Gay Ugandan asks ‘Where will I go?’ as secret shelters under threat

 | 
03/29/2023

Uganda’s parliament last week passed one of the world’s toughest laws against homosexual activities, prompting widespread condemnation. If signed into law by the president, anyone who identifies as LGBT could face life in prison. It also threatens the existence of the handful of refuges where LGBT people have sought shelter after being kicked out of home. The BBC got access to these secret shelters and spoke to residents about their lives and concerns. Ali had kept his sexuality secret but was outed after he was arrested when Ugandan police raided an underground gay bar in the capital, Kampala, in 2019. “My father said: ‘I never want to see you again. You’re not my child. I can’t have a child like you,’ says Ali, whose name has been changed to protect his identity. Despite the obvious trauma of this experience the young man, in his mid-20s, speaks in a gentle, calm way. “He was searching for me to beat me but my mother told me to hide. I did not have a plan, but I knew I had to leave home.” His story of stigmatisation, violence and fear provides a glimpse into the lives of LGBT people in Uganda.

Regions: ,

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 09/26/2023
09/25/2023
During Sunday’s match between bitter rivals Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille groups of fans chanted lines such as “Marseille are faggots” and “we will hang …
Added on: 09/26/2023
09/25/2023
The Australian Human Rights Commission appears set to bar a lesbian group from hosting an event exclusively for “lesbians born female” after at least …
Added on: 09/26/2023
09/25/2023
The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) on Monday resumed the registration of transgender persons, almost three months after it had halted the process. …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 09/23/2023
Uganda has begun charging people under its draconian new anti-LGBT law, including two men accused of “aggravated homosexuality”, which can carry the death penalty. …
Added on: 09/22/2023
Kenya is considering the Family Protection Bill 2023, which could lead to 50-year prison sentences for non-consensual same-sex acts. Sponsored by Homa Bay Town legislator …
Added on: 09/21/2023
The 69 suspects who were arrested in Nigeria last month in connection with an alleged gay wedding have been released on bail. Over 200 people …