At least one gay person may have already been killed since Uganda's new gay hate law came into place – and a newspaper published a list of "Uganda’s 200 Top Homos". There are reports from activists on the ground that “a suspected gay couple has been attacked,” and “one is dead”. A law imposing lifetime prison sentences for certain lgbt people and criminalizing anyone who supports lgbt equality or "promotes homosexuality" was signed into effect overnight on Tuesday, New Zealand time. Local tabloid Red Pepper has since printed the names of 200 people it says are Uganda’s ‘top homos’. It outs activists, celebrities and socialites it says are gay themselves, or ‘sympathisers’. It refers to transgender men as “confessed gay” women and repeatedly calls gay men "bum-drillers." In 2010 a tabloid which has now closed down, Rolling Stone, published a similarly titled article in naming "Uganda's Top Homos" under a banner reading "Hang Them." Less than a month later, Uganda's first out gay man and most high-profile gay activist David Kato was beaten to death in his home. International response Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is demanding the revision or repeal of the law. He's said it could fuel prejudice and encourage harassment against gay people. Ban urged the Ugandan government to protect all people from violence and discrimination and offered UN support "for constructive dialogue". The Netherlands has frozen aid to Uganda, while Denmark and Norway are redirecting their funding directly to private sector organisations and human rights groups. The US has expressed disappointment at the Bill’s passage and is ‘reviewing’ its relationship with Uganda.Here at home, Green MP Jan Logie who has visited Uganda in the past and spoken with activists there, says her heart goes out to lgbti communities in Uganda. "As Museveni signed the anti-homosexual bill live on TV and celebrations have apparently erupted. So frightening." Here's a piece from The Guardian on the response of rights groups in Uganda and around the world.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 26th February 2014 - 9:40am