David Kato was a prominent LGBT rights defender in Uganda until a few weeks ago, when he was bludgeoned to death with a hammer in his home. His death is the latest tragic example of the constant threat so many lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people face in Uganda.
Uganda, indeed much of Africa, is a frightening place to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. An "Anti-Homosexuality Bill", a how-to manual for abhorrent human rights violations, looms in the Ugandan Parliament like a poisonous black cloud. The bill calls for life imprisonment for homosexual acts, three years in prison for failing to report a homosexual person, and, for so-called "aggravated homosexuality," death.
Never intimidated by the culture of hate perpetrated by anti-LGBT forces in Uganda, David Kato fought tirelessly against this bill, and for rights for all Ugandans.
If justice for David's murder is not pursued, it will send a chilling signal to Uganda's LGBT community and all who defend them. The situation in Uganda will surely worsen if the international community does not step up the pressure. The Ugandan government needs to hear loud and clear that it is wrong and against international human rights law to codify hate, discrimination and murder. | |
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