For the last two years, LGBT Ugandans have experienced unprecedented levels of abuse and discrimination. 

While misinformation and harassment have long plagued the country’s population, a new Human Rights Watch report shows that since the Ugandan government enacted the Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023, things have gotten much worse. 

The draconian law includes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” and up to 20 years in prison for “promoting homosexuality.”

In the two years preceding Act’s passage into law, public figures in Uganda used the media to spread misinformation and incite hatred against LGBT people, drumming up public support for the then-proposed law. This hostile environment, fueled by cultural and religious leaders, led to an uptick in attacks and harassment targeting LGBT people and groups that support them in Uganda. 

The incitement follows decades of abuse, harassment, and government efforts to criminalize and ostracize LGBT people.

Read about the Anti-Homosexuality Act’s insidious roots in Ugandan society.

Still, some people are speaking out to protect LGBT people. Earlier this month for Mother’s Day, we shared how a group of Ugandan mothers of LGBT people are calling for protection, dignity, and equal rights for their families. 

Watch a video featuring these mothers’ stories.