This archive report was first published on 11 October 2019.
Albert Nabonibo, a Rwandan gospel singer, has spoken out about being fired from his accountancy job in Kigali after revealing he was gay on the BBC in late August.
Although homosexuality is not an offence in Rwandan law, the largely Christian society has a negative view of it.
Mr Nabonibo's decision to go public about his sexuality raised eyebrows, especially given his profession as a gospel musician.
He claimed that his fellow employees started hating him after seeing the story, and his bosses eventually pushed him to resign on 19 September.
Mr Nabonibo chose to resign rather than face outright sacking, which could have damaged his employment record.
Since coming out, Mr Nabonibo's life has changed significantly. He has faced harassment from some family members and friends, and he no longer attends his church.
Mr Nabonibo expressed his fears and wishes for his society to understand in a poignant statement: 'I am afraid, I am not free as before, but I wish my society could understand.'
The BBC attempted to contact Mr Nabonibo's former employer for comment but was unsuccessful.
