In Uganda’s capital, Kampala, a shelter for lesbian women has become a place of fear and oppression. The shelter, once a safe haven for those fleeing abuse and stigma, now instructs residents to be discreet and blend into their surroundings, as the country has passed some of the world’s strictest anti-LGBTQ legislation. The legislation would criminalize the “promotion” of homosexuality and impose the death penalty for certain crimes involving gay sex.
President Yoweri Museveni, who supports the legislation, has requested some modifications from parliament, including provisions to “rehabilitate” gay people before he signs it. However, the bill’s passage has sent homophobic abuse into overdrive, unleashing a wave of arrests, evictions, denunciations by family members, and mob attacks against LGBTQ Ugandans.
Unlike most anti-LGBTQ legislation in Africa, the latest Uganda bill does not just criminalize same-sex acts but openly seeks to silence a community that lawmakers allege, without evidence, is conspiring to recruit children and weaken traditional family and religious values. It would impose the death penalty for cases of so-called aggravated homosexuality, which include having gay sex when HIV-positive.
The bill’s passage has left many LGBTQ Ugandans living in fear, and some have resorted to changing their behavior and physical appearance to blend in. Others have taken security precautions like changing the routes they use to travel between home and work and carrying pepper spray. Some are even seeking asylum in Western countries.
The director of the foundation that manages the shelter is also at risk of imprisonment under a provision of the bill that punishes the promotion of homosexuality with up to 20 years in prison. Despite the enormous risks, the foundation continues to offer support to the LGBTQ community in Uganda.
For LGBTQ Ugandans living abroad, the new reality is also clouding their prospects of coming home. The bill’s passage has triggered a wave of homophobia and fear among community members, and many fear that they will face violence and discrimination if they return.
As LGBTQ Ugandans continue to live in fear and oppression, the international community must do more to support their rights and advocate for their protection.