Uganda: New Anti-Gay Bill Further Threatens Rights | Human Rights Watch

Contents:

• LGBT: UGANDAN REFUGE WAL SPEAK OUT ON ANTI-GAY BILL
• GAY RWANDAN MAN BEGS SUELLA BRAVERMAN TO SEE REFUGE AS HUMAN BEGS: ‘THEY HAVE A STORY’
• UGANDA: NEW ANTI-GAY BILL FURTHER THREATENS RIGHTS
• UGANDA'S LGBTQ MUNY IS ' SHOCK' OVER NEW MEASURE, GAY ACTIVIST SAYS
• UGANDA’S ANTI-GAY BILL IS THE LATT AND WORST TO TARGET LGBTQ AINS
• UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL OPPOS GHANA'S ANTI-GAY BILL

LGBT: UGANDAN REFUGE WAL SPEAK OUT ON ANTI-GAY BILL

Image source, RtersImage ptn, South Ain regnal civil society anisatns prott agast Uganda's anti-LGBT bill Cape TownUgandan refuge who fled to Wal bee of their sexualy have spoken out about their experienc their home Ugandan scribed Uganda as a "livg hell" for Ugandan Parliament has jt passed a new bill crackg down on homosexual activi which clus the prospect of life prison or the ath Welsh ernment has exprsed s shock at the bill. Homosexual acts were already illegal Uganda but the new bill troduc many new crimal the bill is adopted to law, even intifyg as gay will bee illegal for the first time. Friends, fay and members of the muny would also have a duty to report dividuals same-sex relatnships to the man said that, as a proudly gay man, he had no choice but to leave his untry.

GAY RWANDAN MAN BEGS SUELLA BRAVERMAN TO SEE REFUGE AS HUMAN BEGS: ‘THEY HAVE A STORY’

" The so-lled "Anti-Gay" bill will now go to Print Yoweri Meveni who n choose to e his veto or sign to law. As the UK ernment fights to save s Rwanda asylum plan the Supreme Court, a gay man om the untry reports on the dangers facg the muny there.

Innocent Uwimana – whose name has been changed to protect his inty – is a gay man om Rwanda who migrated to the UK about 20 years ago. Rwanda is one of the few Ain untri that do not overtly crimalise gay sex, and is a signatory to the UN claratn nmng vlence agast LGBTQ+ people.

In addn, many polil and social fluencers Rwanda equently utilise overtly relig jtifitns to nmn homosexualy, llg not only “un-Rwandan, ” but also “sacrileg”. On tope of that, homophobia has evolved to a rallyg cry that mobilis the mass by urgg them to guard themselv agast wternisatn. They claim that homosexualy and non-heteronormative genr inti are not part of Ain culture and that they were brought to Ai by Wtern untri (pecially the US and European natns) as a way to impose their beliefs on the ntent.

UGANDA: NEW ANTI-GAY BILL FURTHER THREATENS RIGHTS

Some also claim that Wtern untri tend to wipe out the Ain populatn by promotg homosexualy and preventg people beg heterosexual relatnships which they n have children. A gay Rwandan refugee is pleadg wh the UK ernment to back away om s much-cricised Rwanda plan and to see asylum seekers as human begs. Innocent, whose name has been changed to protect his inty, was subjected to homophobic bullyg om children and adults alike while growg up gay Rwanda.

While homosexualy is no longer crimalised Rwanda, public attus towards LGBTQ+ people are not kd. Even the UK ernment’s own webse acknowledg that homosexualy is “owned on” by many Rwanda and that LGBTQ+ people may experience “discrimatn and abe, cludg om lol thori”. In June, a gay man om Uganda told Ai News that he was “beaten terribly” Rwanda for beg gay, while a trans woman told the publitn: “I nnot go anywhere or apply for a job.

“This legislatn is the latt a strg of asslts on the rights of lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr people, this time unr the bric of state-ced transphobia. “First Rsia tried to erase lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr inti om public view, and now they are targetg transgenr people themselv, ” Reid said. “Rsia should reverse s outrageo policy and ensure rights to inty, fay life, and medil re for lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr people – startg wh reversg the anti-trans law.

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

On March 9, 2023, Asuman Basalirwa, a member of parliament, troduced the 2023 Anti-Homosexualy Bill Parliament. The bill is a revised and more egreg 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.

Like s precsor, the 2023 Anti-Homosexualy Bill expands on the crimalizatn of same sex acts, cludg broad prohibns on acts such as touchg another person “wh the tentn of mtg the act of homosexualy.

” People found guilty of the “offense of homosexualy” may be imprisoned for up to 10 years. But the bill go much further by also crimalizg 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. ” The bill clus a punishment of up to five years prison for the “promotn of homosexualy.

UGANDA’S ANTI-GAY BILL IS THE LATT AND WORST TO TARGET LGBTQ AINS

Uganda’s penal already punish “rnal knowledge agast the orr of nature, ” which is terpreted to mean homosexual relatns, wh a punishment of life prison, although the provisn, a lonial remnant, is rarely enforced. The retroductn of the Anti-Homosexualy Bill follows months of hostile rhetoric agast sexual and genr mori by public figur Uganda, as well as ernment crackdowns on LGBT-rights groups and other human rights groups, ernment crics, and civil society.

UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL OPPOS GHANA'S ANTI-GAY BILL

A January 2023 draft report by the bure intified 26 nonernmental anizatns, cludg SMUG, that acced of “promotg homosexualy” and lurg schoolchildren to homosexualy through “forced recment. Francis Takirwa the puty manr of land forc the Ugandan ary, ed the handover of a renovated muny health facily to ll for excludg gay people om receivg health servic, sayg, “Don’t e our health facili to treat homosexuals. The troductn of the 2023 Anti-Homosexualy Bill is not the first time Parliament has attempted to recrimalize homosexualy sce the 2014 Act was stck down.

Wh five months of the passg of the 2013 Anti-Homosexualy Act LGBT people faced a notable crease arbrary arrts, police abe and extortn, loss of employment, evictns and homelsns, and sr fled the untry. 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.