A Ugandan teenager has reportedly taken his own life, and it’s being attributed to the nation’s anti-gay law. Gay rights activists have told Gay Star News at least 17 gay people, with the majority of them being under the age of 25, have attempted to kill themselves over the homophobic legislation. It says one 17-year-old has taken his own life. Uganda LGBTI activist Pepe Julian Onziema has told Gay Star News the teenager was the son of Muslim parents who consider homosexuals to be “proof of sin itself” and “not people”. “This is the psychological effect of the anti-gay law,” Onziema says. “It is affecting young people the most.” The law punishes ‘aggravated homosexuality’ with life imprisonment. It also makes it illegal to ‘promote’ homosexuality and allow or people to do not report homosexual activities to the police to also be jailed.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 8th April 2014 - 9:35am