Frank Mugisha

It is challenging enough to be a member of the LGBT community in the West. Imagine functioning in a society that still criminalizes—and even debates the death penalty for—homosexual activity. That is the world facing Frank Mugisha. The 37-year-old, who came out at 14, spoke out against the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which mandated life in prison for LGBT Ugandans, and he led the campaign that eventually led to the bill’s invalidation by the courts. More battles lie ahead for a leader of a community that faces open hostility.