By Melanie Nathan, June 22, 2023.
The Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023 became law on 30th May 2023. 20th June 2023 marks the third complete week since the law came into force – 21 days. HRAPF’s legal aid clinic has been handling cases involving LGBTQ persons during this period and documenting them. This report summarises the cases that involve violence and violations against real or suspected LGBTIQ persons based wholly or partly on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity within the first 21 days of the law’s being in force. African Human Rights Coalition has also received direct reporting on cases included in this report. We have also provided relocation, shelter and food services to those displaced - by this or similar reporting that does not present in this report. We believe that HRAPF's report does not include all cases as some may not have reported based on trust issues. Some prefer to trust off shore reporting due to extreme fear of any authority to include leaks, in Uganda. African Human Rights Coalition has referred victims of attacks and those threatened to organizations in Uganda who tout they have rapid response teams to asses and respond to include relocation etc. Unfortunately every single case we have referred has not received a response or there has been no follow up. The concern with this is that the apparent rapid response teams may have funds directed to them yet unable to fulfill the mission. The logistics on the ground are complicated. This is where international governments should be stepping in - and creating exceptional paths. Extraordinary measures are needed as this crisis escalates. We have had disturbing third party reports of people being shot and killed, but do not see this in HRAPF reporting and are unable to verify such reports. We are also receiving reports that government agents are infiltrating or paying off people to reveal LGBTQI+ whereabouts in what presents as a Government 'hunt for gays." This may also be occurring in refugee circles. This is disturbing and remains unverified.
Below IS THE HRAPF REPORT SETTING OUT THE CASES HRAPF HAVE RECEIVED: -The question is - what has become of these victims? Where are they. now? Have they received support? AHRC can only speak for the cases we have worked with.
INCREASING VIOLENCE AND VIOLATIONS: THE FIRST 21 DAYS OF THE ANTI-
HOMOSEXUALITY ACT, 2023
Kampala, 21st June, 2023
In the period from 30th May 2023 to 20th June, 2023, HRAPF handled a total of 43 cases involving
LGBTQ persons. Of these 43 cases, 30 (69.7%) involved actions that specifically targeted LGBTQ
people because of their real or presumed sexual orientation and/or gender identity. These
affected a total of 32 individuals. These cases were: 19 cases of violence/threats of violence
affecting 20 individuals; 8 cases of evictions from rented property affecting 9 individuals; and 3
cases of arrests on sexuality-related cases affecting 4 persons.
The details are as below: