Uganda’s LGBTQ community is facing intensified persecution following the enactment of harsh anti-gay laws two years ago, according to an international NGO.
In a report released on Monday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Ugandan authorities have “perpetrated widespread discrimination and violence” and “spread misinformation and hatred against LGBT people” since the 2023 law was enacted.
The 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act made consensual same-sex relations punishable by up to life imprisonment and “aggravated homosexuality” punishable by death.
As the legislation took effect, rights groups and international partners condemned the law and withdrew funding.
The HRW report says the government has followed up the legislation with a campaign of persecution, detailing widespread police abuse, including harassment, extortion, and arbitrary arrests based on perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity.
HRW found that the law has ramped up already existing abuse and discrimination against LGBTQ people to unprecedented heights. The report also detailed the rights violations enabled by the law and the devastating effect it has had on the lives of LGBTQ people, activists, allies, and their families in Uganda.
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