A year after Uganda enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws, many LGBTQ+ exiles are struggling to start over, facing a host of new hurdles alongside some of the same old threats that forced them out. From Canada to Kenya to Germany, their new homelands have not proved the sanctuary that many LGBTQ+ Ugandans hoped. Finding work, a home, safety and acceptance have proved elusive for many who felt forced out by Kampala’s tough anti-homosexuality laws. Yet even this new half-life is better than the old one. “Every queer person would love to leave Uganda,” said Henry Mukiibi, a bisexual man who swapped Uganda for neighbouring Kenya in late 2023 under fear of arrest for his activism.