Pepe Julian Onziema

Pepe Julian Onziema (born November 30, 1980) is a Ugandan LGBT rights and human rights activist. He began his human rights work in 2003.

Onziema is the Director of Programs at Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an LGBTI advocacy organization. SMUG provides research, documentation, and evidence to advocate for policy change in Uganda. They also provide LGBT+ members with safety and protection from discriminatory hate crimes.

In 2012, he was named a Global Citizen by the Clinton Global Initiative for his work in human rights advocacy.

In 2014, Onziema formed a coalition of 55 Ugandan civil society organizations to protect LGBT rights in the country. That year, UK-based charity Stonewall named Onziema Hero of the Year.

A trans man, he has participated in organizing LGBT pride celebrations in Uganda.

As of 2019, Onziema has been arrested or detained seven times, incurring violence in which he lost hearing in his left ear and needed to be hospitalized.