E.G. is a young gay man from Uganda who came to the United States in order to pursue higher education. As a child and young adult, he was often verbally abused by his family members for behaving in a way that seemed too different from other boys. As he grew older, he learned to hide his sexuality for fear of being arrested by the police on the basis of his sexual orientation. E.G. hid from government operatives who hunt down men who are suspected to be gay, and then once arrested, are often tortured.

Fearful for his safety and life, E.G. suppressed his feelings and dedicated himself to his studies. When an opportunity to come to the United States on a scholarship arose, he immediately accepted. This scholarship meant everything to him, not only because of the opportunity to pursue higher education, but also because he knew that he would be free to live openly as a gay man. He arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area, went to school, met someone, and fell in love.

When a family friend in the U.S. found out about his sexual orientation, the acquaintance proceeded to tell E.G.’s family in Uganda, who summoned him home to face the consequences. E.G.’s attempts to explain his feelings to his family have been met with rejection, and all means of communication have been closed for almost two years. In addition to rejecting him as their son, his parents have reported E.G. to the police, and as a result, the police have questioned and intimidated his siblings and old friends in order to find out when E.G. would be returning to Uganda. Upon his return, he would be arrested and face jail time, torture, humiliation, and possibly death. E.G.’s asylum was granted in March 2010.