LGBTQIA+ - The African Mirror

May

30

2023

UGANDA: Death-penalty-for-LBGTQ+ law passed

LGBTQIA+

UGANDA'S President Yoweri Museveni signed one of the world's toughest anti-LGBTQ laws, including the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality", drawing Western condemnation and risking sanctions from aid donors. Same-sex relations were already illegal in Uganda, as in more than 30 African countries, but the new law goes further. It stipulates capital punishment for "serial offenders" against the law and transmission of a terminal illness like HIV/AIDS through gay sex. It also decrees a 20-year sentence for "promoting" homosexuality. "The Ugandan president has today legalised state-sponsored homophobia and transphobia," said Clare Byarugaba, a Ugandan rights activist. United States President Joe Biden called the move "a…

May

05

2023

By The African Mirror

Queerphobia in Kenya: a supreme court ruling on gay rights triggers a new wave of anger against the LGBTIQ+ community

LGBTQIA+

The Kenyan supreme court recently struck down a government decision to ban the registration of an LGBTIQ+ community rights organisation, sparking new homophobic rhetoric in the country. Kenya is one of 32 African countries that criminalises homosexuality. Those who identify as part of the LGBTIQ+ community are often discriminated against, harassed and assaulted. Lise Woensdregt and Naomi van Stapele, who have researched queer experiences in Kenya for nine years, explain the impact of this ruling. Authors LISE WOENSDREGT, PhD Candidate in Sociology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam NAOMI VAN STAPELE, Professor in Inclusive Education, Hague University of Applied Sciences What is the…

May

03

2023

By The African Mirror

Uganda passes draconian anti-LGBTQ+ law

LGBTQIA+

UGANDA'S parliament passed one of the world's strictest anti-LGBTQ bills mostly unchanged, including provision for long jail terms and the death penalty, after the president requested some parts of the original legislation be toned down. The new bill retains most of the harshest measures of the legislation adopted in March, which drew condemnation from the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and major corporations. The provisions retained in the new bill allow for the death penalty in cases of so-called "aggravated homosexuality", a term the government uses to describe actions including having gay sex when HIV-positive. It allows a 20-year…

Apr

25

2023

By The African Mirror

LGBTQ Ugandans live in fear as new law looms

LGBTQIA+

AT a shelter for lesbian women in Uganda's capital Kampala, gone are the days when the residents, having fled abuse and stigma at home, could breathe easy and be themselves. That came to an end a month ago when parliament passed some of the world's strictest anti-LGBTQ legislation, which would criminalise the "promotion" of homosexuality and impose the death penalty for certain crimes involving gay sex. President Yoweri Museveni said on Thursday that he supports the legislation but has requested some modifications from parliament, including provisions to "rehabilitate" gay people before he signs it. Staff at the shelter, a nondescript building in…

Apr

22

2023

By The African Mirror

Kenya should decriminalise homosexuality: 4 compelling reasons why

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS, LGBTQIA+

KENYA has recently seen the increasing visibility of sexual and gender minorities. However, this has been met with a growing backlash. Religious and political leaders have been spreading homophobic and transphobic rhetoric. This has happened with the tacit approval of a law enforcement apparatus that’s supposed to guarantee the right to equal protection. Authors EMMY KAGEHA IGONYA, Associate research scientist, African Population and Health Research Center LUCY WANJIKU MUNG’ALA, PhD Researcher, University of Amsterdam The continued criminalisation of same-sex sexual relations among consenting adults in Kenya worsens social disparities and inequalities. It fuels socioeconomic and health vulnerabilities. It deprives members…

Apr

21

2023

By The African Mirror

Uganda’s president sends anti-LGBTQ bill back to parliament to make it even tougher

LGBTQIA+

UGANDAN President Yoweri Museveni supports a bill containing some of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ legislation but sent it back to parliament to make it even tougher, the ruling party's chief whip said. A group of lawmakers from Museveni's ruling National Resistance Movement discussed the bill with the president and agreed in principle to sign the bill into law, chief whip Denis Hamson Obua said. "Before that is done we also agree that the bill will be returned in order to facilitate the reinforcement and the strengthening of some provisions in line with our best practices," he told a news conference…

Apr

20

2023

By The African Mirror

For LGBTQ Kenyans, court win prompts backlash as threats escalate

LGBTQIA+

AYENAT MERSIE FOR Kenya's lesbians and gays, a supreme court ruling allowing the rights body that represents their interests to register as a non-governmental organisation has turned out to be a mixed blessing. February's ruling in favour of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) reversed a ban imposed on it by the national board that regulates NGOs and was welcomed by the commission as a minor affirmation of LGBTQ Kenyans' place in society. But, in a country where same-sex acts remain punishable by up to 14 years in prison, the ruling has also led to a menacing…

Apr

14

2023

By The African Mirror

Ugandan LGBTQ activist readies for the fight of his life

LGBTQIA+

WHEN Frank Mugisha came out two decades ago, being gay in Uganda could be lonely and uncomfortable, but it was rarely a matter of life and death. Since then, as Mugisha has emerged as the country's most prominent LGBTQ rights activist, the perils have multiplied. In 2011, his friend and colleague David Kato was bludgeoned to death. Mugisha regularly receives death threats. Politicians and religious organisations have fanned anti-gay sentiment and lobbied for harsh legislation, culminating in parliament's passage last month of a bill that would criminalise even identifying as LGBTQ. "The Ugandan population has been radicalised to fear and…

Mar

31

2023

By The African Mirror

Corporate giants say anti-LGBT law would hurt Uganda’s economy

LGBTQIA+

A coalition of international companies, including Google and Microsoft, denounced anti-LGBTQ legislation passed by Uganda's parliament last week, warning it would damage the East African country's economy. The Open for Business coalition said the legislation, which criminalises identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, would curb investment flows and deter tourists. The bill imposes the death penalty for those who commit so-called aggravated homosexuality, defined as same-sex relations with people under the age of 18 or when the perpetrator is HIV positive, among other categories. It awaits President Yoweri Museveni's signature. The White House said last week the bill was concerning and…

Mar

24

2023

By The African Mirror

Uganda bill one of the world’s most extreme anti-LGBTQ laws

LGBTQIA+

UGANDA'S anti-gay bill passed is concerning and represents one of the most extreme actions taken against the LGBTQ community in the world, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said. Uganda's parliament passed a law on Tuesday making it a crime to identify as LGBTQ, handing authorities broad powers to target gay Ugandans who already face legal discrimination and mob violence. Thomson Reuters Foundation