Activist finds freedom from lesbianism through Christ (Interview)

By Aaron Sseruyigo

Most LGBTIQ activists will say it is impossible for one to find freedom from homosexuality, however the journey towards what is right and acceptable before God is simply an individual choice where we refuse to accept the lies of the enemy, and cling to God’s unmerited grace and kindness to bring us out of our struggles.

This is according to Val Kalende, a features writer at the Daily Monitor who years back quit her job at the news daily to concentrate on promoting the gay rights.

She has now come out publicly to renounce the practice and tells UG Christian News it wasn’t a sudden change, it all happened following multiple encounters and moments of deep conviction from the Holy Spirit.

The said founding member of one of the first LGBTQ organisation in Uganda started practicing lesbianism when she was 17 years old. This was at one of the prominent girls’ secondary schools in Kampala.

“Leaving the life I had known for 14 years felt lonely and scary. I worried about what my life would become and the friends and associates I would lose,” she told UG Christian News.

“I worried about the community around the world that looked up to me as one of the ‘heroes’ of Africa’s LGBT movement. I worried about losing my partner. I worried about not having a job. My livelihood depended entirely on my activism and professional work with LGBT and feminist nonprofit organizations in US and Canada. I’m a communications specialist,” she added.

Time came when Kalende acknowledged that her same-sex attraction was sinful, “but I wasn’t strong enough to get out,” she said.

“I considered the years I had spent building my career in LGBT advocacy, my community, my friends, most of whom had become just like family. It all seemed too much to give up,” Kalende told UG Christian News.

Kalende narrated to this website how she tried to convince herself that she had reconciled her faith with ‘her sexuality’ but the more she thought about what that actually meant the more she felt too far from God. “Life got busy – with travel, grad school, work – to the extent that I forgot I wasn’t living right with God. But I still considered myself a Christian and I maintained a prayerful life,” she said.

Raised in church and born of a mother who was an evangelist she knew what it meant to have a close relationship with God.

“I also understood certain things at a deeply spiritual level. And yet my sinful lifestyle drew me away from that experience. The more I longed to belong with God the stronger came the conviction that I was never going to find Him unless I surrendered to His will,” he said.

Turning Point

Kalende knew she had a loving and praying (biological) family and friends who were ready to take her back at any cost. she considered the consequences of disobedience on the one hand and the consequences of obedience on the other.

“And this was my point of surrender. For the first time in my life I had nothing to lean on but Jesus. I literally gave it all up. I felt as if I was leaning on nothing but one promise: “If you return [to me], then I will bring you again, and you shall stand before me: and if you take forth the precious from the vile, you shall be as my mouth: let them return to you; but return not unto them.”Jeremiah 15:19.” she said.

That decision was followed by change of wardrobe, resignation from my two jobs, turning down speaking engagements and separation from everything that would make me vulnerable to compromise.

Somewhere on this journey, God has given me a desire to become a godly woman, transformed by God’s love and led by the Spirit, she explained.

“This desire weaves into another one: to become a woman who will raise a family that is built on God’s plan. (Mark 10:5-9.) Amazingly, life has turned out just fine! If we surrender and trust Him enough He will give us more than we expect. He is a good God! He is a good Father! If I can spend the rest of my life just talking about God’s Love I will have fulfilled my purpose,” she added.

Kalende told UG Christian News she is overwhelmed by God’s love.

She said there is an indescribable joy and peace that filled her heart and led her to a place of purpose.

“God does have the best plan for everyone. No one is out of reach; no one is too broken; no one is too lost. He wasn’t only patient with my disobedience, He preserved my life,” she explained.