Gay activist says Uganda LGBTQ muny ' shock' at new law | Rters

Contents:

• UGANDA'S ANTI-GAY LAW: HOW RTRICTED ARE LGBTQ RIGHTS AI?
• UGANDA ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY BILL: LIFE PRISON FOR SAYG YOU'RE GAY
• GAY ACTIVIST SAYS UGANDA LGBTQ MUNY ' SHOCK' AT NEW LAW
• UGANDA'S LGBTQ MUNY IS ' SHOCK' OVER NEW MEASURE, GAY ACTIVIST SAYS
• HELPG OUR LGBTQ+ BROTHERS AND SISTERS UGANDANSCE 2014, RWF HAS BEEN PROVIDG SUPPORT TO LGBTQ+ PEOPLE UGANDA BY FUNDG SHELTER, SAFE PASSAGE, AND THE MEDIL NEEDS OF PEOPLE FLEEG DANGER. WE ALSO FUND EFFORTS TO PROMOTE THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE UGANDAN LGBTQ+ MUNY. THERE WAS AN LATN OF VLENCE TOWARD LGBTQ+ PEOPLE UGANDA 2022. IN MAY, THE PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA PASSED SEXUAL OFFENS BILL 2019 WHICH FURTHER CRIMALIZ SAME-SEX ACTS AND RELATNSHIPS. PARLIAMENTARY BATE AND PUBLIC DISCSN ON THE BILL IGNED HOMOPHOBIC AND TRANSPHOBIC FERVOR LEADG TO ATTACKS ON THE LGBTQ+ MUNY. MANY LGBTQ+ UGANDANS EXPERIENCED VLATNS OF THEIR MOST BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. AB CLU BEG OUTED OR BLACKMAILED BY NEIGHBORS OR FAY MEMBERS LEADG TO LOSS OF EMPLOYMENT AND HOG FOR MANY. HARASSMENT AND ABE BY THORI IS ALSO A REAL THREAT - 95 GAY MEN WERE ARRTED, JAILED FOR 4-5 DAYS RELEASED AND THEN REARRTED. OTHERS HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO ARBRARY ARRTS AND TENTNS WHICH ARE OFTEN REPORTED THE NEWS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA, PECIALLY IF THEY WERE ARRTED ON “SPICN OF HOMOSEXUALY”. WHILE RCERATED LGBTQ+ PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED TORTURE, PHYSIL AND SEXUAL ABE CLUDG FORCED ANAL EXAMATNS, BEATGS, STRIP-SEARCH, AND ABE BY OTHER MAT. IN JULY, A WELL-KNOWN GAY ACTIVIST WAS MURRED. IN AUGT, THE PRINT MEVENI CLED TO SIGN THE BILL TO LAW AS WAS NOT POLILLY ADVANTAGEO. THE CYCLE OF VLENCE HAS NOT STOPPED.2023 ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY BILLON MARCH 9, 2023, ASUMAN BASALIRWA, A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, TRODUCED THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY BILL PARLIAMENT. THE BILL IS A REVISED AND MUCH STRONGER VERSN OF THE 2014 ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT, WHICH RERCED EXISTG PRISON SENTENC FOR SAME-SEX NDUCT AND OUTLAWED THE “PROMOTN OF HOMOSEXUALY,” BUT WAS STCK DOWN BY A URT ON PROCRAL GROUNDS. THE BILL, IF PASSED WOULD CRIMALIZE ANY PERSON WHO “HOLDS OUT AS A LBIAN, GAY, TRANSGENR, A QUEER, OR ANY OTHER SEXUAL OR GENR INTY THAT IS NTRARY TO THE BARY TEGORI OF MALE AND FEMALE,” WH A PUNISHMENT OF UP TO TEN YEARS PRISON. ON MARCH 21, 2023 THE PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA APPROVED A BILL WH HARSHER PROVISNS AGAST HOMOSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS. THE BILL CLUS THE CHARG OF "AGGRAVATED HOMOSEXUALY" AND "ATTEMPTED HOMOSEXUALY" WH SENTENC OF UP TO 10 YEARS PRISON. ADDNAL SENTENC RELATED TO THE BILL CLU LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR GROOMG OR TRAFFICKG CHILDREN FOR PURPOS OF ENGAGG THEM HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVI AND EVEN THE ATH PENALTY FOR "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 ILLNS. FAY MEMBERS N BE CRIMALIZED FOR NOT TURNG RELATIVE THE BILL ALSO REQUIR ANY ONE TO REPORT ANY KNOWN LGBTQ+ PERSON TO THE THORI AND N PUNISH ANY PROPERTY OWNERS/LANDLORDS WHO PROVI HOG TO LGBTQ+ PERSONS IF THEIR PROPERTY IS ED AS A "BROTHEL" FOR HOMOSEXUAL ACTS OR ANY OTHER SEXUAL MORI RIGHTS' ACTIVI.ON 21 MARCH 2023, PARLIAMENT PASSED THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY BILL. THE DRAFT LAW PRCRIBED THE ATH PENALTY FOR "AGGRAVATED HOMOSEXUALS" (FN WHICH CLUS THOSE WHO ARE NVICTED OF HOMOSEXUALY MORE THAN ONCE AND THOSE WHO ENGAGE HOMOSEXUAL SEX WH A PERSON OLR THAN 75 OR WH A DISABLED PERSON) AND UP TO 20 YEARS PRISON FOR "PROMOTERS" OF HOMOSEXUALY.ON 21 APRIL, 2023 PRINT MEVENI SENT THE BILL BACK TO PARLIAMENT, WHICH PASSED AGA ON MAY 2, 2023 WH MOR AMENDMENTS BY A VOTE OF 348 TO 1. ON 29 MAY 2023, AFTER PARLIAMENT WATERED DOWN PRINT MEVENI SIGHED TO LAW. IT IS AMONG HE HARSHT ANTI-LGBTQ LAWS THE WORLD. HOMOSEXUAL ACTS ARE ALREADY ILLEGAL UGANDA BUT NOW ANYONE NVICTED FAC LIFE IMPRISONMENT.ON MAY 29, 2023, PRINT MEVENI SIGNED THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY BILL TO LAW ON 29 MAY.
• KAMPALA

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

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.

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

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. 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.

GAY ACTIVIST SAYS UGANDA LGBTQ MUNY ' SHOCK' AT NEW 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.

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

A rights activist told the BBC the bate around the bill had led to fear of more attacks on gay people. 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.

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. In the weeks before the bate, anti-homosexual sentiment was proment the media, an activist who wanted to rema anonymo told the BBC.

HELPG OUR LGBTQ+ BROTHERS AND SISTERS UGANDANSCE 2014, RWF HAS BEEN PROVIDG SUPPORT TO LGBTQ+ PEOPLE UGANDA BY FUNDG SHELTER, SAFE PASSAGE, AND THE MEDIL NEEDS OF PEOPLE FLEEG DANGER. WE ALSO FUND EFFORTS TO PROMOTE THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE UGANDAN LGBTQ+ MUNY. THERE WAS AN LATN OF VLENCE TOWARD LGBTQ+ PEOPLE UGANDA 2022. IN MAY, THE PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA PASSED SEXUAL OFFENS BILL 2019 WHICH FURTHER CRIMALIZ SAME-SEX ACTS AND RELATNSHIPS. PARLIAMENTARY BATE AND PUBLIC DISCSN ON THE BILL IGNED HOMOPHOBIC AND TRANSPHOBIC FERVOR LEADG TO ATTACKS ON THE LGBTQ+ MUNY. MANY LGBTQ+ UGANDANS EXPERIENCED VLATNS OF THEIR MOST BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. AB CLU BEG OUTED OR BLACKMAILED BY NEIGHBORS OR FAY MEMBERS LEADG TO LOSS OF EMPLOYMENT AND HOG FOR MANY. HARASSMENT AND ABE BY THORI IS ALSO A REAL THREAT - 95 GAY MEN WERE ARRTED, JAILED FOR 4-5 DAYS RELEASED AND THEN REARRTED. OTHERS HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO ARBRARY ARRTS AND TENTNS WHICH ARE OFTEN REPORTED THE NEWS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA, PECIALLY IF THEY WERE ARRTED ON “SPICN OF HOMOSEXUALY”. WHILE RCERATED LGBTQ+ PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED TORTURE, PHYSIL AND SEXUAL ABE CLUDG FORCED ANAL EXAMATNS, BEATGS, STRIP-SEARCH, AND ABE BY OTHER MAT. IN JULY, A WELL-KNOWN GAY ACTIVIST WAS MURRED. IN AUGT, THE PRINT MEVENI CLED TO SIGN THE BILL TO LAW AS WAS NOT POLILLY ADVANTAGEO. THE CYCLE OF VLENCE HAS NOT STOPPED.2023 ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY BILLON MARCH 9, 2023, ASUMAN BASALIRWA, A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, TRODUCED THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY BILL PARLIAMENT. THE BILL IS A REVISED AND MUCH STRONGER VERSN OF THE 2014 ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT, WHICH RERCED EXISTG PRISON SENTENC FOR SAME-SEX NDUCT AND OUTLAWED THE “PROMOTN OF HOMOSEXUALY,” BUT WAS STCK DOWN BY A URT ON PROCRAL GROUNDS. THE BILL, IF PASSED WOULD CRIMALIZE ANY PERSON WHO “HOLDS OUT AS A LBIAN, GAY, TRANSGENR, A QUEER, OR ANY OTHER SEXUAL OR GENR INTY THAT IS NTRARY TO THE BARY TEGORI OF MALE AND FEMALE,” WH A PUNISHMENT OF UP TO TEN YEARS PRISON. ON MARCH 21, 2023 THE PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA APPROVED A BILL WH HARSHER PROVISNS AGAST HOMOSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS. THE BILL CLUS THE CHARG OF "AGGRAVATED HOMOSEXUALY" AND "ATTEMPTED HOMOSEXUALY" WH SENTENC OF UP TO 10 YEARS PRISON. ADDNAL SENTENC RELATED TO THE BILL CLU LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR GROOMG OR TRAFFICKG CHILDREN FOR PURPOS OF ENGAGG THEM HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVI AND EVEN THE ATH PENALTY FOR "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 ILLNS. FAY MEMBERS N BE CRIMALIZED FOR NOT TURNG RELATIVE THE BILL ALSO REQUIR ANY ONE TO REPORT ANY KNOWN LGBTQ+ PERSON TO THE THORI AND N PUNISH ANY PROPERTY OWNERS/LANDLORDS WHO PROVI HOG TO LGBTQ+ PERSONS IF THEIR PROPERTY IS ED AS A "BROTHEL" FOR HOMOSEXUAL ACTS OR ANY OTHER SEXUAL MORI RIGHTS' ACTIVI.ON 21 MARCH 2023, PARLIAMENT PASSED THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY BILL. THE DRAFT LAW PRCRIBED THE ATH PENALTY FOR "AGGRAVATED HOMOSEXUALS" (FN WHICH CLUS THOSE WHO ARE NVICTED OF HOMOSEXUALY MORE THAN ONCE AND THOSE WHO ENGAGE HOMOSEXUAL SEX WH A PERSON OLR THAN 75 OR WH A DISABLED PERSON) AND UP TO 20 YEARS PRISON FOR "PROMOTERS" OF HOMOSEXUALY.ON 21 APRIL, 2023 PRINT MEVENI SENT THE BILL BACK TO PARLIAMENT, WHICH PASSED AGA ON MAY 2, 2023 WH MOR AMENDMENTS BY A VOTE OF 348 TO 1. ON 29 MAY 2023, AFTER PARLIAMENT WATERED DOWN PRINT MEVENI SIGHED TO LAW. IT IS AMONG HE HARSHT ANTI-LGBTQ LAWS THE WORLD. HOMOSEXUAL ACTS ARE ALREADY ILLEGAL UGANDA BUT NOW ANYONE NVICTED FAC LIFE IMPRISONMENT.ON MAY 29, 2023, PRINT MEVENI SIGNED THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY BILL TO LAW ON 29 MAY.

"In some areas even law enforcers are g the current environment to extort money om people who they acce of beg gay. He has ma several anti-gay ments recent weeks, and also cricised Wtern untri for puttg prsure on Uganda over the issue. 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.

"They are tryg to dm up anti-gay rhetoric to divert attentn om really what is important to Ugandans general. 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.

KAMPALA

KAMPALA, March 22 (Rters) - Members of Uganda's LGBTQ muny are shock and fear beg arrted after parliament passed a new law that mak a crime to intify as gay, and impos tough sentenc that clu the ath penalty certa s, an activist said on "Anti-Homosexualy Bill, 2023" was passed wh a near-unanimo majory by lawmakers the east Ain untry where anti-gay sentiment ns ep.

Secretary of State Antony Blken said on Wednday the law would unrme fundamental human rights and "reverse gas the fight agast HIV/AIDS" and urged thori to rensir implementatn of the Mugisha, one of a few Ugandans who live openly as gay, told Rters he was sred the law will trigger "mass arrts of lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer (LGBTQ) persons and mob vlence toward LGBTQ muni.