? It’s God who gives this to people, and you cannot change what God gives you.” She’s like a mother to me.

My father, my brothers, they still don’t understand what homosexuality is. I want them to realize, “He’s our son – even if he’s like that, we can’t reject him.” I am not in contact with my father anymore. It’s each to his own. If I run into him in the street, he doesn’t even shake my hand. He said to me, “I don’t even want to see your face.”