Uganda has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for LGBTQI+ people after the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023.
After the World Tourism Network (WTN) cautioned travelers to Uganda about the potential risks and encouraged the US to intervene, USAID issued a strong warning today, encouraging Uganda to reconsider a hazardous law targeting LGBTQI+ people that jeopardizes support.
Uganda has become one of the most dangerous locations in the world for LGBTQI+ people since the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 (AHA). Persons who participate in same-sex relationships may face life imprisonment or potentially the death sentence under the AHA.
This law is a heinous assault on an already oppressed people. No one should be penalized or mistreated because of the person they love. LGBTQI+ Ugandans have always been a part of Ugandan society and deserve the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. However, after the AHA was enacted by Parliament on March 21, 2023, LGBTQI+ Ugandans have faced increased violence, harassment, and evictions. Many people are concerned that they will soon lose access to crucial health and social services.
The AHA is only the latest in a long line of acts by Uganda’s government to limit freedoms and undermine its people’s human rights. In Uganda, journalists, human rights campaigners, and anybody who criticizes the regime are routinely detained, tortured, and disappeared. Threats, assault, and abuse against Ugandans, particularly members of the LGBTQI+ community and those who offer services to them, are becoming increasingly common.
As one of the leading foreign aid providers to the people of Uganda, particularly through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, USAID remains dedicated to nondiscrimination for all program participants, including those based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
As we have repeatedly stated to the Ugandan government, the passage of the AHA will directly restrict our capacity to deliver effective USAID assistance to the people of Uganda. It will stymie our HIV/AIDS collaboration with Uganda and the Ugandan people. It will substantially limit the ability of USAID workers and US partners who identify as LGBTQI+ to live and work in Uganda safely and freely. It will also make it more difficult for our partners to foster inclusive development in the numerous industries and areas in which we work.
As a result, USAID is collaborating with other departments and agencies throughout the federal government to assess the implications of this law on our policy, relationship, and assistance to Uganda. The United States asks Uganda’s government to review the Anti-Homosexuality Act, demand a halt to violence against Ugandans under the law’s auspices, and take decisive steps to defend human rights for all Ugandans.
