‘I have to lie low. I’m totally on edge’: Uganda’s club scene fears anti-gay law | Mic | The Guardian

Contents:

• 40 BT GAY SGERS & MICIANS OF ALL TIME (LGBTQ+ SGERS)
• LIST OF UGANDAN CELEBRI WHO HAVE TURNED GAY TO AQUIRE VISAS
• UGANDAN PRINT SIGNS ANTI-GAY LAW THAT INCLUS DEATH PENALTY AS A PUNISHMENT
• UGANDA ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY BILL: LIFE PRISON FOR SAYG YOU'RE GAY
• ‘WE WILL HUNT YOU’: UGANDANS FLEE AHEAD OF HARSH ANTI-GAY LAW
• ‘I HAVE TO LIE LOW. I’M TOTALLY ON EDGE’: UGANDA’S CLUB SCENE FEARS ANTI-GAY LAW
• A NEW ANTI-GAY LAW UGANDA LLS FOR LIFE PRISON FOR THOSE WHO ARE NVICTED

40 BT GAY SGERS & MICIANS OF ALL TIME (LGBTQ+ SGERS)

The fact that there are many mic artists who are openly gay is a big step for LGBTQ+ rights, which mak the artists important and fluential. Eher way, g out as gay was a life-changg (and liberatg) cisn for Ricky Mart, and he is now nsired one of the most fluential LGBT artists the world.

Wh the succs of his album Trspassg, Lambert was also the first openly gay sger to have an album reach number one on the Billboard 200 charts. That beg said, Gee Michael’s ntributn to LGBT right was immense, and he will always be remembered as one of the most proment gay sgers of all time.

The song spent 19 weeks on the top of the Billboard Hot 100 – meanwhile, Lil Nas X me out as gay, which ma him the first artist to do so while beg on the top of the chart. AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe legislatn is among the most rtrictive of s kd the world and was nmned by Wtern lears and the Uned Natns human rights Ugandan Parliament May durg the passage of an anti-gay bill. Lawmakers passed an earlier versn Lubowa/RtersThe print of Uganda signed a punive anti-gay bill on Monday that clus the ath penalty, enshrg to law an tensifyg crackdown agast L.

LIST OF UGANDAN CELEBRI WHO HAVE TURNED GAY TO AQUIRE VISAS

People the nservative East Ain natn and dismissg wispread lls not to impose one of the world’s most rtrictive anti-gay law lls for life imprisonment for anyone who engag gay sex. Anyone who tri to have same-sex relatns uld be liable for up to a law also cre the ath penalty for anyone nvicted of “aggravated homosexualy, ” a term fed as acts of same-sex relatns wh children or disabled people, those rried out unr threat or while someone is unnsc. The offense of “attempted aggravated homosexualy” rri a sentence of up to 14 legislatn is a major blow to efforts by the Uned Natns, Wtern ernments, civil society and rights groups that had implored the print, Yoweri Meveni, not to sign .

Homosexualy is already illegal Uganda, but the new law lls for far more strgent punishment and broans the list of law’s passage has stoked fear among L.

UGANDAN PRINT SIGNS ANTI-GAY LAW THAT INCLUS DEATH PENALTY AS A PUNISHMENT

Gay rights groups say hundreds of gay people — facg rejectn om their fai, discrimatn at work or mob jtice the streets — have reached out to them recent weeks seekg help. “There’s fear that this law will emboln many Ugandans to take the law to their hands, ” said Frank Mugisha, the most proment openly gay rights activist Uganda.

UGANDA ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY BILL: LIFE PRISON FOR SAYG YOU'RE GAY

”The sweepg anti-gay measure as a growg number of Ain untri — cludg Kenya and Ghana — nsir passg siar or even stricter Ugandan legislatn, known officially as the Anti-Homosexualy Act, was first passed by Parliament March. Lawmakers did add language makg clear that anyone spected of beg a homosexual would not be punished unls they engaged same-sex rt of the law remaed the same, cludg mandatg a prison term of up to 20 years for anyone who promot homosexualy, a vague provisn that activists fear uld be ed to target agenci supportg L. ”ImagePrint Yoweri Meveni of Uganda has been power for almost four Nalwadda/Associated PrsAnyone younger than 18 nvicted of havg gay sex fac up to three years prison.

The law, which also enurag the public to report any spected acts of homosexualy, ntas ambiguo language that mak difficult to who allows premis to be ed for same-sex relatns uld face up to seven years prison, and a person nvicted of homosexualy uld be sent for “rehabilatn. Policians first drew up a siar measure 2009, but when was signed to law 2014, the urt stck down on procral over the past few years, polil lears, along wh domtic and ternatnal relig anizatns, began rampg up anti-gay mpaigns and warng about what they ll a threat to fay valu. Last year, the thori shut down Sexual Mori Uganda, a leadg gay rights advocy group, claimg had not been officially registered wh the ernment.

‘WE WILL HUNT YOU’: UGANDANS FLEE AHEAD OF HARSH ANTI-GAY LAW

Jt days after the bill was first passed March, the anizatn’s Amerin founrs helped anize a nference Uganda among Ain lawmakers to promote anti-gay measur ntentwi.

”Some analysts said the law was meant to spegoat gay people and distract the public om mountg domtic challeng, cludg risg unemployment and skyrocketg food pric. ”A versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 4 of the New York edn wh the headle: Uganda Pass an Anti-Gay Law That Inclus the Death Penalty.

‘I HAVE TO LIE LOW. I’M TOTALLY ON EDGE’: UGANDA’S CLUB SCENE FEARS ANTI-GAY LAW

Media ptn, Watch: Cheers and applse as Uganda pass anti-gay billPeople who intify as gay Uganda risk life prison after parliament passed a new bill to crack down on homosexual activi. People are receivg lls that 'if you don't give me money, I will report that you are gay, '" they bill is one of the tought piec of anti-gay legislatn Ai.

A NEW ANTI-GAY LAW UGANDA LLS FOR LIFE PRISON FOR THOSE WHO ARE NVICTED

Homosexual acts are already illegal Uganda but this bill troduc many new crimal well as makg merely intifyg as gay illegal for the first time, iends, fay and members of the muny would have a duty to report dividuals same-sex relatnships to the was passed wh wispread support Uganda's parliament on Tuday eveng. Another gay rights activist acced the ernment of g the bill to distract the public om s failur to addrs some of their prsg enomic ncerns. The bill's backers say they are tryg to protect children but Ms Byagaba said: "Whether you're heterosexual or homosexual, the ernment and parliament should troduce laws, or at least implement existg laws that protect all children - boys, girls om filement.

The fal versn has yet to be officially published but elements discsed parliament clu: A person who is nvicted of groomg or traffickg children for purpos of engagg them homosexual activi fac life prisonIndividuals or stutns which support or fund LGBT rights' activi or anisatns, or publish, broadst and distribute pro-gay media material and lerature, also face prosecutn and imprisonmentMedia groups, journalists and publishers face prosecutn and imprisonment for publishg, broadstg, distributn of any ntent that advot for gay rights or "promot homosexualy"Death penalty for what is scribed as "aggravated homosexualy", that is sexual abe of a child, a person wh disabily or vulnerable people, or s where a victim of homosexual asslt is fected wh a life-long illnsProperty owners also face risk of beg jailed if their premis are ed as a "brothel" for homosexual acts or any other sexual mori rights' activiA small group of Ugandan MPs on a mtee sctisg the bill disagreed wh s premise. They argue the offenc seeks to crimalise are already vered the untry's Penal Co 2014, Uganda's nstutnal urt nullified another act which had toughened laws agast the LGBT clud makg illegal to promote and fund LGBT groups and activi, as well as reeratg that homosexual acts should be punished by life imprisonment, and was wily nmned by Wtern urt led that the legislatn be revoked bee had been passed by parliament whout the required quom. Mbajjwe Nimiro Wilson, 24, a gay man om Uganda, a safe hoe Otieno for The New York TimIn a spartan safehoe wh flimsy curtas and no furnure northwt of the Kenyan pal, Nairobi, people om neighborg Uganda clung to the few valuabl they uld snatch while fleeg harsh new legislatn targetg them back home.