Meet Kabasiita Golden, Uganda’s First Openly Transgender Anglican Priest Speaks Out

Uganda Today presents a question-and-answer interview with Reverend Kabasiita Golden, formerly known as Barongo Charles, tracing a faith journey marked by courage, exile, resilience and renewed acceptance within the Anglican communion abroad. In 2025 November, Rev. Kabasiita Golden, started the journey of hormone transformation to adapt female characteristics she firmly desired. She is happy that her desires are progressively achieved well.

Q: Who is Reverend Kabasiita Golden, and where does your journey and story begin?
A: My name is Reverend Kabasiita Golden, formerly Barongo Charles. I come from Hoima District, Kitoba Sub-county, in Uganda. I grew up deeply shaped by my community’s cultural traditions and a strong Christian faith, which guided me from an early age towards spiritual service.

Q: How did your calling to ministry develop?
A: I felt drawn to Christianity as a source of strength and direction. This led me to the Anglican Church. After two years of training at Bishop Ruhindi Theological College, I was commissioned in 2016 to serve in the Bunyoro Kitara Diocese. I committed myself fully to ministry, serving with compassion, humility and resilience.

Q: What personal challenges did you face while serving in Uganda?
A: I served in a society where rigid norms often suppress individuality. For many years, I carried a deeply personal truth about my identity, hidden beneath fear and uncertainty. That truth never left me; it waited to be acknowledged.

Q: What led you to come out as a trans woman?
A: Over time, the need to live authentically became unavoidable. I could no longer live behind an identity that was not mine. With great courage, I came out as a trans woman, knowing the consequences could be severe. I became the first Anglican priest in Uganda to openly identify as a trans woman.

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Q: How did the Church in Uganda respond?
A: The decision was both liberating and painful. Acceptance was withheld. The Church I had devoted my life to turned away from me. That rejection forced me to look beyond Uganda for a place where I could live freely and continue my ministry without fear.

Q: Where did you find acceptance after leaving Uganda?
A: While in South Africa, I joined the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), which embraced me with compassion and understanding. There, I continued ministering to people struggling to reconcile faith with their authentic selves and advocating for equality grounded in love and justice.

Q: What are your views on inclusion and marriage within the Church?
A: I believe marriage should be a union between two consenting adults, regardless of gender. This belief is rooted in my commitment to love, justice and equality.

Q: Where are you now, and what is your current status within the Anglican Church?
A: I am currently in Canada as a permanent resident. I am happy to say the Anglican Church of Canada has reopened its doors to me. I can attend worship and express myself without judgment, and I am now serving within the Anglican Church of Canada.

Q: Can you outline your ministerial journey over the years?
A: I served with the Anglican Church of Uganda from childhood until 2019. From 2019 to 2021, I served with the Worldwide Anglican Church. Between 2021 and 2023, I ministered with the Order of Fathers and Brothers of the Poor and the Homeless. I left Uganda in June 2023 and now continue my ministry in Canada.

Q: What message do you hope your journey sends to others?
A: My life challenges deeply entrenched norms of faith and gender, but I hope it offers hope to those who feel alone or misunderstood. My story is one of faith, courage and love. The road to self-acceptance is not easy, but it is always worth taking. I remain committed to working for a more inclusive and compassionate Church that welcomes everyone.

As Uganda and the global Anglican communion continue to grapple with questions of identity, doctrine and inclusion, Reverend Kabasiita Golden’s story stands as a rare and deeply personal account of faith tested, faith lost, and faith rediscovered beyond borders.

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