Uganda

Same-sex relations have been criminalized in Uganda since British colonial times. Sections 145 on “unnatural offenses” and 148 on “indecent practices” have been retained in the Penal Code since independence. “Carnal knowledge against the order of nature” between men carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. In 2013, parliament passed an Anti-Homosexuality Bill, signed into law by President Museveni in early 2014, which added new offenses related to same-sex sexual acts and LGBTQ advocacy. The Constitutional Court invalidated it on procedural grounds in the same year. In May 2023, President Yoweri Museveni signed into law the Anti Homosexuality Act 2023. In December 2023, the Constitutional Court of Uganda heard petitions challenging the law, arguing that it infringes upon the right to privacy, press freedom, and freedom of expression. The petitioners also contended that the law was rushed through Parliament without adequate public consultation. On April 3, 2024, the Constitutional Court largely upheld the law, declaring only four provisions unconstitutional, including Sections 39(2)(c) on aggravated assault, Section 9 criminalizing the owner of premises being used “for the purposes of homosexuality,” Section 11(2)(d) prohibiting the “promotion of homosexuality,” specifically for persons who lease or sublease, and Section 14 on the duty to report suspected offenders.

Since the passage of the law, Ugandan human rights groups have documented a rise in arrests, evictions, and violence. In August 2023, the World Bank suspended new loans to Uganda because the law’s discriminatory nature contravenes the multilateral bank’s Environmental and Social Framework.

Government officials have repeatedly shut down Pride events and other LGBTIQ events and conferences, and raided LGBTIQ-friendly social spaces. Films, television shows, and radio programs have been banned for “homosexual content,” and some media organizations have chosen to remove such content for fear of reprisal. In August 2022, the Ugandan government suspended the operations of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a local NGO advocating for the rights of sexual and gender minorities. Despite threats, violent attacks, and arbitrary arrests, Uganda’s LGBTIQ activist community continues to advocate fervently for human rights.

*Outright research indicates that the bodily autonomy of intersex people is not respected and protected in this country.