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Carle Jasmin (Image : AI / Gay Globe)
Death Penalty and Persecution: Uganda, One of the Most Dangerous Countries for LGBT People
Uganda, according to numerous international experts, has become the country with the harshest anti-LGBT laws in the world, and in some cases even stricter than those of Saudi Arabia or Nigeria, where any homosexual act is physically and socially punished. Recent news headlines testify to this.
Recent examples in the media:
- Uganda: Human rights lawyer detained arbitrarily (Amnesty International Canada)
- Uganda: Two young women arrested after a public kiss (LSI Africa)
- Uganda: Concern and outrage after the enactment of an “anti-homosexuality” law (Radio-Canada)
Yet, nothing indicated that this country would descend into such forms of repression. Uganda is not a Muslim country: Islam in Uganda is neither the official religion nor the absolute majority of the population.
The Ugandan population is mostly Christian (around 80 to 85%), mainly divided between Catholics and Protestants. Islam represents about 10 to 15% of the population, making it a significant minority. There are also small communities practicing traditional African religions.
Uganda is officially a secular state. Its Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and recognizes no state religion.
Where does this fixation against LGBT people come from?
The answer lies less in the “nature” of the country than in a convergence of political and religious factors.
In Uganda, the homosexual question has become a powerful ideological marker over the years. Officially, it is about defending traditional values, but in practice, the issue has turned into a political lever. When the economy slows down, when youth protests grow, or when the international community criticizes the regime, designating an internal enemy helps to rally part of public opinion.
Religion also plays a central role. Uganda is a highly religious country, mostly Christian. Some conservative evangelical movements—sometimes supported by foreign networks—have actively fueled an alarmist discourse, portraying homosexuality as a threat to family, nation, and national morality. This narrative has resonated in a society attached to its religious landmarks.
There is also a rarely noted historical irony: anti-homosexuality laws in East Africa are not of “African” origin but inherited from British colonialism. They remained in the penal codes after independence and today serve as the basis for successive legal hardenings.
Courageous organizations defend LGBT rights
In Uganda, local LGBT organizations advocate for the protection of LGBT people, even in a hostile climate and under constant pressure.
The most well-known is Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a coalition documenting human rights violations against LGBT people and playing a central role in legal and international advocacy.
There is also the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), which provides legal assistance to LGBT individuals prosecuted under anti-homosexuality laws.
For lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG) carries out community outreach and awareness activities.
For transgender people, Tranz Network Uganda defends transgender rights, health, and social inclusion.
These organizations face arrests, threats, and defamation campaigns. Some regularly have to suspend or adjust their activities.
Penalties against LGBT people in Uganda: among the harshest in the world
Since 2023, the law known as the Anti-Homosexuality Act provides several levels of sanctions.
For consensual homosexual relations between adults, the penalty can be life imprisonment.
The law also introduces the notion of “aggravated homosexuality”, applicable especially in cases of repeat offenses, relations with a minor, or involvement of a person living with HIV. In these cases, the maximum penalty is the death penalty.
The law also criminalizes “promotion of homosexuality”, meaning an individual, media outlet, organization, or activist can be prosecuted for defending LGBT rights. Penalties can reach several years in prison and heavy fines.
In addition to criminal sanctions, people suspected of homosexuality are exposed to arbitrary arrests, violence, eviction from housing, job loss, and severe social stigma.
The law targets not only acts but also perceived support. In practice, the mere existence or supposed identity of a person is often enough to trigger prosecution or harassment.
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READ ALSO:
UNAIDS calls for the LGBT community in Uganda to be treated with respect and dignity at all times — This article relays a statement by UNAIDS urging that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Uganda should not face violence or discrimination and should have access to HIV and health services without stigma.
https://gayglobe.net/unaids-calls-for-the-lgbt-community-in-uganda-to-be-treated-with-respect-and-dignity-at-all-times/
(From Gayglobe.net Tag: Uganda) — A collection of articles tagged Uganda on Gayglobe, often including news wire items, press summaries and pieces relating to LGBT issues, laws, and political developments affecting LGBT people in the country.
https://gayglobe.net/tag/uganda/
“They’re Putting Our Lives at Risk”: How Uganda’s Anti‑LGBT Climate Unleashes Abuse | HRW — While not on Gayglobe’s own site, this linked Human Rights Watch report is often referenced in Gayglobe coverage, outlining how anti‑LGBT legislation and rhetoric in Uganda have fostered violence, harassment and discrimination.
https://www.hrw.org/report/2025/05/26/theyre-putting-our-lives-risk/how-ugandas-anti-lgbt-climate-unleashes-abuse
Uganda’s Anti‑Homosexuality Act, 2023 (background article often cited in Gayglobe reporting) — A concise legal overview of the controversial 2023 law that criminalizes same‑sex relations with penalties up to the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” frequently referenced by Gayglobe materials.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Homosexuality_Act%2C_2023
Pepe Julian Onziema (featured in Gayglobe.net reporting) — A profile of a prominent Ugandan LGBT rights activist, Program Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, showing the human face of resistance and activism under oppressive laws.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepe_Julian_Onziema
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