Why The Issue of Death Penalty to LGBT by The Government Keeps Popping Up?
Ugandan activists told CNN they have noted worrying trends of arrests and attacks on the LGBTQ community.
Last Friday, a young gay paralegal, Brian Wasswa, was bludgeoned to death at his home in Jinja, LGBT group Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) said.
According to Justine Balya at the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), this is the third murder her organization has recorded of an LGBTQ community member in just two months. On August 2, a transgender woman was murdered in a mob attack by motorbike taxi drivers. On August 12, a gay man was beaten in Kampala and died six days later from the injuries he sustained, according to HRAPF.
"We are concerned about the current political environment and homophobic comments being made by government personnel," said Balya, referencing Lokodo's announcement, as well as Ugandan Minister for Security Gen. Elly Tumwine's claim that LGBTQ people are connected to "terrorism."
"All this is feeding the homophobia and violence against LGBT people," she added.
Bobi Wine, a Ugandan musician-turned-opposition politician - who has made
homophobic comments publicly in the past - are false and a distraction tactic,
activists say.
Byarugaba told CNN that the proposed reinstatement of the bill is likely being used
as a "political decoy from the spate of the government's crackdown on Bobi Wine."
Trinah Kakyo, an LGBTQ fashion designer and activist, said that she believes the
issue continues to resurface because "queerness confronts the oppressive systems
we have in place, so it's been the main target of deviating the Ugandan public from
actual social issues."
Alice McCool, for CNN
Alice McCool, for CNN
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