What is going on around the world?
Hello everyone. This week, I want to focus on LGBTQIA+ rights across the world, with a specific discussion on Uganda. If there are other countries you would like me to talk about, please let me know. LGBTQIA+ rights are complicated across states and countries, and it is important to remember that the US is not the end all, be all of LGBTQIA+ rights and the conversations on LGBTQIA+ communities, but is just one country.
One issue in LGBTQIA+ advocacy right now is the backsliding of rights. We focus on this blog on the US because that’s where I am based, but this is happening internationally. In the UK, the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said "We shouldn't get bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be — they can't.” But the biggest push against LGBTQIA+ rights has been in a few countries around the continent in Africa. And that movement is being funded by organizations based in the United States.
To start, not every country is moving backwards on LGBTQIA+ rights, and there is diversity within countries on how individuals view LGBTQIA+ people and rights. For example, anti-gay laws in Mauritius were recently ruled unconstitutional. Over the past few years, many countries have decriminalized homosexuality, including Botswana, Seychelles, & Angola. But a few countries, including Uganda and Kenya, are pushing towards attacking LGBTQIA+ people. For example, in Kenya, although the Supreme Court recently ruled that there is a right to assembly by LGBTQIA+ people, even though same-sex relations are illegal, there is a push to further push LGBTQIA+ people in Kenya into the closet. Most of the focus is on Uganda, which recently passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023. This law:
Creates the crime of the promotion of homosexuality, which can lead to up to 20 years in jail.
Prison sentence of up to 10 years for same-sex activities.
Introduces the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”.
Landlords who do not report LGBTQIA+ activities can face a fine.
Already, people are being arrested. LGBTQIA+ people in Uganda can’t rent due to fear by landlords. This law will impact the fight against AIDS, as those at higher risk will not use services for fear of arrest.
Where is the money coming from?
When looking at Uganda and other countries in Africa, one important question is where is the money coming from. There is a lot of research which has shown that the movement has been influenced highly from evangelical organizations based in the US, including financially. Indeed, the movement of homophobia between countries is not new, and has been talked about for the past few years in the academic literature.
The best publication that has looked at this is by Rev. Dr. Kaoma, called “Colonizing African Values” (linked here). In this report, a build up from a report in 2009, looks at how organizations such as the American Center for Law and Justice, Human Life International, and Family Watch International have been specifically called out for their work on spreading hateful laws across Africa. In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Rev. Dr. Kaoma said the following on why we should care:
I try to keep these posts relatively short, so I am happy to expand on this more if people would like. But there are a few points I wanted to make in this post:
It is getting worse for LGBTQIA+ people around the world. Organizations, such as Rainbow Railroad, are working hard to support LGBTQIA+ refugees, but as some politicians are coming for LGBTQIA+ refugees and questioning what they are running from, the reality is it is getting more dangerous in some countries and we need to be aware of that and finding ways to support LGBTQIA+ internationally.
There are many reasons why LGBTQIA+ people are attacked, including internal pressures from religious groups and a way to redirect the focus from political scandals. Indeed, some politicians use LGBTQIA+ hate as a way to bring a country together.
There are American and other financial and political influences which is impacting the push towards making LGBTQIA+ acts illegal. As organizations feel that they are not being successful in the US in attacking LGBTQIA+ people, they start to look elsewhere. This is awful for LGBTQIA+ people abroad, and needs to be called out.
There are thriving queer communities across Africa. We should not paint a homophobic brush across a whole continent but, instead, explore how we can support LGBTQIA+ communities around the world.
Lastly, if you are working with refugees, ask how you can be more welcoming of LGBTQIA+ refugees. Consider the unique experiences of LGBTQIA+ refugees and how that may differ from others.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me, as well as leave any questions or thoughts in the comments.