In recent months violence against sexual minorities has dramatically increased in Uganda, even though the High Court of Uganda has ruled that their rights are protected under the country’s constitution.
The cover of newspaper Rolling Stone which called for homosexuals to be hanged
A weekly Ugandan newspaper, Rolling Stone, last year published an article on its front page revealing the identities of a number of gay men and women and calling for them to be hanged. Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Uganda soon started to receive death threats and some had to go into hiding. One well-known human rights activist, David Kato, was bludgeoned to death on 26 January.
David and two other LGBT activists had sued Rolling Stone after the article was published. The High Court of Uganda ruled that the publication had violated their constitutional rights to dignity and privacy and ordered 1.5 million Ugandan Shillings compensation for each of them. It also issued an induction prohibiting any further publication of the identities and addresses of people labelled as ‘homosexuals’.
The violation of the human rights of men who have sex with men has a negative effect on HIV prevention efforts. For example, men who have sex with men may not approach health services if they fear that their violence or that their privacy will not be protected.
Take action and ask the Ugandan authorities condemn violence against sexual minorities and to guarantee all their rights as Ugandan citizens.
Please use the form below to email the Ugandan authorities. Your email will be sent to: President Yoweri Museveni, Vice President Prof. Gilbert Balibaseka Bukenya, Minister of Ethics and Integrity. Hon Nsaba Butruo,
Min of Internal Affairs. Hon Kirunda Kivejinja and Minister of Justice and Attorney General Hon. Kiddhu Makubuya.
