International pressure is mounting on the Ugandan government to drop the Anti-Homosexuality Law, which would make it unlawful to just identify as LGBTQ+.
If the bill is passed, people found guilty might receive up to 20 years in prison and the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.”
The act is just the latest push to further criminalise and marginalise LGBTQ+ individuals in Uganda. Although homosexuality was still illegal under a previous law, known as the “Kill the Gays” bill, it was overturned by the constitutional court in 2014.
In 2020, an Open Democracy investigation found that more than 20 US-based groups known for fighting LGBTQ+ and abortion rights had funnelled at least $54 million (close to £41 million) into African countries since 2007.
One of the biggest spenders is the Fellowship Foundation, a US-based religious group that spent more than $20 million (approximately £16 million) in Uganda alone, according to the independent international media platform.
The issue has garnered significant attention over the years, with high-profile US-based evangelicals linked to efforts to reinforce discrimination in African countries.
“What we’re observing is a push from conservative networks across the [African] continent. We also understand that there are external actors – evangelical groups, for instance – financing this push,” said Christian Rumu, a senior campaigner with Amnesty International.
Rumu said there was “quite a lot of investment” from conservative groups across the world who are trying to push anti-LGBTQ+ bills across Africa because they’re getting little traction in the West.
The consequences of Western interference will be felt most keenly by Uganda’s LGBTQ+ community, who face an “increased fear of violence” even if the country’s president, Yoweri Museveni, vetoes the bill.
“It’s really worrying to see that members of parliament are failing to truly do their job by introducing legislation that would protect marginalised communities, such as the queer community in Uganda,” Rumu says. pinknews.com