Gay rights activists in both the UK and Uganda are joining forces to implore the British government to reconsider granting a visa to Anita Annet Among, the Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, slated to attend the 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth in the UK. Renowned LGBT+ campaigner Peter Tatchell, Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, has engaged with UK authorities, emphasizing the need to prevent Speaker Among’s entry due to her support for a new Ugandan law sanctioning severe penalties, including execution, for certain consenting same-sex acts.
During a meeting with Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Tatchell urged UK Home Secretary James Cleverly to ban Speaker Among, citing the violation of values such as respect, tolerance, equality, and human rights. Tatchell argues that Among’s presence would disrupt public order, community relations, and the overall public good.
Tatchell, acting on behalf of Ugandan LGBT+ campaigners, expressed gratitude to Speaker Hoyle for acknowledging their concerns and committing to action against the politician promoting the persecution of LGBT+ individuals. The advocacy focuses on Anita Among’s role in promoting Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), 2023, colloquially known as the “Kill the Gays” law.
In a letter to Speaker Hoyle, Tatchell highlights the harshness of Uganda’s AHA, which includes mandatory life imprisonment for consenting same-sex acts and the death penalty for repeat offenders and elderly LGBT+ couples. The letter calls for the denial of entry to the UK for Speaker Among, asserting that hosting her would send a troubling signal of tolerance for extreme homophobia.
Tatchell emphasizes the need for UK authorities to resist facilitating and colluding with a politician associated with such draconian legislation. He invites Speaker Hoyle to advocate for Anita Among’s exclusion based on her opposition to British values of respect and equality, arguing that her presence would be detrimental to public order, community relations, and the public good.
The article underscores the uncertainty surrounding Speaker Among and her deputy’s visa applications for the Commonwealth anniversary events. Efforts to contact Speaker Among’s representatives in Uganda were unsuccessful, leaving the situation in question.
The piece concludes by questioning whether the British government will yield to pressure and deny Speaker Among her visa, citing a precedent set by the United States Embassy in revoking her visa following the enactment of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023.
Since the passage of the AHA, reports from Ugandan LGBT+ rights organizations indicate a distressing surge in violence and discrimination against the community, creating an environment of fear and persecution. Despite the legal challenges faced by the AHA, its impact on the Ugandan LGBT+ community remains severe, leaving a lasting trauma even if the law is eventually rescinded.
Rights groups are currently challenging one of the most stringent anti-homosexuality laws in Uganda through the country’s judicial system. The global community has expressed widespread condemnation, leading to actions such as the World Bank suspending new loans to Uganda and the US imposing visa restrictions on key officials.
Enacted in May, this controversial law mandates life imprisonment for individuals convicted of engaging in homosexual acts. Advocacy organizations are urging judges to invalidate the law, asserting that it infringes upon the right to equality and dignity.
Dubbed the Anti-Homosexuality Act, this legislation goes to the extreme of imposing the death penalty for “aggravated” cases. These include scenarios like engaging in gay sex with an individual below the age of 18 or with someone afflicted by a life-long illness such as HIV. The law received overwhelming support from lawmakers and came into effect after approval by President Yoweri Museveni.
The Constitutional Court is currently the battleground for this legal showdown, with the government defending the law by emphasizing its protection of traditional family values. In August, the first individual was charged with “aggravated homosexuality,” involving alleged unlawful sexual intercourse with a 41-year-old. The case, expected to be heard in the High Court due to its gravity, lacks detailed information.
While Uganda has not executed anyone since 2005, the situation remains dire for the LGBTQ+ community. A recent report by rights groups documented over 300 human rights abuses against LGBTQ+ individuals in the first eight months of the year. These abuses include beatings, torture, arrests, and forced evictions.
The United States, responding to the contentious legislation, announced that Ugandan goods will lose preferential access to its markets from the following year due to the country’s human rights record. Despite international pressure, Uganda’s government remains steadfast, refusing to yield to external influence.
Uganda’s societal conservatism plays a significant role in sustaining support for the legislation among its people, even in the face of global criticism.
