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Fam,

 

Our queer and trans kin in Uganda are living in a state of emergency.

 

According to BBC, the recent “anti-gay” bill passed in Uganda states, “People who identify as gay in Uganda risk life in prison.” Many have described this bill as one of the “most extreme forms of anti-homosexuality legislation in the world.”  

It doesn’t stop there. The bill aggressively penalizes any “individuals or institutions which support or fund LGBTQIA+ rights activities or organizations including media groups, journalists, and publishers.” Homeowners can also be imprisoned for housing an LGBTQIA+ person—which has been a catalyst for many LGBTQIA+ Ugandans to be displaced or turned in to the police by their own families in fear of persecution.

The effects of the hateful legislation have created an intense upswing in violence (much of it state-sanctioned) against LGBTQIA+ folks, with trans folks being especially targeted. Black queer and trans folks in Uganda are going missing and being killed, jailed, assaulted, and harassed. According to the Guardian, since the bill was first reintroduced, “More than 110 people reported incidents including arrests, sexual violence, evictions, and public undressing, to advocacy group Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) in February alone.”

 

We are witnessing this happen while simultaneously experiencing a ramp-up in anti-trans legislation and violence in the United States. It’s no coincidence. According to the WashingtonPost, “While right-wing Republican lawmakers in various U.S. states are currently engineering a new wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation, a slate of proselytizing, activist U.S. religious groups have for years campaigned in parts of Africa, especially in countries like Uganda, and sown the seeds for even more hard-line measures there.” Targeting Black countries on these “missions” is a direct tool of white supremacy and colonization.

 

There is a long history of hateful anti-LGBTQIA bills getting introduced and pushed in Uganda. The Post says, “At the time of that earlier wave of legislation, (LGBTQIA+) rights advocates pointed to the direct hand of U.S. evangelical organizations, many of which tread a well-beaten path through parts of Africa. In Uganda, in particular, U.S. Christian groups have invested millions of dollars in building schools and orphanages. But they have also left behind a profound ideological imprint.” This imprint has laid the groundwork for the dangerous state of the country today.

 

This international anti-LGBTQIA+ “hate machine” is fueled by colonizing governments, most notably the U.S., and is pushing a narrative of fear, division, and control. It is funded by fundamentalist U.S. Christian organizations. Many East African activists say the recent upswing in anti-gay legislation is a distraction to manipulate and divide people. Tanzanian activist Fatma Karume said, “Gay, lesbian, and transgender people were scapegoats for political leaders struggling to address economic crises,” since they are one of East Africa’s most vulnerable communities.

 

Many of our comrades in Uganda have been forced into the shadows. They fear speaking out about their experiences because they fear being persecuted, assaulted, or murdered. The best way to support our queer kin in this united struggle is to amplify their voices and demands whenever it is possible to safely do so, ensure that they are not forgotten in the global conversation about Black liberation, and continue to connect our efforts globally.

 

Share this information to spread the word about and turn more eyes to Uganda—and stay close, as M4BL remains dedicated to uplifting the stories of our Black queer and trans community worldwide.

 

In solidarity,

Movement for Black Lives

 

Support our work and the frontline activists fighting for Black Lives:

 

Movement for Black Lives
1624 Franklin Street
Oakland, CA 94612
United States

Visit our Website

 

 

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