Ugandan LGBT activists arrested

on June 5, 2008
Category: Action Alert, HIV/AIDS, LGBTI

Three Ugandan LGBT activists have been arrested in Uganda whilst attending the HIV/AIDS Implementers Conference in Kampala. The LGBT and HIV / AIDS activists were protesting against comments made by the head of the Ugandan AIDS Commission that no funds would be given to AIDS programmes working with men who have sex with men. The meeting is part funded by PEPFAR which ties HIV funding to abstinence only programmes and anti-prostitution clauses.

On 2 May 2008, Kihumuro Apuuli, Director General of the Uganda AIDS Commission, stated that “gays are one of the drivers of HIV in Uganda, but because of meagre resources we cannot direct our programmes at them at this time.” The SMUG activists staged a peaceful protest at the HIV Implementers meeting to protest the Minister’s statements and gross neglect on the part of the Ugandan government in responding to a growing HIV epidemic among the country’s LGBT community. They were arrested and detained at the Jinja Road Police Station immediately after taking the stage at the meeting, distributing leaflets and holding up small placards demanding attention to HIV vulnerability among LGBT.

Ugandan LGBT activists have been at the forefront of the struggle for human rights amongst the LGBT communities of Africa.

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LGBTI
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7 Comments so far

1. LESGABIX

June 6th, 2008 at 7:38 am

lesgabix was at the forefront of fighting for LGBT life over ten years ago. Though members were harassed and sought after by the regime its tentacles continue to grow.
When time comes it will blast over those who think that LGBT are lesser humans

the fight continues…..

2. MadSoul Sista

June 6th, 2008 at 8:27 am

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGGGG!!!

why cant people learn from other people’s mistakes!!! whats the point of treating a quater of a cause? its like wetting the leaf of a plant and leaving the damn soil dry like WTDF!

its obvious that the gay community would always have more chances of getting the HIvirus!
but ignorance is a fuckin binch i swear!

we need to educate ourselves gddmt and if we cant do it with stats from our own countries, at least we can learn from other countries’!

MadSoul Sistas last blog post..Fat free

3. Elie B. Smith

June 6th, 2008 at 3:32 pm

Hello Sokari,

You are doing a great job by bringing this palaver up. It is true that arresting those LBGT is tantamount to violations of their right to choose their sexual orientation. However, while arresting some one simply because he has chosen his/her own sexual path is wrong, I also think that, LGBT activists must also try to conciliate their desire to make people accept their chosen course with the reticents that it excite to people who frown at their way of life.

The Uganda AIDS Commission has already registered successes and if they are refusing to fund men who have sex with men, they might have a founded reason and most not be misinterpreted. It is also true that, such decision might be risky or may scuttle the efforts of the Ugandan Aids Commission, for some of those men who practise such sexual orientations also go along with women.

Elie B. Smiths last blog post..Dr Daniel Emile Beleck, Mayor of Yabassi

4. Black on Campus

June 8th, 2008 at 6:08 am

Here in the U.S. we have also had to cope with government officials who would prefer to ignore the issue of male to male HIV transition. I hope that the activists you are writing about remain undaunted in their pursuit of human rights for all.

5. Black Looks

June 11th, 2008 at 7:39 am

[…] from Black Looks, the arrest of Ugandan LGBT activists in Kampala who were protesting against comments made by the head of the Ugandan AIDS […]

6. Panic {RE}_Programming » Blog Archive » African Report::LGBTI Communities Come Out of the Closet Online

August 7th, 2008 at 10:45 pm

[…] there has been the need for an immediate regional or continental response to a crisis such as the recent arrest of activists in Uganda, the rape and or murder of lesbians in South Africa, or the trial of gay men in Cameroon, activists […]