Uganda's LGBTQI+ community continues to wallow in punition

This is part of a series on What’s On Queer BC which shares LGBTQI2S+ experiences around the world.

Uganda's LGBTQI+ community continues to wallow in punition

By Daniel Itai

Despite the annulment of the 2014 Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act which was meant to incriminate the act of same sex relations by life imprisonment and even capital punishment members of the LGBTQI+ community continue facing unwarranted reproof.

Several Bills have been proposed in Parliament such as the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, Revised Anti-homosexuality Bill and just recently the Criminalization of sex work and gay sex Bill. However, none of these Bills saw the day of light thanks to the rigorous fight put down by LGBTQI+ activists against the government through the Constitutional Court and protests.

Nevertheless, this has not stopped government and members of the public to crack down on LGBTQI+ people.

Who could forget the horrific and traumatic experience that was faced by 44 LGBTQI+ personnel at the end of May this year when Police raided a private function that was being held in Kampala that saw the 44 being arrested, assaulted and humiliated by the Police who even went an extra mile of posting their faces on social media and national television.

That petrifying moment is still being relived by not only the 44 but other LGBTQI+ community members as Iga Isma, Executive Director of Happy Family Youth Uganda aptly states, "In May, Police raided a private function that had 44 LGBTQI+ personnel and they were arrested for conducting a gay wedding which was not the case as they were just having a party and since their arrest although they have now been released, they have been receiving a lot of stigma because after they were incarcerated their photos were paraded on social media, national television and it is now difficult for them to move, to get a job or do anything because when they get on the streets people intimidate, harass and assault them so they are facing a lot of challenges. They cannot talk in the community, they cannot buy anything, some of them when they were released from prison actually came back to burned down houses. Their houses were set on fire by some members of the community and others were chased away by their families."

In addition, Iga cited that many members of the LGBTQI+ community now do not have a sense of belonging as they have been rejected and sidelined by those they deem to be their loved ones.

"In Uganda today, hundreds of LGBTQI+ community members have no place to call home as they are kicked out by their homophobic and transphobic conservative communities as well as family members due to stigma and a lot of LGBTQI+ continue to live in the shadows and do not come out due to fear of rejection from their families, colleagues and members of their communities.

However, we as LGBTQI+ organisations are trying to educate members of the community, government and all stakeholders about the LGBTQI+ community because that is the only way we can do away with the repugnant attitude towards the LGBTQI+ community. Though it is difficult due to the homophobic and transphobic communities within our midst, we are trying to change the narrative," said Iga.

It is now yet to be seen whether or not the new administration which was formed earlier in January under President Yoweri Museveni who has governed the East African country for the past 35 years will unyoke the cumbersome tribulations and aspersions that are continuously being faced by members of the LGBTQI+ community.