Meet the LGBT activists fightg Uganda's anti-gay law | Uganda | The Guardian

Contents:

• MEET THE LGBT ACTIVISTS FIGHTG UGANDA'S ANTI-GAY LAW
• UGANDA ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY BILL: LIFE PRISON FOR SAYG YOU'RE GAY
• LGBTQ ACTIVISTS UGANDA ' SHOCK' OVER ANTI-GAY LEGISLATN, FEARG MASS ARRTS
• THE BRAVE ACTIVISTS FIGHTG FOR LGBT RIGHTS UGANDAFIGHTING ONPRI WAS NCELED UGANDA AFTER A BTAL POLICE RAID ON A PARTY, BUT ACTIVISTS SAY THEY HOPE WILL GO ON LATER THIS YEAR—AND THE FIGHT FOR EQUALY AND JTICE NTU.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 8:06PM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 18, 2016 1:00AM EDT ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP/GETTYPART-WAY THROUGH MY SKYPE TERVIEW WH ADRIAN JJUO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS AWARENS AND PROMOTN FOM (HRAPF), KAMPALA, UGANDA, A DOG’S LOUD, SISTENT BARKG BEGAN. STARTLED, JJUO LOOKED AWAY OM THE MERA.HE WAS NOT, HOWEVER, AT HOME AND WAS NOT A FAY PET. JJUO WAS AT WORK, AND WHAT MY MERA ULD NOT SEE WERE, HE TOLD ME, THE THREE ROWS OF BARBED WIRE ATOP THE HIGH FENC OUTSI HIS OFFICE, THE TWO SECURY GUARDS, THE CCTV MERAS, THE ALARM SYSTEM, THE RERCED METAL BARS ON ALL THE WDOWS AND DOORS… AND THE DOG. “EVERY DAY YOU GET ED TO YOUR PRISON: WE KNOW THIS IS WHAT IS,” SAID JJUO.CAMPAIGNG FOR LGBT EQUALY UGANDA IS A BRAVE, DANGERO PROFSN, AND ONE DONE DITEDLY BY JJUO, HIS HRAPF LLEAGU, AND FIGUR LIKE FRANK MUGISHA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SEXUAL MORI UGANDA (SMUG), AND ANIZATNS LIKE PRI UGANDA AND CHAPTER FOUR.“OUR GUARD WAS KILLED RIGHT HERE MAY,” SAID JJUO, EXPLAG THE SECURY PROCR. ”THEY [THE ATTACKERS] LEFT A HUGE IRON BAR BEHD. THEY SPREAD MY DOCUMENTS EVERYWHERE AND TOOK NOTHG ELSE. THAT WAS VERY CHILLG. WE SAW THEM [THE ATTACKERS]. THERE WERE FOUR OF THEM. THE POLICE ARE DOG ABSOLUTELY NOTHG TO VTIGATE THAT SE. THEY HAVE FGERPRTS, BLOOD SAMPL, PICTUR, CCTV FOOTAGE. I HAVE TO BE STRONG FOR MY STAFF. I HAVE BEEN WORKG ON LGBT RIGHTS FOR MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS NOW. WE HAVE TO SPEAK OUT AND ENGAGE, BEE WE BELIEVE IS RIGHT THG TO DO.” UGANDA IS ONE OF 33 AIN UNTRI WH ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY LAWS. JJUO SISTS THAT POSIVE CHANGE WILL E TIME, AND SAID THAT BEFORE THE RECENT RAID ON A UGANDA PRI-RELATED PARTY, WHICH FRANK MUGISHA WROTE POWERFULLY ABOUT THE GUARDIAN, HE WAS OPTIMISTIC THAT THE FIGHT FOR LGBTI RIGHTS UGANDA WAS ON AN UPWARD CURVE SCE THE SUCCSFUL QUASHG OF THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT (AHA) OF 2014.ISAAC MUGISHA OF PRI UGANDA TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT THE GROUP STILL PLANNED TO HOLD A PRI EVENT LATER THIS YEAR, HAVG HAD TO NCEL S PLANNED RALLY AFTER THE POLICE BTALLY RAID A PARTY EARLIER THIS SUMMER.“WE ARE NEGOTIATNS WH POLICE AND MISTERS ABOUT WHEN WILL BE. IT MIGHT BE VERY SOON, OCTOBER. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE THKG FOR NOW. WE ARE VERY HOPEFUL,” HE SAID. THE EVENT, HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, WOULD BE A PARA RPORATG A MARCH, A HOLY MUNN SERVICE, AND FTIVAL AS WELL.THE PARTY TARGETED BY THE THORI TOOK PLACE ON AUG. 4, THREE DAYS TO UGANDA PRI WEEK, A MR/MS/MX PRI BETY PAGEANT EVENT AT VENOM NIGHTCLUB THE KAMPALA SUBURB OF KABALAGALA. SIXTEEN PEOPLE WERE ARRTED AFTER POLICE, “ARMED TO THE TEETH” AS MUGISHA PUT , WALKED TO THE EVENT.CAMPAIGNG GROUP CHAPTER 4 SAID THE POLICE “CLAIMED THAT THEY HAD BEEN TOLD A ‘GAY WEDDG’ WAS TAKG PLACE AND THAT THE CELEBRATN WAS ‘UNLAWFUL’ BEE POLICE HAD NOT BEEN RMED (POLICE HAD BEEN DULY RMED, AND THE PRR TWO PRI EVENTS WERE NDUCTED WHOUT CINT ON TUDAY AND WEDNDAY NIGHTS).”THERE HAD BEEN AROUND 200 PEOPLE THERE, WHO WERE LOCKED SI, AND TAED FOR AN HOUR. SOME HAD PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN OF THEMSELV BY OFFICERS WHOUT THEIR NSENT, ACRDG TO A STATEMENT BY THE CIVIL SOCIETY COALN ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND CONSTUTNAL LAW (CSCHRCL), WH OFFICERS TNTG THEM THEIR INTI ULD BE REVEALED.IN FRANK MUGISHA’S ACUNT, HE WR ABOUT SEEG TRANSGENR PEOPLE BEG BEATEN AND “TOUCHED APPROPRIATELY” BY POLICE OFFICERS TO TABLISH THEIR “REAL GENR.” HE WAS SULTED, ABED, AND WH OTHER ARRTE TAKEN TO A POLICE STATN WHERE THEY WERE HUIATED AND TIMIDATED.ONE MAN, TRYG TO PE THE BEATGS BY POLICE AT THE VENUE, HURLED HIMSELF OM THE FOURTH FLOOR, BREAKG TWO VERTEBRAE; HIS TREATMENT WILL ST $5,000.AT THE POLICE STATN, ACRDG TO CSCHRCL, TWO TRANSGENR MEN AND ONE TRANSGENR WOMAN “WERE SUBJECTED TO HUIATG AND GRADG TREATMENT WHEN THEY WERE GROPED AND STRIP-SEARCHED BY POLICEMEN. THEY WERE ALSO BEATEN BY THE POLICE AND OTHER MAT.”ANOTHER ATTENE OF THE PARTY, WHO REQUTED ANONYMY, RELATED TO THE DAILY BEAST THAT THEY, TOO, HAD BEEN BEATEN BY POLICE UNTIL “BLOOD WAS G OM ALL PARTS OF MY BODY.”IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE RAID HAS E AN UNRSTANDABLE NERVONS, AS WELL AS A TERMATN ON THE PART OF ACTIVISTS TO NTUE THEIR WORK.“THE SUATN IS LM,” ISAAC MUGISHA SAID OF THE LGBT MUNY’S RPONSE TO THE RAID. “OF URSE, THE POLICE RAID LEFT A LOT OF PROBLEMS FOR PEOPLE AND A LOT OF MUNY MEMBERS SRED. PEOPLE ARE VIGILANT, LOOKG AROUND, AND SOME ARE STILL HIDG. IT WAS QUE A SRY MOMENT FOR THEM.“FOR A LONG TIME, THE POLICE HAD NOT DONE ANYTHG LIKE THIS TO THE LGBT MUNY, SO WAS SHOCK FOR WHEN THEY ACTUALLY APPEARED. WE HAVE ACHIEVED A LOT FOR THE MOVEMENT, SO WHATEVER HAPPENED WAS A WAKE-UP LL TO , ABOUT ALG WH POLICE AND POLIL LEARS ARE STILL VERY HOMOPHOBIC.”THE TERNATNAL OUTCRY OVER THE POLICE’S ACTNS HAD HAD A POSIVE EFFECT, HE ADD.***“BEFORE THE PARTY RAID, LGBTI LIFE HAD BEEN MORE SETTLED,” SAID JJUO. AFTER THE ABOLN OF THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT, THERE WAS A RT PERD WHERE POLICE WERE NOT HARASSG PEOPLE. THE HARASSMENT WAS OM PRIVATE DIVIDUALS MOSTLY. IT WAS MORE RELAXED. NOW THERE IS TENSN, MEMBERS OF ANIZATNS ARE HIDG.”THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT HAD SOUGHT TO ENSHRE LAW A NUMBER OF HOMOPHOBIC MEASUR AROUND WHAT BIZARRELY TERMED “AGGRAVATED HOMOSEXUALY,” “AIDG AND ABETTG HOMOSEXUALY,” “ATTEMPT TO M HOMOSEXUALY,” AND “NSPIRACY TO ENGAGE HOMOSEXUALY,” AND “PROMOTN OF HOMOSEXUALY.”THE PROPOSED LAW BEME KNOWN AS THE “KILL THE GAYS” BILL, AS ONE OF THE PROPOSED PENALTI FOR HOMOSEXUALY WAS EXECUTN (AS WELL AS LIFE IMPRISONMENT). QUE BEYOND ALL THOSE PROPOSED NEW MEASUR, HOMOSEXUALY SELF REMAS AGAST THE LAW UGANDA (A PENAL HANER OM BRISH LONIAL LE), AND PUNISHABLE BY UP TO A SEVEN-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE.JJUO SAID LGBTI LIFE IS AN “TERTG MIX” UGANDA: THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR PRI PARAS (ANNUALLY, SCE 2012), UNTIL THIS YEAR’S WAS NCELED AFTER THE PARTY RAID. POLICE WILL SOMETIM GUARD LGBTI PARTI, SAID JJUO, BUT THEY HAVE ALSO BROKEN UP MEETGS, CG THE PUBLIC ORR MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2013.AFTER BREAKG UP THE AUG. 4 PARTY THE POLICE CED THE SAME ACT—ALTHOUGH PARTI DO NOT E UNR THE ACT’S STRICTUR AS WAS A PRIVATE EVENT.THE FIERCELY HOMOPHOBIC SIMON LOKODO, THE MISTER FOR ETHICS AND INTEGRY, A NMNATORY STATEMENT PUBLISHED ON AUG. 8, CRIED THE “PROMOTN OF HOMOSEXUALY,” WHILE CLAIMG THERE WAS NO VLENCE AGAST LGBTI PEOPLE MTED UGANDA, AND THAT THE PRI PARTY HAD BEEN DISBAND WHOUT ANY JURI STAED.LOKODO CLAIMED THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WERE BEG OFFERED MONEY TO “PROMOTE” HOMOSEXUALY UGANDA, THAT CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WERE VULNERABLE TO “SEXUAL ABE AND VIATN,” AND THE ERNMENT WAS TERMED TO STOP “THE CRIMAL AND ILLEGAL ACTIVI OF THE GAY MUNY.”LOKODO MA HIS ANTI-GAY MISSN EVEN MORE BTALLY CLEAR AN TERVIEW LAST WEEKEND WH THE SUNDAY EDN OF THE UGANDAN TABLOID RED PEPPER, UNR THE HEADLE: “HOMOS WANT TO RAPE ME.” (RED PEPPER HAD BEEN PREVLY NOTOR FOR PUBLISHG A LIST OF 200 “TOP GAYS” 2014, UNR THE HEADLE “EXPOSED.”)LOKODO LLED THE PEOPLE AT THE CLUB “SHAMELS IDTS… PLANNG TO S.” HE ADD, “MY BROTHER, WE SEEM TO WAKE UP WHEN THE FIRE HAS ALMOST BURNT DOWN THE ENTIRE HOE. THE HOMOS ARE EVERYWHERE; SCHOOLS, CHURCH, FAI, ERNMENT STUTNS, VILLAG… OOH THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. NOW MY MMENT IS TO FIGHT THEM; EVEN IF I REMA ALONE, I WILL NOT GIVE UP THIS FIGHT.”LOKODO VOWED TO REMOVE “HOMOSEXUAL MATERIALS” OM SCHOOLS, AND SAID, “EVERY MORNG I SAY A PRAYER ASKG GOD TO BE MY SHIELD. THE HOMOS HAVE BEEN SENDG ME MSAG THREATENG MY LIFE. MOST OF THEM EVEN SAY THEY WANT TO RAPE ME BUT I DON’T FEAR ANYTHG. THIS IS A JOB AND I WILL EXECUTE TO THE MAXIMUM.”LOKODO ALSO CLAIMED THE SON OF “ONE OF THE RICHT UGANDANS” HAD NFSED TO BEG GAY, AND SCRIBED HIM LURID TERMS, TH: “THE BOY IS WEARG THREE PAMPERS (DIAPERS). HIS AN WAS SHATTERED BEYOND REPAIR. HE NNOT S WH EASE. HE IS SUFFERG AND WALLOWG PA. WHEN THE BOY UNDRSED BEFORE ME P WAS OOZG OM HIS REAR.”THE MISTER NCLUD HIS FEVERISH TERVIEW BY CLAIMG HE WANTED THE UGANDAN ERNMENT TO VT A “CENSOR GADGET” MA BY “THE SOUTH KOREANS” WHICH WILL “TECT HOMOS AND PORN ACTORS…”“LOKODO’S STATEMENTS ARE MISGUID AND LI, BUT UNFORTUNATELY MANY UGANDANS BELIEVE THEM AND THEY ARE G SO MUCH HARM TOWARDS THE LGBT MUNY,” FRANK MUGISHA TOLD THE DAILY BEAST.ISAAC MUGISHA ADD, “HIS [LOKODO’S] OPN IS NOT THE ERNMENT’S OPN. HE DON’T REPRENT THE ERNMENT OF UGANDA. WE’VE KNOWN HIM AS AN ENEMY OM WAY BACK. THE ERNMENT IS BIGGER THAN HIM: THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE ABOVE HIM WHO ARE PROGRSIVE AND SUPPORTIVE.”IS THE UGANDAN ERNMENT SUPPORTIVE OF LGBTI RIGHTS? I ASKED. “I WOULD NOT SAY TO A HIGH EXTENT,” SAID ISAAC MUGISHA. “BUT THERE HAS BEEN PROGRS, LIKE THE HEALTH AND JTICE SECTORS. THE RAID NNOT MAKE FET ABOUT THE SUCCS WE HAVE HAD AS A MOVEMENT. WE HAVE TO KEEP PHG AND PHG. WE HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED A LOT, AND WE DON’T WANT TO LOSE NOW.”CAROLE KOUASSIAMAN, SENR PROGRAM OFFICER OF SEXUAL HEALTH AND RIGHTS AT THE AMERIN JEWISH WORLD SERVICE, A SUPPORTER OF LGBTI RIGHTS NE UNTRI OF THE VELOPG WORLD, SAID THE LATT WAVE OF HOMOPHOBIA UGANDA, WH LOKODO S FIGUREHEAD, HAD E ON THE HEELS OF PERDIC THREATS BY POLICIANS THAT THE FUNCT ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT ULD BE REVIVED.“IT’S BEG ED AS POLIL LEVERAGE TO GA VOT, SOMETIM TO GA VOT OR POPULIST SUPPORT, OR TO DRAW ATTENTN OM OTHER NCERNS OR CRIQU OF THE ERNMENT,” SHE SAID. IN UGANDA, SHE ADD, “THERE ARE CHALLENG AROUND STIGMA, DISCRIMATN, AND VLENCE. THE LGBTI MUNY HAS BEEN STRONG, RISTANT, CREATIVE, AND ROURCEFUL. THERE IS LS MOB VLENCE THAN THERE HAS BEEN THE PAST, BUT PEOPLE MAY BE KICKED OUT OF THEIR JOBS, KICKED OUT OF THEIR HOM AND MUNI, AND HAVE LANDLORDS EVICTG THEM, OR BE THREATENED, OR BE VICTIMS OF EXTORTN.“THERE ARE A VARIETY OF ‘VLENC,’ AND PART OF THE WORK OF ANIZATNS HAS BEEN TO PROVI AN EMERGENCY AND SECURE RPONSE TO FIGHT HARASSMENT.”KOUASSIAMAN ALSO ACCENTUATED THE POSIVE: AFTER THE PARTY RAID LGBTI PEOPLE WERE AMONG THOSE OUT ON THE STREETS OF KAMPALA NDUCTG SAFER-SEX TN, SHE SAID. SHE ALSO POTED TO LGBTI MEDIA OPERATG UGANDA, CLUDG A MAGAZE, BOMBASTIC, AND NEWS WEBSE, THE KUCHU TIM.“IN THE MAGAZE THE FOC IS ON THE VLENCE PEOPLE FACE, FAI, LOVE AND INTI, RATHER THAN POLIL ISSU,” SAID KOUASSIAMAN. “THEY PHED UNR ALL MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT’S DOORS, AND I THK WILL HAVE REALLY ENGAGED PEOPLE ON A HUMAN LEVEL.”FOR JJUO, WHILE THE PRENT TIME OFFERS GRAVE CHALLENG, HE BELIEV THAT HIS LIFETIME HOMOSEXUALY WILL BE LEGALIZED UGANDA. “THERE IS NO REASON WHY SHOULDN’T. SOONER OR LATER UGANDA IS GOG TO CHANGE. EVERY OTHER UNTRY HAS HAD S JOURNEY. UGANDA IS HAVG S JOURNEY AND SOMETHG WILL GIVE. Y, WILL HAPPEN—’S JT A MATTER OF TIME.”IGNORANCE WAS THE FIRST AND MOST FUNDAMENTAL BLOCK TO EQUALY, JJUO SAID, FOLLOWED BY EVANGELIL CHRISTIANY. ENOMIC VELOPMENT AFFECTS SOCIAL VELOPMENT, HE NOTED: PEOPLE POOR AREAS LIVE SUCH CLOSE QUARTERS UGANDA—“THERE’S NO PRIVACY IF YOUR BEDROOM IS MY STG ROOM”—AND MUNI ARE SO TIGHTLY KN, THERE IS NO PRIVACY FOR LGBTI PEOPLE TO PURSUE THEIR LIV.AFTER THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT WAS PASSED (AND BEFORE WAS QUASHED), THE NUMBER OF S OF VLENCE AGAST LGBTI PEOPLE CREASED, JJUO SAID. “TRANS PEOPLE ARE AT PARTICULAR RISK OF VLENCE: THEY ARE THE MOST VISIBLE.”BEATGS HAD BEEN BEG MORE EQUENT, HE SAID. HRAPF MET WH POLICE ON A LOL LEVEL AND STUTNS, BUT THEN RAIDS AND CRACKDOWNS SUCH AS THE AUG. 4 CINT HAPPEN AND JJUO REALIZ THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, “POLICE OFFICERS WILL NOT SPEAK AGAST POLICE OFFICERS,” AND SO THE ARDUO TASK OF FORMG EFFECTIVE ALLIANC NTU.“THGS ARE GETTG BETTER,” HE SAID. “WHAT HAPPENED ON AUG. 4 WILL BRG VISIBILY TO THE LGBTI MOVEMENT, AND TO WHAT DO. IT MAY BRG MORE OF A BACKLASH, BUT MORE THGS WILL HAPPEN. MORE PEOPLE WILL E TO THE TABLE. UGANDA IS ONE OF THE FEW UNTRI AI WHERE YOU N TALK ABOUT HOMOSEXUALY. WE’RE NOT DOG BADLY AT ALL. IN FUTURE WE SHALL CHANGE. IT HAS TO GET WORSE BEFORE GETS BETTER.“LGBTI PEOPLE HERE ARE BOTH SRED AND OPTIMISTIC. PEOPLE ARE BEG LLED TO POLICE STATNS, OTHERS ARE HIDG AWAY, BUT WE HAVE TO REMA OPTIMISTIC. LOSE THAT AND WE LOSE OUR SOUL. EVERYTHG IS LOST.”***THERE ARE SOME PARTS OF KAMPALA—“THE LEAFY SUBURBS,” JJUO SAID—“WHERE “YOU N LIVE THE LIFE OF A NEW YORKER, AND JT AS THERE ARE SOME PARTS OF NEW YORK WHERE YOU MAY GET BEATEN UP, ’S THE SAME HERE. THE DIFFERENCE IS, NEW YORK THE POLICE WILL PROTECT YOU.”JJUO IS HETEROSEXUAL, MARRIED, WH THREE CHILDREN AGED 6, 5, AND 3 MONTHS. “IN MY VIEW, DON’T MATTER WHAT SEXUAL ORIENTATN YOU ARE. I DON’T BELIEVE THERE IS A DISTCTN BETWEEN ME AND AN LGBTI PERSON. MY WIFE, WHO HELPED START THE ANIZATN, IS ALWAYS SUPPORTIVE. SHE IS PRACTILLY WORRIED. SHE IS AAID: ‘WHAT IS GOG TO HAPPEN, ARE WE GOG TO BE KILLED? ARE WE SAFE? WHAT IF SOMETHG HAPPENS TO YOU, TO ? IS THIS WORTH ?’ BUT SHE UNRSTANDS WHY WE NEED TO DO THIS WORK AND WHY IS SO IMPORTANT. THAT’S AMAZG.“WE ARE FIGHTG FOR A MUCH MORE CLIVE FUTURE, FOR OUR CHILDREN. IF THEY TURN OUT TO BE GAY, WHAT’S WRONG WH THAT? I WANT THEM TO BE GAY AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH ACTUALLY SUPPORTS THEM TO LIVE MEANGFUL LIV.“I’M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THEM BEG GAY. I’M WORRIED ABOUT THEM GROWG UP A UNTRY THAT DON’T RPECT THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT. THAT’S THE FEAR I HAVE FOR THE FUTURE. GAY OR NOT, WE SHOULD HAVE A UNTRY WHICH RPECTS PEOPLE’S RIGHTS, AND VALU THEM AS HUMAN BEGS REGARDLS OF WHAT THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN IS.”TO THAT END, JJUO IS LEADG A NUMBER OF TT S THROUGH THE URTS AROUND THE REGISTRATN OF GROUPS, THE ANIZATN OF PUBLIC MEETGS, VLENCE SPECIFILLY AIMED AT LGBTI PEOPLE, AND THE ARRT OF LGBTI PEOPLE WHOUT GROUNDS. “WE ARE WNG SOME BATTL, LOSG SOME, BUT WE ARE PHG LEGAL BOUNDARI AND THAT MAK ME PROUD,” HE SAID.HE IS PARTICULARLY PROUD OF BEG PART OF BRGG SEXUAL MORI UGANDA AND THE CENTER FOR CONSTUTNAL RIGHTS’S SE AGAST THE EVANGELIL PREACHER STT LIVELY, ACCG HIM OF VLATG TERNATNAL LAW BY STIRRG UP ANTI-GAY HATRED UGANDA, STARTG 2002.THE SE IS BEG HEARD MASSACHETTS DISTRICT COURT; A SUMMARY JUDGMENT HEARG IS SCHLED FOR OCT. 5.SHOULD THE LGBTI ACTIVISTS’ ARGUMENTS PREVAIL, WILL PUT AN END, SAID JJUO, TO “EVANGELILS G HERE AND IMPORTG HOMOPHOBIA. YOU N’T PROMOTE HATE OTHER UNTRI. YOU N’T EXPORT HATE.”JJUO IS MOST PROUD, AND GALVANIZED, BY THE SUCCSFUL QUASHG OF THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT. “WE FOUGHT SO HARD AGAST THAT BILL: THE STRATEGIZG, REARCH, FUNDRAISG THE FIGHT URT, ANIZG PEOPLE. IT WAS AMAZG, I LOOK BACK, AND THK ‘Y, WE DID .’”AND YET, JJUO SAID, HRAPF’S OFFICE SURROUND BY FENCG AND BARBED WIRE, “WE ARE PRISONERS OUR OWN SPACE FOR FEAR OF THE PEOPLE G TO ATTACK , AND POLICE VASNS FOR ALL KDS OF THGS. BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS THE RIGHT THG AND WE ARE MAKG PROGRS. WE HAVE TO SUFFER THE CURRENT CHALLENG TO BE ABLE TO GET SOMETHG MORE OR BETTER.“PEOPLE HAVE TO STAND UP AND FIGHT, AND FIGHT ON THE ONTLE. THAT IS THE TRAJECTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS EVERYWHERE, SO I’M JT DOG WHAT EVERYONE HAS DONE BEFORE. AND WE NEED OPTIMISM TO FIGHT ON. THEY N FIGHT , BUT EVENTUALLY WE WILL W THIS. WE MAY LOSE SOME OF THE BATTL, BUT WE WILL W THE WAR.”I ASKED ISAAC MUGISHA THAT, IF PRI GO AHEAD AS HE HOP OCTOBER, WOULD THAT SEND A MSAGE TO THE WIR WORLD. “YEAH, SURE. WE ARE STILL RILIENT ABOUT WHAT WE WANT. WE WANT PRI TO HAPPEN. PEOPLE MT HAVE EEDOM OF ASSEMBLY, EEDOM OF EXPRSN, AND HUMAN RIGHTS. WE MT MAKE SURE AS A MORY GROUP WE ACHIEVE THAT, AND THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE SHOULDN’T.”HE WAS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE, THEN? “VERY MUCH,” HE SAID, AND REPEATED THE PHRASE TWICE MORE.TIM TEEMAN HAS BEEN HONORED THE 2016 NLGJA (ASSOCIATN OF LGBTQ JOURNALISTS) EXCELLENCE JOURNALISM AWARDS, BOTH THE JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR TEGORY AND INTERVIEWER OF THE YEAR TEGORY FOR HIS DAILY BEAST TERVIEW WH JANE CLEMENTI. TIM TEEMAN
• UGANDA'S ANTI-GAY LAW: HOW RTRICTED ARE LGBTQ RIGHTS AI?
• UGANDA'S LGBTQ MUNY IS ' SHOCK' OVER NEW MEASURE, GAY ACTIVIST SAYS
• UGANDAN WHO SPOKE UP FOR GAYS IS BEATEN TO DEATH
• QUEER AIN ACTIVISTS CALL FOR ACTN—BUT THE AIN CONTENT IS NOT THE ONLY SE THE GLOBAL WAR ON GAY RIGHTS
• UGANDA’S GAY RIGHTS AND SEX WORKER ACTIVISTS ANSWER YOUR QUTNS ABOUT HIV PREVENTN

MEET THE LGBT ACTIVISTS FIGHTG UGANDA'S ANTI-GAY LAW

”Mugisha is one of the activists who, together wh ne other petners, is seekg to overturn a tough anti-gay law that was signed by Uganda’s Print Yoweri Meveni Febary, threateng anyone nvicted of homosexualy wh a life sentence, and banng the promotn of gay mpaigners are argug that the law, which they scribe as dranian, is valid bee was passed parliament whout the necsary quom of lawmakers. Photograph: Lda Nyld Photograph: Lda NyldIn recent years, legislative homophobia has been sweepg slowly across Ai wh Nigeria passg new anti-homosexual legislatn this January and the lik of Ethpia and the Democratic Republic of Congo threateng to follow s footsteps.

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

Sce at least 2009, when MP David Bahati first tabled the anti-homosexualy bill, Uganda has very much been at the vanguard of this spread of homophobiaSpurred on by radil US evangelils such as Stt Lively, Ugandan MPs and relig lears have long been fomentg homophobia.

They have acced homosexuals of beg a risk to children and of tryg to “rec” others to their e, and have nsistently lled on ernment to take more heavy-hand actn agast what they see as “immoral” and “un-Ain” tabloids have also got volved, most famoly October 2010 when Uganda’s Rollg Stone published the photos of 100 alleged homosexuals unr the headle “Hang Them! Many onlookers rema the opposg si, LGBTI groups, human rights anisatns and some Wtern ernments have fought agast the homophobic trends, and was perhaps thanks to their prsure that a vote on Bahati’s bill end up beg postponed for so long.

LGBTQ ACTIVISTS UGANDA ' SHOCK' OVER ANTI-GAY LEGISLATN, FEARG MASS ARRTS

In Febary, however, after half a of to-g and o-g, the ferrals fally me to an end and, the face of overwhelmg domtic support for the anti-gay bill, Meveni signed to this rnatn of the act, the ath penalty proposed the origal draft had been removed, but life sentenc were troduced for so-lled “aggravated homosexualy” and, what’s more, the “promotn of homosexualy” was outlawed for the first might have been expected, however, the specific legal ntent of the act was not as important as the basic msage sent out to society, and after the bill’s signg, homophobic cints skyrocketed by somewhere between 750% and 1, 900% acrdg to statistics gathered by SMUG. Ined, is partly thanks to the systems that many groups have been able to ntue providg support for those need, while activists are, now as ever, still llg upon fellow human rights anisatns for assistance, meetg wh policians the hope of fdg alli, and fightg hard the urts to challenge the nstutnaly of the anti-homosexualy act. It has also been about advotg for change, anisg gay pri march to give the LGBTI muny a sense of digny and uny, and tryg to change the mdset of Ugandan LGBTI muny wants to be unrstood, accepted and loved, not jt to survive.

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. 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. WorldMembers 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 Wednday.

THE BRAVE ACTIVISTS FIGHTG FOR LGBT RIGHTS UGANDAFIGHTING ONPRI WAS NCELED UGANDA AFTER A BTAL POLICE RAID ON A PARTY, BUT ACTIVISTS SAY THEY HOPE WILL GO ON LATER THIS YEAR—AND THE FIGHT FOR EQUALY AND JTICE NTU.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 8:06PM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 18, 2016 1:00AM EDT ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP/GETTYPART-WAY THROUGH MY SKYPE TERVIEW WH ADRIAN JJUO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS AWARENS AND PROMOTN FOM (HRAPF), KAMPALA, UGANDA, A DOG’S LOUD, SISTENT BARKG BEGAN. STARTLED, JJUO LOOKED AWAY OM THE MERA.HE WAS NOT, HOWEVER, AT HOME AND WAS NOT A FAY PET. JJUO WAS AT WORK, AND WHAT MY MERA ULD NOT SEE WERE, HE TOLD ME, THE THREE ROWS OF BARBED WIRE ATOP THE HIGH FENC OUTSI HIS OFFICE, THE TWO SECURY GUARDS, THE CCTV MERAS, THE ALARM SYSTEM, THE RERCED METAL BARS ON ALL THE WDOWS AND DOORS… AND THE DOG. “EVERY DAY YOU GET ED TO YOUR PRISON: WE KNOW THIS IS WHAT IS,” SAID JJUO.CAMPAIGNG FOR LGBT EQUALY UGANDA IS A BRAVE, DANGERO PROFSN, AND ONE DONE DITEDLY BY JJUO, HIS HRAPF LLEAGU, AND FIGUR LIKE FRANK MUGISHA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SEXUAL MORI UGANDA (SMUG), AND ANIZATNS LIKE PRI UGANDA AND CHAPTER FOUR.“OUR GUARD WAS KILLED RIGHT HERE MAY,” SAID JJUO, EXPLAG THE SECURY PROCR. ”THEY [THE ATTACKERS] LEFT A HUGE IRON BAR BEHD. THEY SPREAD MY DOCUMENTS EVERYWHERE AND TOOK NOTHG ELSE. THAT WAS VERY CHILLG. WE SAW THEM [THE ATTACKERS]. THERE WERE FOUR OF THEM. THE POLICE ARE DOG ABSOLUTELY NOTHG TO VTIGATE THAT SE. THEY HAVE FGERPRTS, BLOOD SAMPL, PICTUR, CCTV FOOTAGE. I HAVE TO BE STRONG FOR MY STAFF. I HAVE BEEN WORKG ON LGBT RIGHTS FOR MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS NOW. WE HAVE TO SPEAK OUT AND ENGAGE, BEE WE BELIEVE IS RIGHT THG TO DO.” UGANDA IS ONE OF 33 AIN UNTRI WH ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY LAWS. JJUO SISTS THAT POSIVE CHANGE WILL E TIME, AND SAID THAT BEFORE THE RECENT RAID ON A UGANDA PRI-RELATED PARTY, WHICH FRANK MUGISHA WROTE POWERFULLY ABOUT THE GUARDIAN, HE WAS OPTIMISTIC THAT THE FIGHT FOR LGBTI RIGHTS UGANDA WAS ON AN UPWARD CURVE SCE THE SUCCSFUL QUASHG OF THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT (AHA) OF 2014.ISAAC MUGISHA OF PRI UGANDA TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT THE GROUP STILL PLANNED TO HOLD A PRI EVENT LATER THIS YEAR, HAVG HAD TO NCEL S PLANNED RALLY AFTER THE POLICE BTALLY RAID A PARTY EARLIER THIS SUMMER.“WE ARE NEGOTIATNS WH POLICE AND MISTERS ABOUT WHEN WILL BE. IT MIGHT BE VERY SOON, OCTOBER. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE THKG FOR NOW. WE ARE VERY HOPEFUL,” HE SAID. THE EVENT, HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, WOULD BE A PARA RPORATG A MARCH, A HOLY MUNN SERVICE, AND FTIVAL AS WELL.THE PARTY TARGETED BY THE THORI TOOK PLACE ON AUG. 4, THREE DAYS TO UGANDA PRI WEEK, A MR/MS/MX PRI BETY PAGEANT EVENT AT VENOM NIGHTCLUB THE KAMPALA SUBURB OF KABALAGALA. SIXTEEN PEOPLE WERE ARRTED AFTER POLICE, “ARMED TO THE TEETH” AS MUGISHA PUT , WALKED TO THE EVENT.CAMPAIGNG GROUP CHAPTER 4 SAID THE POLICE “CLAIMED THAT THEY HAD BEEN TOLD A ‘GAY WEDDG’ WAS TAKG PLACE AND THAT THE CELEBRATN WAS ‘UNLAWFUL’ BEE POLICE HAD NOT BEEN RMED (POLICE HAD BEEN DULY RMED, AND THE PRR TWO PRI EVENTS WERE NDUCTED WHOUT CINT ON TUDAY AND WEDNDAY NIGHTS).”THERE HAD BEEN AROUND 200 PEOPLE THERE, WHO WERE LOCKED SI, AND TAED FOR AN HOUR. SOME HAD PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN OF THEMSELV BY OFFICERS WHOUT THEIR NSENT, ACRDG TO A STATEMENT BY THE CIVIL SOCIETY COALN ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND CONSTUTNAL LAW (CSCHRCL), WH OFFICERS TNTG THEM THEIR INTI ULD BE REVEALED.IN FRANK MUGISHA’S ACUNT, HE WR ABOUT SEEG TRANSGENR PEOPLE BEG BEATEN AND “TOUCHED APPROPRIATELY” BY POLICE OFFICERS TO TABLISH THEIR “REAL GENR.” HE WAS SULTED, ABED, AND WH OTHER ARRTE TAKEN TO A POLICE STATN WHERE THEY WERE HUIATED AND TIMIDATED.ONE MAN, TRYG TO PE THE BEATGS BY POLICE AT THE VENUE, HURLED HIMSELF OM THE FOURTH FLOOR, BREAKG TWO VERTEBRAE; HIS TREATMENT WILL ST $5,000.AT THE POLICE STATN, ACRDG TO CSCHRCL, TWO TRANSGENR MEN AND ONE TRANSGENR WOMAN “WERE SUBJECTED TO HUIATG AND GRADG TREATMENT WHEN THEY WERE GROPED AND STRIP-SEARCHED BY POLICEMEN. THEY WERE ALSO BEATEN BY THE POLICE AND OTHER MAT.”ANOTHER ATTENE OF THE PARTY, WHO REQUTED ANONYMY, RELATED TO THE DAILY BEAST THAT THEY, TOO, HAD BEEN BEATEN BY POLICE UNTIL “BLOOD WAS G OM ALL PARTS OF MY BODY.”IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE RAID HAS E AN UNRSTANDABLE NERVONS, AS WELL AS A TERMATN ON THE PART OF ACTIVISTS TO NTUE THEIR WORK.“THE SUATN IS LM,” ISAAC MUGISHA SAID OF THE LGBT MUNY’S RPONSE TO THE RAID. “OF URSE, THE POLICE RAID LEFT A LOT OF PROBLEMS FOR PEOPLE AND A LOT OF MUNY MEMBERS SRED. PEOPLE ARE VIGILANT, LOOKG AROUND, AND SOME ARE STILL HIDG. IT WAS QUE A SRY MOMENT FOR THEM.“FOR A LONG TIME, THE POLICE HAD NOT DONE ANYTHG LIKE THIS TO THE LGBT MUNY, SO WAS SHOCK FOR WHEN THEY ACTUALLY APPEARED. WE HAVE ACHIEVED A LOT FOR THE MOVEMENT, SO WHATEVER HAPPENED WAS A WAKE-UP LL TO , ABOUT ALG WH POLICE AND POLIL LEARS ARE STILL VERY HOMOPHOBIC.”THE TERNATNAL OUTCRY OVER THE POLICE’S ACTNS HAD HAD A POSIVE EFFECT, HE ADD.***“BEFORE THE PARTY RAID, LGBTI LIFE HAD BEEN MORE SETTLED,” SAID JJUO. AFTER THE ABOLN OF THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT, THERE WAS A RT PERD WHERE POLICE WERE NOT HARASSG PEOPLE. THE HARASSMENT WAS OM PRIVATE DIVIDUALS MOSTLY. IT WAS MORE RELAXED. NOW THERE IS TENSN, MEMBERS OF ANIZATNS ARE HIDG.”THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT HAD SOUGHT TO ENSHRE LAW A NUMBER OF HOMOPHOBIC MEASUR AROUND WHAT BIZARRELY TERMED “AGGRAVATED HOMOSEXUALY,” “AIDG AND ABETTG HOMOSEXUALY,” “ATTEMPT TO M HOMOSEXUALY,” AND “NSPIRACY TO ENGAGE HOMOSEXUALY,” AND “PROMOTN OF HOMOSEXUALY.”THE PROPOSED LAW BEME KNOWN AS THE “KILL THE GAYS” BILL, AS ONE OF THE PROPOSED PENALTI FOR HOMOSEXUALY WAS EXECUTN (AS WELL AS LIFE IMPRISONMENT). QUE BEYOND ALL THOSE PROPOSED NEW MEASUR, HOMOSEXUALY SELF REMAS AGAST THE LAW UGANDA (A PENAL HANER OM BRISH LONIAL LE), AND PUNISHABLE BY UP TO A SEVEN-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE.JJUO SAID LGBTI LIFE IS AN “TERTG MIX” UGANDA: THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR PRI PARAS (ANNUALLY, SCE 2012), UNTIL THIS YEAR’S WAS NCELED AFTER THE PARTY RAID. POLICE WILL SOMETIM GUARD LGBTI PARTI, SAID JJUO, BUT THEY HAVE ALSO BROKEN UP MEETGS, CG THE PUBLIC ORR MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2013.AFTER BREAKG UP THE AUG. 4 PARTY THE POLICE CED THE SAME ACT—ALTHOUGH PARTI DO NOT E UNR THE ACT’S STRICTUR AS WAS A PRIVATE EVENT.THE FIERCELY HOMOPHOBIC SIMON LOKODO, THE MISTER FOR ETHICS AND INTEGRY, A NMNATORY STATEMENT PUBLISHED ON AUG. 8, CRIED THE “PROMOTN OF HOMOSEXUALY,” WHILE CLAIMG THERE WAS NO VLENCE AGAST LGBTI PEOPLE MTED UGANDA, AND THAT THE PRI PARTY HAD BEEN DISBAND WHOUT ANY JURI STAED.LOKODO CLAIMED THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WERE BEG OFFERED MONEY TO “PROMOTE” HOMOSEXUALY UGANDA, THAT CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WERE VULNERABLE TO “SEXUAL ABE AND VIATN,” AND THE ERNMENT WAS TERMED TO STOP “THE CRIMAL AND ILLEGAL ACTIVI OF THE GAY MUNY.”LOKODO MA HIS ANTI-GAY MISSN EVEN MORE BTALLY CLEAR AN TERVIEW LAST WEEKEND WH THE SUNDAY EDN OF THE UGANDAN TABLOID RED PEPPER, UNR THE HEADLE: “HOMOS WANT TO RAPE ME.” (RED PEPPER HAD BEEN PREVLY NOTOR FOR PUBLISHG A LIST OF 200 “TOP GAYS” 2014, UNR THE HEADLE “EXPOSED.”)LOKODO LLED THE PEOPLE AT THE CLUB “SHAMELS IDTS… PLANNG TO S.” HE ADD, “MY BROTHER, WE SEEM TO WAKE UP WHEN THE FIRE HAS ALMOST BURNT DOWN THE ENTIRE HOE. THE HOMOS ARE EVERYWHERE; SCHOOLS, CHURCH, FAI, ERNMENT STUTNS, VILLAG… OOH THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. NOW MY MMENT IS TO FIGHT THEM; EVEN IF I REMA ALONE, I WILL NOT GIVE UP THIS FIGHT.”LOKODO VOWED TO REMOVE “HOMOSEXUAL MATERIALS” OM SCHOOLS, AND SAID, “EVERY MORNG I SAY A PRAYER ASKG GOD TO BE MY SHIELD. THE HOMOS HAVE BEEN SENDG ME MSAG THREATENG MY LIFE. MOST OF THEM EVEN SAY THEY WANT TO RAPE ME BUT I DON’T FEAR ANYTHG. THIS IS A JOB AND I WILL EXECUTE TO THE MAXIMUM.”LOKODO ALSO CLAIMED THE SON OF “ONE OF THE RICHT UGANDANS” HAD NFSED TO BEG GAY, AND SCRIBED HIM LURID TERMS, TH: “THE BOY IS WEARG THREE PAMPERS (DIAPERS). HIS AN WAS SHATTERED BEYOND REPAIR. HE NNOT S WH EASE. HE IS SUFFERG AND WALLOWG PA. WHEN THE BOY UNDRSED BEFORE ME P WAS OOZG OM HIS REAR.”THE MISTER NCLUD HIS FEVERISH TERVIEW BY CLAIMG HE WANTED THE UGANDAN ERNMENT TO VT A “CENSOR GADGET” MA BY “THE SOUTH KOREANS” WHICH WILL “TECT HOMOS AND PORN ACTORS…”“LOKODO’S STATEMENTS ARE MISGUID AND LI, BUT UNFORTUNATELY MANY UGANDANS BELIEVE THEM AND THEY ARE G SO MUCH HARM TOWARDS THE LGBT MUNY,” FRANK MUGISHA TOLD THE DAILY BEAST.ISAAC MUGISHA ADD, “HIS [LOKODO’S] OPN IS NOT THE ERNMENT’S OPN. HE DON’T REPRENT THE ERNMENT OF UGANDA. WE’VE KNOWN HIM AS AN ENEMY OM WAY BACK. THE ERNMENT IS BIGGER THAN HIM: THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE ABOVE HIM WHO ARE PROGRSIVE AND SUPPORTIVE.”IS THE UGANDAN ERNMENT SUPPORTIVE OF LGBTI RIGHTS? I ASKED. “I WOULD NOT SAY TO A HIGH EXTENT,” SAID ISAAC MUGISHA. “BUT THERE HAS BEEN PROGRS, LIKE THE HEALTH AND JTICE SECTORS. THE RAID NNOT MAKE FET ABOUT THE SUCCS WE HAVE HAD AS A MOVEMENT. WE HAVE TO KEEP PHG AND PHG. WE HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED A LOT, AND WE DON’T WANT TO LOSE NOW.”CAROLE KOUASSIAMAN, SENR PROGRAM OFFICER OF SEXUAL HEALTH AND RIGHTS AT THE AMERIN JEWISH WORLD SERVICE, A SUPPORTER OF LGBTI RIGHTS NE UNTRI OF THE VELOPG WORLD, SAID THE LATT WAVE OF HOMOPHOBIA UGANDA, WH LOKODO S FIGUREHEAD, HAD E ON THE HEELS OF PERDIC THREATS BY POLICIANS THAT THE FUNCT ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT ULD BE REVIVED.“IT’S BEG ED AS POLIL LEVERAGE TO GA VOT, SOMETIM TO GA VOT OR POPULIST SUPPORT, OR TO DRAW ATTENTN OM OTHER NCERNS OR CRIQU OF THE ERNMENT,” SHE SAID. IN UGANDA, SHE ADD, “THERE ARE CHALLENG AROUND STIGMA, DISCRIMATN, AND VLENCE. THE LGBTI MUNY HAS BEEN STRONG, RISTANT, CREATIVE, AND ROURCEFUL. THERE IS LS MOB VLENCE THAN THERE HAS BEEN THE PAST, BUT PEOPLE MAY BE KICKED OUT OF THEIR JOBS, KICKED OUT OF THEIR HOM AND MUNI, AND HAVE LANDLORDS EVICTG THEM, OR BE THREATENED, OR BE VICTIMS OF EXTORTN.“THERE ARE A VARIETY OF ‘VLENC,’ AND PART OF THE WORK OF ANIZATNS HAS BEEN TO PROVI AN EMERGENCY AND SECURE RPONSE TO FIGHT HARASSMENT.”KOUASSIAMAN ALSO ACCENTUATED THE POSIVE: AFTER THE PARTY RAID LGBTI PEOPLE WERE AMONG THOSE OUT ON THE STREETS OF KAMPALA NDUCTG SAFER-SEX TN, SHE SAID. SHE ALSO POTED TO LGBTI MEDIA OPERATG UGANDA, CLUDG A MAGAZE, BOMBASTIC, AND NEWS WEBSE, THE KUCHU TIM.“IN THE MAGAZE THE FOC IS ON THE VLENCE PEOPLE FACE, FAI, LOVE AND INTI, RATHER THAN POLIL ISSU,” SAID KOUASSIAMAN. “THEY PHED UNR ALL MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT’S DOORS, AND I THK WILL HAVE REALLY ENGAGED PEOPLE ON A HUMAN LEVEL.”FOR JJUO, WHILE THE PRENT TIME OFFERS GRAVE CHALLENG, HE BELIEV THAT HIS LIFETIME HOMOSEXUALY WILL BE LEGALIZED UGANDA. “THERE IS NO REASON WHY SHOULDN’T. SOONER OR LATER UGANDA IS GOG TO CHANGE. EVERY OTHER UNTRY HAS HAD S JOURNEY. UGANDA IS HAVG S JOURNEY AND SOMETHG WILL GIVE. Y, WILL HAPPEN—’S JT A MATTER OF TIME.”IGNORANCE WAS THE FIRST AND MOST FUNDAMENTAL BLOCK TO EQUALY, JJUO SAID, FOLLOWED BY EVANGELIL CHRISTIANY. ENOMIC VELOPMENT AFFECTS SOCIAL VELOPMENT, HE NOTED: PEOPLE POOR AREAS LIVE SUCH CLOSE QUARTERS UGANDA—“THERE’S NO PRIVACY IF YOUR BEDROOM IS MY STG ROOM”—AND MUNI ARE SO TIGHTLY KN, THERE IS NO PRIVACY FOR LGBTI PEOPLE TO PURSUE THEIR LIV.AFTER THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT WAS PASSED (AND BEFORE WAS QUASHED), THE NUMBER OF S OF VLENCE AGAST LGBTI PEOPLE CREASED, JJUO SAID. “TRANS PEOPLE ARE AT PARTICULAR RISK OF VLENCE: THEY ARE THE MOST VISIBLE.”BEATGS HAD BEEN BEG MORE EQUENT, HE SAID. HRAPF MET WH POLICE ON A LOL LEVEL AND STUTNS, BUT THEN RAIDS AND CRACKDOWNS SUCH AS THE AUG. 4 CINT HAPPEN AND JJUO REALIZ THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, “POLICE OFFICERS WILL NOT SPEAK AGAST POLICE OFFICERS,” AND SO THE ARDUO TASK OF FORMG EFFECTIVE ALLIANC NTU.“THGS ARE GETTG BETTER,” HE SAID. “WHAT HAPPENED ON AUG. 4 WILL BRG VISIBILY TO THE LGBTI MOVEMENT, AND TO WHAT DO. IT MAY BRG MORE OF A BACKLASH, BUT MORE THGS WILL HAPPEN. MORE PEOPLE WILL E TO THE TABLE. UGANDA IS ONE OF THE FEW UNTRI AI WHERE YOU N TALK ABOUT HOMOSEXUALY. WE’RE NOT DOG BADLY AT ALL. IN FUTURE WE SHALL CHANGE. IT HAS TO GET WORSE BEFORE GETS BETTER.“LGBTI PEOPLE HERE ARE BOTH SRED AND OPTIMISTIC. PEOPLE ARE BEG LLED TO POLICE STATNS, OTHERS ARE HIDG AWAY, BUT WE HAVE TO REMA OPTIMISTIC. LOSE THAT AND WE LOSE OUR SOUL. EVERYTHG IS LOST.”***THERE ARE SOME PARTS OF KAMPALA—“THE LEAFY SUBURBS,” JJUO SAID—“WHERE “YOU N LIVE THE LIFE OF A NEW YORKER, AND JT AS THERE ARE SOME PARTS OF NEW YORK WHERE YOU MAY GET BEATEN UP, ’S THE SAME HERE. THE DIFFERENCE IS, NEW YORK THE POLICE WILL PROTECT YOU.”JJUO IS HETEROSEXUAL, MARRIED, WH THREE CHILDREN AGED 6, 5, AND 3 MONTHS. “IN MY VIEW, DON’T MATTER WHAT SEXUAL ORIENTATN YOU ARE. I DON’T BELIEVE THERE IS A DISTCTN BETWEEN ME AND AN LGBTI PERSON. MY WIFE, WHO HELPED START THE ANIZATN, IS ALWAYS SUPPORTIVE. SHE IS PRACTILLY WORRIED. SHE IS AAID: ‘WHAT IS GOG TO HAPPEN, ARE WE GOG TO BE KILLED? ARE WE SAFE? WHAT IF SOMETHG HAPPENS TO YOU, TO ? IS THIS WORTH ?’ BUT SHE UNRSTANDS WHY WE NEED TO DO THIS WORK AND WHY IS SO IMPORTANT. THAT’S AMAZG.“WE ARE FIGHTG FOR A MUCH MORE CLIVE FUTURE, FOR OUR CHILDREN. IF THEY TURN OUT TO BE GAY, WHAT’S WRONG WH THAT? I WANT THEM TO BE GAY AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH ACTUALLY SUPPORTS THEM TO LIVE MEANGFUL LIV.“I’M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THEM BEG GAY. I’M WORRIED ABOUT THEM GROWG UP A UNTRY THAT DON’T RPECT THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT. THAT’S THE FEAR I HAVE FOR THE FUTURE. GAY OR NOT, WE SHOULD HAVE A UNTRY WHICH RPECTS PEOPLE’S RIGHTS, AND VALU THEM AS HUMAN BEGS REGARDLS OF WHAT THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN IS.”TO THAT END, JJUO IS LEADG A NUMBER OF TT S THROUGH THE URTS AROUND THE REGISTRATN OF GROUPS, THE ANIZATN OF PUBLIC MEETGS, VLENCE SPECIFILLY AIMED AT LGBTI PEOPLE, AND THE ARRT OF LGBTI PEOPLE WHOUT GROUNDS. “WE ARE WNG SOME BATTL, LOSG SOME, BUT WE ARE PHG LEGAL BOUNDARI AND THAT MAK ME PROUD,” HE SAID.HE IS PARTICULARLY PROUD OF BEG PART OF BRGG SEXUAL MORI UGANDA AND THE CENTER FOR CONSTUTNAL RIGHTS’S SE AGAST THE EVANGELIL PREACHER STT LIVELY, ACCG HIM OF VLATG TERNATNAL LAW BY STIRRG UP ANTI-GAY HATRED UGANDA, STARTG 2002.THE SE IS BEG HEARD MASSACHETTS DISTRICT COURT; A SUMMARY JUDGMENT HEARG IS SCHLED FOR OCT. 5.SHOULD THE LGBTI ACTIVISTS’ ARGUMENTS PREVAIL, WILL PUT AN END, SAID JJUO, TO “EVANGELILS G HERE AND IMPORTG HOMOPHOBIA. YOU N’T PROMOTE HATE OTHER UNTRI. YOU N’T EXPORT HATE.”JJUO IS MOST PROUD, AND GALVANIZED, BY THE SUCCSFUL QUASHG OF THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY ACT. “WE FOUGHT SO HARD AGAST THAT BILL: THE STRATEGIZG, REARCH, FUNDRAISG THE FIGHT URT, ANIZG PEOPLE. IT WAS AMAZG, I LOOK BACK, AND THK ‘Y, WE DID .’”AND YET, JJUO SAID, HRAPF’S OFFICE SURROUND BY FENCG AND BARBED WIRE, “WE ARE PRISONERS OUR OWN SPACE FOR FEAR OF THE PEOPLE G TO ATTACK , AND POLICE VASNS FOR ALL KDS OF THGS. BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS THE RIGHT THG AND WE ARE MAKG PROGRS. WE HAVE TO SUFFER THE CURRENT CHALLENG TO BE ABLE TO GET SOMETHG MORE OR BETTER.“PEOPLE HAVE TO STAND UP AND FIGHT, AND FIGHT ON THE ONTLE. THAT IS THE TRAJECTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS EVERYWHERE, SO I’M JT DOG WHAT EVERYONE HAS DONE BEFORE. AND WE NEED OPTIMISM TO FIGHT ON. THEY N FIGHT , BUT EVENTUALLY WE WILL W THIS. WE MAY LOSE SOME OF THE BATTL, BUT WE WILL W THE WAR.”I ASKED ISAAC MUGISHA THAT, IF PRI GO AHEAD AS HE HOP OCTOBER, WOULD THAT SEND A MSAGE TO THE WIR WORLD. “YEAH, SURE. WE ARE STILL RILIENT ABOUT WHAT WE WANT. WE WANT PRI TO HAPPEN. PEOPLE MT HAVE EEDOM OF ASSEMBLY, EEDOM OF EXPRSN, AND HUMAN RIGHTS. WE MT MAKE SURE AS A MORY GROUP WE ACHIEVE THAT, AND THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE SHOULDN’T.”HE WAS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE, THEN? “VERY MUCH,” HE SAID, AND REPEATED THE PHRASE TWICE MORE.TIM TEEMAN HAS BEEN HONORED THE 2016 NLGJA (ASSOCIATN OF LGBTQ JOURNALISTS) EXCELLENCE JOURNALISM AWARDS, BOTH THE JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR TEGORY AND INTERVIEWER OF THE YEAR TEGORY FOR HIS DAILY BEAST TERVIEW WH JANE CLEMENTI. TIM TEEMAN

Ll for Ugandan ernment to rensirUgandan Member of Parliament John Mira drsed an anti-LGBTQ gown gtur as he leav the chambers durg the bate of the Anti-Homosexualy bill, which impos tough new penalti for same-sex relatns durg a stg at the Parliament buildgs Kampala, Uganda, on Tuday. (Abubaker Lubowa/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-LGBTQ sentiment ns 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.

A Ugandan transgenr woman who was recently attacked and currently beg sheltered watch a TV screen showg the live broadst of the ssn om the Parliament for the anti-gay bill, at a lol chary supportg the LGBTQ Communy near Kampala on Tuday. (Stuart Tibawwa/AFP via Getty Imag)Law nmned ternatnallySame-sex 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 clus steep sentenc that clu ath for "aggravated homosexualy" and life prison for same-sex relatns.

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

Aggravated homosexualy appli to same-sex activi wh people unr the age of 18 or when the perpetrator is HIV posive, among other tegori, acrdg to the pass bill crimalizg people for intifyg as LGBTQAS IT HAPPENSUgandan activist vows to keep speakg out spe new law that bans intifyg as LGBTQU. "The law vlat fundamental nstutnal rights like privacy and ee speech, so purely based on the law, I thk will be a strong se, " said lawyer Adrian | LGBTQ activist Uganda endur threats:Day 69:14Ugandan LGBTQ activist says threats and vlence won't stop the fight for civil rightsUgandan LGBT activist Pepe Julian Onziema helped shut down a 2014 law that lled for the ath penalty for homosexual acts. Jjuo sists that posive change will e time, and said that before the recent raid on a Uganda Pri-related party, which Frank Mugisha wrote powerfully about The Guardian, he was optimistic that the fight for LGBTI rights Uganda was on an upward curve sce the succsful quashg of the Anti-Homosexualy Act (AHA) of Mugisha of Pri Uganda told The Daily Beast that the group still planned to hold a Pri event later this year, havg had to ncel s planned rally after the police btally raid a party earlier this summer.

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

Campaigng group Chapter 4 said the police “claimed that they had been told a ‘gay weddg’ was takg place and that the celebratn was ‘unlawful’ bee police had not been rmed (police had been duly rmed, and the prr two Pri events were nducted whout cint on Tuday and Wednday nights). ”The Anti-Homosexualy Act had sought to enshre law a number of homophobic measur around what bizarrely termed “aggravated homosexualy, ” “aidg and abettg homosexualy, ” “attempt to m homosexualy, ” and “nspiracy to engage homosexualy, ” and “promotn of homosexualy.

Que beyond all those proposed new measur, homosexualy self remas agast the law Uganda (a penal haner om Brish lonial le), and punishable by up to a seven-year prison said LGBTI life is an “tertg mix” Uganda: There have been four Pri paras (annually, sce 2012), until this year’s was nceled after the party raid.

8, cried the “promotn of homosexualy, ” while claimg there was no vlence agast LGBTI people mted Uganda, and that the Pri party had been disband whout any juri claimed that young people were beg offered money to “promote” homosexualy Uganda, that children and young people were vulnerable to “sexual abe and viatn, ” and the ernment was termed to stop “the crimal and illegal activi of the gay muny. ”The mister nclud his feverish terview by claimg he wanted the Ugandan ernment to vt a “censor gadget” ma by “the South Koreans” which will “tect homos and porn actors…”“Lokodo’s statements are misguid and li, but unfortunately many Ugandans believe them and they are g so much harm towards the LGBT muny, ” Frank Mugisha told The Daily Mugisha add, “His [Lokodo’s] opn is not the ernment’s opn.

UGANDAN WHO SPOKE UP FOR GAYS IS BEATEN TO DEATH

”Carole Kouassiaman, senr program officer of Sexual Health and Rights at the Amerin Jewish World Service, a supporter of LGBTI rights ne untri of the velopg world, said the latt wave of homophobia Uganda, wh Lokodo s figurehead, had e on the heels of perdic threats by policians that the funct Anti-Homosexualy Act uld be revived.

Enomic velopment affects social velopment, he noted: People poor areas live such close quarters Uganda—“there’s no privacy if your bedroom is my stg room”—and muni are so tightly kn, there is no privacy for LGBTI people to pursue their the Anti-Homosexualy Act was passed (and before was quashed), the number of s of vlence agast LGBTI people creased, Jjuo said.

“We are wng some battl, losg some, but we are phg legal boundari and that mak me proud, ” he is particularly proud of beg part of brgg Sexual Mori Uganda and the Center For Constutnal Rights’s se agast the evangelil preacher Stt Lively, accg him of vlatg ternatnal law by stirrg up anti-gay hatred Uganda, startg se is beg heard Massachetts District Court; a summary judgment hearg is schled for Oct.

QUEER AIN ACTIVISTS CALL FOR ACTN—BUT THE AIN CONTENT IS NOT THE ONLY SE THE GLOBAL WAR ON GAY RIGHTS

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.... 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.

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.

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. When Frank Mugisha me out two s ago, beg gay Uganda uld be lonely and unfortable, but was rarely a matter of life and then, as Mugisha has emerged as the untry’s most proment LGBTQ rights activist, the perils have multiplied.

UGANDA’S GAY RIGHTS AND SEX WORKER ACTIVISTS ANSWER YOUR QUTNS ABOUT HIV PREVENTN

“If I was 7, 9, 12, 14, I don’t thk I would tell anyone I am gay right now, ” he yet, Mugisha says he will not give an ch the face of the new bill, which is awag Print Yoweri Meveni’s bill passed wh near unanimo support parliament. If Meveni signs — as he is wily expected to — Mugisha’s work uld land him jail unr a provisn that punish the “promotn” of homosexualy wh up to 20 years Mugisha said he feels an obligatn to fight back on behalf of LGBTQ Ugandans, many of whom have left the untry or fled their hom for safe ho sce the bill was passed. “I gus I am gog to be trouble a lot, bee I am not gog to stop, ” Mugisha bill also impos the ath penalty for so-lled aggravated homosexualy, which clus havg gay sex while outA practicg Catholic typilly seen a blue su and whe shirt, Mugisha had what he lls a normal childhood, gog to school and playg soccer his Kampala realized he was gay as early as the age of seven but did not start to e out until he was 14.

Mugisha said he enuntered no overt hostily om iends about his sexualy, although some kept their distance for fear they would be spected of beg gay 2007, Mugisha took over learship of Sexual Mori Uganda (SMUG), an advocy group he had earlier joed as an the followg years, he saw a harng of anti-LGBTQ views, which he attribut to mpaigng by ultra-nservative Christian groups, some om the Uned Stat. Sylvia Tamale observ, “ is not homosexualy that is un-Ain but the laws that crimalized such relatns…what is alien to the ntent is legalized homophobia, exported to Ai by the imperialists where there had been difference to and even tolerance of same-sex relatns. On the heels of Wasswa’s murr, the recent threat of retroducg the “Kill the Gays” bill om member of Parliament (MP) Jam Buturo and other MPs, and the arrts of over one hundred spected homosexuals at an LGBTQ iendly bar, tapulted Uganda back to the ternatnal spotlight, signalg an latn of vlence and reprsn toward the Ugandan LGBTQ muny.

This is not about the Wt exportg homosexualy to Ai or a “gay agenda”; is stead about right-wg Christian evangelils om the Wt g homophobia as a tool to tablish a foothold the Ain ntent, and lol Ugandan policians and “men of the cloth” profg om this narrative.