Two years after Uganda enacted the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023, one of the harshest anti-gay laws globally, the country’s LGBTQ community is ensnared in a suffocating climate of fear, persecution, and violence. Human Rights Watch (HRW), in a comprehensive 69-page report released on May 26, 2025, titled “They’re Putting Our Lives at Risk”: How Uganda’s Anti-LGBT Climate Unleashes Abuse, documents the devastating impact of this legislation. The law, signed by President Yoweri Museveni amid international outcry, has institutionalized homophobia, legitimized violence, and eroded the fundamental rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals, their families, and supporters. This article delves into the law’s far-reaching consequences, drawing on verified reports, survivor testimonies, and global reactions to uncover the hidden truths and systemic abuses fueling this crisis.

Background: The Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023

The Anti-Homosexuality Act, passed by Uganda’s parliament on March 21, 2023, and signed into law by President Museveni on May 30, 2023, marks a draconian escalation in the criminalization of same-sex relations. Building on colonial-era laws inherited from British rule, which already penalized “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” with life imprisonment, the 2023 Act introduced harsher penalties and broader scope. It imposes life imprisonment for consensual same-sex relations and the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” a vaguely defined offense that includes same-sex acts involving minors, vulnerable individuals, or those with HIV. Additionally, the law criminalizes “promoting homosexuality” with up to 20 years in prison and mandates citizens, including medical professionals and family members, to report suspected homosexual activities.

The legislation was championed by Ugandan lawmakers and religious leaders, who argued it protects cultural values against Western influence. However, activists and human rights organizations, including HRW, contend that it has unleashed a wave of state-sponsored homophobia, emboldening both authorities and civilians to target LGBTQ individuals with impunity. The law’s passage, despite global condemnation, reflects Uganda’s entrenched anti-LGBTQ sentiment, often amplified by external influences, including U.S. evangelical groups.

Historical Context: A Legacy of Criminalization

Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ laws are rooted in colonial-era legislation, specifically the Penal Code of 1950, which criminalized same-sex acts under British-imposed laws. Post-independence, Uganda retained these provisions, and in recent decades, efforts to intensify anti-gay measures have grown. A 2014 Anti-Homosexuality Act, which also prescribed life imprisonment, was struck down on procedural grounds, but the 2023 law represents a more extreme iteration. The persistence of such laws reflects a broader African trend, with over 30 of 54 African nations criminalizing homosexuality, often citing cultural or religious objections. In Uganda, these arguments are bolstered by influential religious figures and foreign actors, particularly U.S.-based evangelical organizations like Family Watch International, which have been linked to anti-LGBTQ advocacy in the region.

The Human Toll: Violence, Fear, and Displacement

The Anti-Homosexuality Act has triggered a surge in human rights violations, as documented by HRW and other organizations. Based on interviews with nearly 60 LGBTQ individuals, activists, families, and politicians, HRW’s 2025 report details a spectrum of abuses, including arbitrary arrests, police harassment, extortion, evictions, physical and sexual violence, and death threats. The law has created an environment where homophobia is not only tolerated but actively encouraged, leaving LGBTQ Ugandans in constant fear for their safety.

Survivor Testimonies: A Climate of Terror

Personal accounts from HRW’s report paint a harrowing picture. One activist recounted receiving incessant threatening calls:

“People would keep on calling you [saying]: ‘We know where you stay. We know what you do.’”

These threats often escalate into physical violence. In one chilling incident, an activist described a 2023 home invasion where three men attacked her and sexually assaulted her friend, stating,

“I am not just beating you for your unholiness but because you make me ashamed to be [ethnically] Ankole. If we want, we can kill you and no one will look for you.”

This assault underscores the law’s role in legitimizing vigilante violence, with perpetrators feeling emboldened by the state’s stance.

Another survivor, Steven Kabuye, a prominent LGBTQ activist and executive director of Colored Voice Truth to LGBTQ, was stabbed by unknown assailants in January 2024 after receiving death threats. Kabuye described the attack as a direct consequence of the law’s chilling effect, warning that the Constitutional Court’s April 2024 decision to uphold most of the Act’s provisions “opens a Pandora’s box” for further violence. These incidents are not isolated; DefendDefenders, a Kampala-based organization, reported eight cases of physical and sexual violence, including rape, within 24 hours of the law’s passage, aimed at “converting” presumed gay individuals to heterosexuality.

Quantitative Evidence: Escalating Violations

Data from local advocacy groups corroborate the anecdotal evidence. The Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) reported handling 667 cases involving 850 LGBTQ individuals over 14 months, documenting evictions, violence, and arrests. Similarly, Convening for Equality (CFE) recorded 1,253 human rights violations between September 2023 and May 2024, a sharp increase from 306 cases in the prior eight months. These violations, committed by both state and non-state actors, include torture, family rejections, physical assaults, and extortion. The law’s mandatory reporting clause has further endangered LGBTQ individuals, as neighbors, employers, and even family members are compelled to inform authorities, fostering a culture of surveillance and betrayal.

Institutionalized Homophobia: State and Societal Collusion

The Anti-Homosexuality Act has not only empowered vigilantes but also institutionalized discrimination through state mechanisms. HRW’s report highlights widespread police abuse, including harassment, extortion, and arbitrary detentions based on perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. Lawyers representing LGBTQ clients have faced heightened harassment, and prominent organizations like Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) have been targeted. In March 2024, a Ugandan court rejected SMUG’s petition for government registration, citing its advocacy as “unlawful.” This ruling, coupled with the law’s criminalization of “promoting homosexuality,” has silenced advocacy efforts and forced organizations underground.

Impact on Families and Allies

The law’s ripple effects extend to families and supporters. On May 8, 2025, a group of Ugandan mothers of LGBTQ individuals, supported by HRW and Chapter Four Uganda, gathered to demand protection and equal rights. These mothers, part of PFLAG-Uganda, face discrimination and potential criminal charges for supporting their children, despite their advocacy being rooted in parental love. One mother stated,

“We did not choose our children’s identities, but we can choose how we respond.”

Their public petition to Museveni in 2023, urging him not to sign the bill, went unheeded, underscoring the government’s intransigence.

Digital Persecution: Technology-Facilitated Violence

Amnesty International’s October 2024 report, “Everybody Here Is Having Two Lives or Phones”, details a surge in technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TfGBV) against LGBTQ Ugandans. The Anti-Homosexuality Act has fueled online attacks, including doxing, outing, blackmail, and disinformation, forcing individuals to alter their digital presence. Many resort to using pseudonyms or multiple devices to evade detection, as online threats often precede physical violence. The report cites cases where activists received threatening messages that escalated into real-world attacks, such as the 2023 home invasion described earlier.

Health and Economic Consequences

The law’s impact transcends personal safety, threatening public health and economic stability. Uganda, once lauded for reducing HIV deaths by nearly 90% from 1990 to 2019, now faces a potential resurgence due to the law’s chilling effect on healthcare access. The mandatory reporting clause deters LGBTQ individuals from seeking medical care, as healthcare providers are obligated to report suspected homosexual activity. Transgender individuals, like Mulindwa Benda, arrested in 2024 for leading a sexual health workshop, face charges of “promoting homosexuality,” further restricting health education efforts. The New York Times reported in January 2024 that terrified patients have fled clinics, undermining decades of progress against HIV.

Economically, the law has triggered significant repercussions. A Bloomberg study estimated that Uganda lost $1.6 billion since May 2023 due to international sanctions and aid cuts. The World Bank halted new lending, and the U.S. imposed visa restrictions on Ugandan officials, citing human rights abuses. These measures, while aimed at pressuring reform, have strained organizations supporting LGBTQ communities. In February 2025, the Associated Press reported that a U.S. aid freeze threatened the work of activists like Pius Kennedy, highlighting the delicate balance between international pressure and local support systems.

International and Domestic Responses

The Anti-Homosexuality Act has drawn widespread condemnation from global entities, including the United Nations, the U.S., and the European Union. The U.N. Human Rights Office called it “a recipe for systematic violations,” while Western nations threatened sanctions. However, Uganda’s government has resisted pressure, with Museveni and parliamentary leaders framing the law as a defense of national sovereignty. Domestically, the law enjoys broad public support, fueled by religious and cultural narratives that portray homosexuality as a Western import. This sentiment is evident in posts on X, where some Ugandans celebrated the law’s passage as a stand against foreign influence.

Legal challenges have yielded limited success. In April 2024, Uganda’s Constitutional Court upheld most provisions of the Act, striking down only a few sections, such as the mandatory reporting clause, for violating rights to health and privacy. Activists like Frank Mugisha, executive director of SMUG, called the ruling “wrong and deplorable,” warning of increased violence. The court’s decision, coupled with the rejection of SMUG’s registration petition, signals a broader clampdown on dissent, as seen in the July 2024 arrests of anti-corruption protesters.

Foreign Influence: The Role of U.S. Evangelicals

While Ugandan leaders claim to protect local values, evidence suggests external influences have shaped the anti-LGBTQ agenda. The Southern Poverty Law Center reported in February 2024 that U.S. evangelical groups, notably Family Watch International, have fueled anti-gay rhetoric in Uganda. These groups, under the guise of promoting “family values,” have supported conferences and campaigns that vilify LGBTQ individuals, contradicting their denials of direct involvement in the 2023 Act. This foreign influence complicates the narrative of homosexuality as a Western import, revealing a paradoxical reliance on external actors to sustain homophobic policies.

Conversion Therapy and Cultural Narratives

The rise of conversion therapy in Uganda, often framed as a “generous” alternative to imprisonment, represents another disturbing trend. A March 2024 report by The Globe and Mail noted that conversion practices, condemned by the U.N. as cruel and degrading, are increasingly common across Africa. In Uganda, activists like Steven Kabuye report familial and institutional pressure to undergo such therapy, with lasting psychological trauma. Survivors like Nina, who resisted conversion attempts, describe ongoing panic and trauma from shaming and religious conditioning. These practices, often supported by religious institutions, reinforce the narrative that LGBTQ identities are unnatural and correctable, further entrenching discrimination.

Resistance and Resilience

Despite the oppressive environment, Uganda’s LGBTQ community and allies continue to resist. Organizations like SMUG and CFE persist in advocating for rights, even under threat of arrest. Grassroots efforts, such as PFLAG-Uganda, humanize the struggle by centering family narratives, challenging stereotypes. Internationally, activists call for sustained pressure, including targeted sanctions and support for local organizations. However, the balance is delicate, as aid cuts risk harming the very communities they aim to protect. Clare Byarugaba, a Kampala-based activist, emphasized,

“The human cost of the draconian anti-homosexuality law is very high, and this new report by HRW provides further evidence of the consequences of Uganda’s state-sponsored homophobia and transphobia.”

Conclusion: A Call for Accountability

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 has unleashed a wave of persecution that threatens the lives, dignity, and rights of LGBTQ individuals and their allies. The law’s severe penalties, coupled with state and societal collusion, have created a climate of fear where violence, discrimination, and silence are normalized. HRW’s report, alongside accounts from activists and data from local groups, reveals a crisis that demands urgent action. Repealing the Act, ending police abuses, and protecting advocacy groups are critical steps toward justice. Internationally, targeted sanctions and support for grassroots efforts must be balanced to avoid exacerbating local vulnerabilities. As Uganda’s LGBTQ community endures this dark chapter, their resilience and the global call for accountability offer hope for a future where dignity and equality prevail.