Uganda’s Highest Court Faces LGBTIQ+ Appeal Over Anti-Homosexuality Act

A glimmer of hope has emerged in the ongoing fight for LGBTIQ+ rights in Uganda. Twenty-two brave individuals, including prominent activists like Dr. Frank Mugisha and Jacqueline Kasha Nabagesara, have filed an appeal with the Ugandan Supreme Court challenging the Constitutional Court’s recent refusal to dismantle the barbaric Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA).

This also follows a Ugandan LGBTQ activist Steven Kabuye who sustained serious injuries in a recent attack.

Let’s be clear: the Constitutional Court’s April 3rd decision was a slap in the face to human rights. While it mercifully tossed out a few particularly egregious provisions, like jailing landlords who rent to LGBTIQ+ folks, the core of this vile law remains intact.

Life imprisonment for consensual same-sex acts? The death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”? These are not legalities, they’re state-sanctioned homophobia masquerading as law.

The petitioners argue that the Constitutional Court botched the job. They specifically take aim at the court’s reliance on “inadmissible evidence,” a tactic often deployed by those who fear progress and equality.

This appeal is more than just legalese – it’s a fight for the very lives and safety of Uganda’s LGBTIQ+ community.

Since the AHA reared its ugly head in 2023, Uganda has descended into a nightmare for LGBTIQ+ people. Hundreds have faced arrest, eviction, forced medical examinations, torture, and a complete denial of their basic human rights.

The international community has responded with outrage, with the US pulling away preferential trade benefits and activists calling for a cut-off of donor funding to a regime that condones such brutality.

The Supreme Court now holds the cards. This appeal represents a crucial opportunity to right a monstrous wrong. We, the global LGBTIQ+ community, stand in solidarity with our Ugandan brothers and sisters.

Last Updated on Apr 17, 2024