Uganda's anti-gay law: how rtricted are LGBTQ rights Ai? | Rters

gay life in uganda

While gay rights are on the rise the U.S., vlent homophobia remas rampant many Ain natns

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UGANDA'S LGBTQ MUNY IS ' SHOCK' OVER NEW MEASURE, GAY ACTIVIST SAYS

Wh the vote on the untry's anti-homosexualy bill set to bee public the g days, photographer Mathias Christensen met gay people Uganda who fear the changg of the law * gay life in uganda *

The Inter-Relig Council of Uganda, which is openly homophobic, has been a direct recipient of UK aid money. Yoweri Meveni sends bill imposg ath penalty for homosexualy back to parliament for rensiratn.

Meveni says homosexualy is ‘danger to procreatn of human race’ at Entebbe nference hosted by US anti-LGBTQ+ hate group.

GAY LIFE UGANDA - PICTUR

KAMPALA, Uganda — Members of Uganda’s LGBTQ muny are shock and fear beg arrted after Parliament passed a measure that would make a crime to intify as gay and impose tough sentenc that clu the ath penalty certa s, an activist said “Anti-Homosexualy Bill, 2023” was passed wh a near-unanimo majory by lawmakers  the east Ain untry, where anti-gay sentiment ns ep.

UGANDA'S ANTI-GAY LAW: HOW RTRICTED ARE LGBTQ RIGHTS AI?

Ronald Kabuubi / APThe legislatn will next be sent to Print Yoweri Meveni, who has repeatedly nounced homosexualy, to be signed to Mugisha, one of a few Ugandans who live openly as gay, told Rters he was sred the measure would trigger “mass arrts of lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer persons and mob vlence toward LGBTQ muni.

NO, UGANDA IS NOT MAKG ILLEGAL TO BE GAY (AGA)

There’s gog to be a lot of trma and s of mental health that will lead to a lot of suici, ” he relatns were already illegal Uganda, but supporters of the new law say is need to punish a broar array of LGBTQ activi, which they say threaten tradnal valu the nservative and relig East Ain measure clus steep sentenc that clu ath for “aggravated homosexualy” and life prison for same-sex relatns. Aggravated homosexualy volv same-sex relatns wh people unr age 18 or when the perpetrator is HIV-posive, among other tegori, acrdg to the legislatn.

Brian is the lear of the gay muny project, Icebreakers. He abandoned the church bee of s role supportg the "Kill the Gays" bill, but he still believ God. Ema and Simon are a uple livg a shelter for gay people Kampala.

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

Their fai shunned them when they found out they were gay. A year ago, Kampala had several gay-iendly bars and clubs. Today, there is only one gay bar left, and s visors are certa that.

UGANDA PASSED ONE OF THE WORLD’S HARSHT ANTI-GAY LAWS. LGBTQ PEOPLE SCRIBE LIVG THERE AS ‘HELL’

Qu Karala, 29, a member of the lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, tersex and queer (LGBTQ) muny and a sgle mother of one pos for a picture wh rabow lours at the offic of Rella Women's Empowerment Program, for LGBTQ rights advocy, after a Rters terview Kulambiro suburb of Kampala, Uganda April 4, 2023.

* In 2017, Chad crimalised same-sex acts what the Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn (ILGA) lled "a worryg example of legal regrsn the regn". * Although homosexualy is not a crime Egypt, discrimatn agast the LGBTQ muny is rife.

Gay men are equently arrted and typilly charged wh bchery, immoraly or blasphemy. * Ivory Coast do not crimalise gay sex but there have been rerd s of tentn and prosecutn. * South Ai is the only Ain untry where gay marriage is legal.

UGANDA TO JAIL PEOPLE WHO INTIFY AS LGBTQ ONE OF WORLD'S MOST ANTI-GAY LAWS

However, South Ai has high rat of homophobic crime. * Botswana crimalised homosexualy 2019 and Gabon 2020. Sourc:* Rters burex* Global review by the Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn (ILGA), last updated December 2020.

But for one night each week, the prostut take a break and this place of heterosexual merce be the clost thg Kampala–a cy of 2 ln and the pal of the East Ain natn of Uganda–has to a haven for gay people. At the bar, Kampala’s lbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgenr people gather over bottl of the lol Club beer to soothe rattled nerv and take refuge a place where strangers do not glare at them wh hostily. “When you are gay, life Uganda is not good at all, ” says transgenr activist Joseph Kawi as she knocks back her third bottle of Club.

BEG GAY UGANDA

“When I go home, there is a boy who keeps shoutg, ‘You are gay, we are gog to kill you. '” Over the past , Ugandan tabloids have mounted repeated attacks on gay people the untry, outg proment figur and llg for them to be killed.

Followg the Febary 2014 enactment of a bill that allowed urts to sentence LGBT cizens to life prison, the tabloid Red Pepper prted a list of “Uganda’s Top 200 Homos. The rise anti-gay sentiment has many LGBT Ugandans spairg of ever beg able to walk down the street whout fear of beg spat upon, cursed or even physilly attacked.

Acrdg to a 2013 report by the Pew Rearch Center, the vast majory of Ains–98% Nigeria, 90% Kenya and 96% Uganda, Senegal and Ghana–say homosexualy is unacceptable. At a moment when a large majory of North Amerins, Lat Amerins and Europeans have e to accept homosexualy–and when same-sex marriage is legal 20 untri, cludg the U.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY LIFE IN UGANDA

Uganda to jail people who intify as LGBTQ one of world's most anti-gay laws : NPR .

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