Crises In Uganda Over Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer

<h4>Crises In Uganda Over Lesbian&comma; Gay&comma; Bisexual&comma; Transgender&comma; Queer<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that last week&comma; Uganda’s National Bureau for Non-governmental Organizations banned Sexual Minorities Uganda &lpar;SMUG&rpar;&comma; a prominent lesbian&comma; gay&comma; bisexual&comma; transgender&comma; and queer &lpar;LGBTQ&rpar; rights organization&comma; for not having officially registered with it&period; Before being banned&comma; SMUG had provided education on sexuality and advocated for health services for LGBTQ people since 2004&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Frank Mugisha&comma; SMUG’s director&comma; informed Human Rights Watch that in 2016 the country’s name registration body&comma; the Uganda Registration Services Bureau &lpar;URSB&rpar;&comma; had refused to approve SMUG’s name – which is a requirement to register as a non governmental organization&period; URSB said that registering SMUG’s name would be &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;undesirable and un-registrable” for a group that advocates for the rights and well-being of <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;africa-newsroom&period;com&sol;">LGBTQ<&sol;a> people&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;This is just the latest example of harassment and restrictions against Ugandan rights groups&comma; especially those working on LGBTQ rights&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;In recent years&comma; police have raided gay-friendly bars and shelters for homeless LGBTQ youth&comma; and arrested activists&comma; subjecting them to forced anal examinations – a form of cruel&comma; degrading&comma; and inhuman treatment that can&comma; in some instances&comma; constitute torture&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;In March 2020&comma; police and local residents raided the Children of the Sun Foundation&comma; a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth in Wakiso&period; They beat and arrested 23 people&period; Twenty residents of the shelter were detained by police for over six weeks and were denied access to lawyers&period; In May 2021&comma; police raided a private celebration at another youth shelter in Wakiso and arrested 44 people&comma; initially accusing them of holding a same-sex wedding&period; Police subjected 17 of the accused to forced anal examinations&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;In August 2021&comma; the National Bureau for Non-governmental Organizations indefinitely suspended 54 civil society groups without due process&comma; further restricting the work of rights groups in the country&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;The Ugandan government should allow SMUG to operate&period; Instead of harassing and intimidating LGBTQ rights organizations&comma; it should create an environment that supports the important work they do&comma; and respect their right to free association in line with international standards&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;<strong>Source&colon; APO Group<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;