This comes at a time when many LGBTQ identifying Ugandans had abandoned their different faith doctrines due to the judgment and segregation they were facing based on their sexual orientation or/and gender identity.
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The continued criminalization of same-sex relations, sex work among others is contradictory with the attempts to end sexual violence in Uganda. The law needs to take into the account of the reality of all Ugandans. Basing a new law on old draconian laws is both exclusionary and goes against progressive human rights trends that focus on consent and agency in regards to sexuality.
“Many organizations have projects but they do not economically empower key populations. It is good to have projects that will enable LGBT youth to be financially independent and improve their standards of living.”
A violent altercation occurred during the march and several refugees were attacked. It is unclear at this point whether the attacks were from police or civilians (or both), or what provoked the violence. One refugee (who would prefer to remain anonymous due to detainment) stated that local police were first to take aggressive action against the marchers and members of the community then joined the attacks.
The new head of state emphasized that LGBT persons deserve to have their rights protected like any other citizen in Botswana. His remarks followed a video that made rounds on social media displaying a transgender woman being physically and verbally attacked by a mob in Gaborone.
This year’s campaign themed “Stand Up for Human Rights” looks to encourage every global citizen to stand up, promote and defend human rights not only for themselves but for all humanity including gender and sexual minorities.
“… This raised the question ‘How do we protect this community member who does not not belong to any organization so as to protect the general LGBT community?’
Discriminatory laws like the HIV law should be repealed to enable the general population understand that HIV is no longer a death sentence and there is no shame in being HIV+.
It should be noted that despite the legalization of same sex marriages and civil union partnerships since November 2006, this exemption fosters discrimination based on sexual orientation that is against the law.
“… And it being a society that is enshrined in patriarchal tendencies, these men often feel threatened by the presence of women that are masculine. So, they tend to use sexual assault and unwanted sexual advances as a way to make these LBQ women subordinate to them by threatening them because they feel like them presenting as queer is a threat to their manhood.”