As expected by many, LGBT community in Uganda prepares for an round in the battle for their rights, as a new government statement emphasized the outlaw of the ‘promotion’ of homosexual acts.
In a statement released on Monday, Ethics minister Fr Simon Lokodo said The promotion of these festivities, which would purportedly have culminated in a “Gay Parade” on Saturday 6th August 2016, is criminal and illegal as they had not been cleared by the Police, and are against the laws of the Republic of Uganda; specifically the Penal Code, which is built on precedents, set in many other countries.
Section 145 unnatural offences of the Penal Code Act of 1950(Chapter 120) (as amended) States that any person who permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for life,” part of the statement signed Fr Lokodo said.
He sustained: “Government will not condone the promotion of the illegal activities of the LGBT movement and the organizers of the Gay Parade which had been planned for Saturday 6th August 2016 are advised to stop their activities immediately. The public is called upon to refrain from joining and participating in Gay activities.”
“In our society, our African values and cultures consider sexual activity to be private and personal, and it is not conducted in public. Certainly, neither is homosexuality. It is for this reason that the promotion of ‘gay’ activities is unwelcome,” the minister continued.
“Any person who, whether in public or in private, commits any act of gross indecency with another person who procures another person to commit any act of gross indecency with him or her or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any person with himself or herself or with another person, whether in public or in private, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.”
On Thursday 4 August, a group of LGBT members assembled at Venom Pub, Kabalagala, for a meeting without police clearance. Uganda Police was subsequently alerted and raided the assembly then around a dozen organisers and gay rights activists were arrested, according to eyewitness reports.
Hundreds of people attending the popular Mr and Mrs Pride Pageant were detained inside the Venom nightclub in Nsambya opposite the American embassy.
Police reportedly claimed the gathering was unlawful, although organisers of Uganda’s fifth gay pride week said they asked for permission.
One young man jumped from the fourth floor of the building in fear and was hospitalized.
Members of the crowd took off make-up and wigs in the hope police would not target them, Godiva Akullo tweeted while in the nightclub.
“Police are targeting anyone who looks ‘weird’,” she said.
“They are beating and handcuffing trans womyn [sic]. Criteria for beating is if you look masculine with ‘feminine’ hair.”
Two prominent LGBTIQ advocates, Dr Frank Mugisha and Pepe Julian Onziema, were some of the attendees taken into police custody, but all were released after a few hours.
Mr Onziema has since urged people to “not be fooled” and said the arrests were based on “pure homophobia and transphobia”.
Uganda’s annual pride event was at risk of not going ahead as the funds could not be secured, however more than 2,500 members of activist group All Out donated to fund the week’s events.
In Uganda, homophobia has been widespread since the prohibition of homosexuality in the 1950s. But it wasn’t until February that president Museveni signed a law that not only outlawed homosexual acts, but also compelled citizens to report suspected homosexual activity to the police, triggering increased levels of prejudice, violence and discrimination against the gay community.
In August 2014, just a few months later, the legislation was annulled: the law was passed without the requisite quorum, meaning that not enough MPs were present at the vote. The judgment was received by activists with cheers of joy, even though the verdict was based on technical grounds, rather than moral or ethical concerns.
