Staff Writer
KAMPALA, May 4 — Uganda has passed a controversial anti-homosexuality bill that has been criticized by international human rights groups. The bill prescribes the death penalty for what it calls aggravated offences such as child abuse, while landlords who knowingly rent premises for homosexual acts risk going to prison for seven years. The law is one of the toughest pieces of anti-gay legislation in Africa, and it has been heavily criticized by human rights groups. The law has led to many LGBT people fleeing Uganda for neighbouring Kenya, where being gay is also illegal, but they feel safer.
Two young people who fled Uganda have spoken to the BBC’s Newsbeat about their experiences. Diane, who is in her 20s, was outed after people raised suspicions about her girlfriend and went through her phone. She says her partner was brutally beaten, including by her own father, before they came for her and beat her too. The couple eventually managed to contact a friend from the LGBT community who came to rescue them. The friend let the couple stay with him for a week, but they knew they weren’t safe, so they took the risk of reaching out for help on TikTok and Twitter. They came across the Twitter account of Trans Rescue, which helps people escape from dangerous places around the world, and helped them get to Kenya safely.
Jeff, who is in his early 30s and a doctor practising medicine, was outed at a conference when his boss saw him talking to another man who was later arrested for being gay. Jeff’s employers made him unlock his phone and went through his messages before he was told he couldn’t stay in his post. The rumours then reached his landlord who kicked him out because the new bill stops him from being able to rent a property. Jeff couldn’t communicate with his family and had to try and survive without work and somewhere to live. He now feels safer in Kenya but doesn’t see how he could ever go back to Uganda.
Both Jeff and Diane want a future free of discrimination and victimization, even if it is unlikely to be in Uganda. They have witnessed abusive behaviour and “finger-pointing,” with LGBT people being called “devils” by passers-by, and want to escape this. Jeff says keeping your sexuality a secret takes a heavy toll. “You’re just hiding out, you have to do everything without anyone knowing about it,” he says. “You’ll just be hiding your sexuality which can cause you major trauma.”
The law has led to a worsening of the situation for LGBT people in Uganda. They face discrimination, harassment, and violence. Many have been forced to flee the country to escape persecution. While some have found safety in neighbouring countries, the fact that being gay is illegal in those countries too means they are not truly free. The international community needs to pressure the Ugandan government to repeal this law and end discrimination against LGBT people. Everyone has the right to live without fear of persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Source: BBC News
