GOOD Statement by Brett Herron,
GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
23 March 2023
While South Africans are celebrating their human rights this week, the LGBTQIA+ community in Uganda is being persecuted in what can only be described as an attempt to control an entire nation’s sexuality.
Since 2013, the Ugandan government has continued its aggressive anti-LGBTQIA+ stance when it was announced that any acts “promoting or engaging in homosexuality” would lead to life imprisonment.
Now the country has taken another large step in creating an environment of persecution and hate by passing a new law in Parliament that would see any citizen who identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community face life imprisonment.
If enacted it will institutionalise discrimination and embed hate into the daily lives of the Ugandan society.
Although the bill has been passed in Parliament, it can still be rejected by the President. However, history has shown that his position on LGBTQIA+ rights intertwines with his Parliament’s.
GOOD strongly condemns the decision taken by the Ugandan lawmakers and we urge our government and the African Union to do the same.
The law is harmful and threatens the lives of our fellow Africans. We need urgent leadership to address a culture that will be a breeding ground for hate and persecution on the continent.
No state should have the power to shame and silence one’s identity. While parliament may have succeeded in passing a law that denies LGBTQIA+ people some of their rights, their human rights are inherent.
No law can deny you of your human rights as they are inherent by virtue of being a human being. They are linked to the very fact of human existence – they are not granted by any state.
The LGBTQIA+ community is no exception.
Media Enquiries:
Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
Cell: 0825183264
Email: bretth@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 0733671223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za