In our last post about the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Act, we talked about the implications of the draconian law that prescribed death for gay Ugandans and imprisonment for their allies. A year later, the act was upheld by Uganda’s highest court which admits that some provisions violate the right to health and privacy. Effects on the Ugandan LGBTQ+ population have been immediate and devastating. Trans women living in Uganda report inability to access basic healthcare as services like transportation or access to a medical provider are no longer guaranteed. Trans sex workers are targeted to the point of being unable to work. Organizations serving queer Ugandans have been forced to shutter under the pressures of state and local harassment and queer individuals are being outed in the media under accusations of promoting homosexuality and spreading HIV. Incidentally, the Anti-Homosexuality Act makes a provision for the death penalty in the case of aggravated homosexuality which prohibits intercourse with persons of the same sex when one is living with HIV. The criminalization of HIV has been Ugandan policy since at least 2014 and has been proven detrimental to public health and individual wellbeing. The targeted criminalization of queer and Trans persons with HIV will have ripple effects throughout Ugandan society.
Ugandan Queer and Trans sex workers face insurmountable barriers to work and survival. Public transportation is no longer an option for many as the law has increased the levels of hostility they face daily. As a result, Queer and Trans Ugandans are going without medical and support services usually provided by NGOs. This reality is exacerbated by the closure of NGO run support resources due to the risk of prosecution for being allied with the LGBTQ+ community.
We are calling on our allies. Do not turn away from the atrocities against Trans Ugandans. The assault on queer and Trans rights means that these communities are unable to meet their needs through work and are unable to access NGO support. The Best Practices Policy Project implores all allies to familiarize ourselves with the ongoing crisis for queer and Trans Ugandans. Call on your elected leaders to speak out and donate to organizations that are able to support queer and Trans persons on the ground.