Months after a brutal attack intended to kill him, and the aftermath captured in a video shared on his Instagram account, Ugandan human rights activist Steven Kabuye recently took to the platform to show the terrifying results. In a candid video, Kabuye bears his scars, one running along the back of his forearm, and the other on his abdomen. “Marks that will never leave my body, embroiled on the stomach and left arm,” the caption read. “These scars should remind everyone how the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 has legalized homophobia in Uganda. Up to today, justice hasn’t been served. All I get from the Ugandan government is more threats to my life.”
Kabuye is lucky to be alive. Previous attacks on suspected homosexuals in the East African country have left victims critically wounded or dead. In 2011, as the first iteration of the anti-Gay bill was in the making, human rights campaigner David Kato was bludgeoned to death in his home, weeks after he had won a case against Ugandan tabloid the Rolling Stone. The tabloid, in a vicious homo-hysteria campaign, had pictured Kato in the front page of an issue with the headline “Hang Then,” calling for the killing of homosexuals in Uganda.
The death sent shockwaves through the human rights community in Uganda and internationally. Homophobic rhetoric had overtly turned murderous, with many in the Ugandan public thirsty for the blood of homosexuals. Fifteen years after a bill introduced by Ugandan MP David Bahati, which called for life imprisonment and the death penalty for “repeat offenders,” Uganda is well and truly in the throes of a human rights crisis. Those who choose to flee Uganda are exposed to persecution and death while trying to secure refugee status in countries like Kenya, reports show.
“This should act as an example of why homophobic politicians and religious leaders in Uganda should be held accountable for their deeds,” Kabuye further wrote, calling for justice that he, and many like him in Uganda are seemingly unlikely to get. Despite capturing the harrowing moments after the attack, and subsequent treatment and recovery extensively on social media, many continue to question the authenticity of Kabuye’s experience.
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Among those who accused Kabuye of crying wolf, the Ugandan Police Spokesman claimed that Kabuye had stabbed himself, while others on X (formerly Twitter) claimed Kabuye’s injuries had been photoshopped. The lack of empathy shown to Kabuye, and other LGBTQIA+ Ugandans who have faced similar attacks and have had to flee, is the culmination of a nearly 20-year hate campaign led by Western evangelical leaders and conservatives. After losing the Gay Rights fight in their own backyard to progressive legislation, said faith leaders exported homophobia to the rest of the world, waging far more successful campaigns in Africa and Eastern Europe, where Gay hysteria has been gathering momentum over the years.
“They’re taking on to themselves to scapegoat LGBTQI+ Ugandans whenever they’re questioned and corruption and the embezzlement of public funds thus influencing hate in the majority. On the other hand, religious leaders are preaching on how it is okay to kill the gays,” Kabuye notes. Led by Scott Lively, religious and political leaders in Uganda have not only created an environment of intolerance but one where violence against perceived gays is encouraged.
“Political leaders and religious leaders in Uganda are funded by extremist groups from the USA like Family Watch International to spread and promote homophobia in Uganda. Also, the Anti Homosexuality Act 2023 legalized Homophobia in Uganda.” Family Watch International is also credited with leading the charge in the anti-Gay campaign in Russia in recent years, a campaign that saw LGBT organizations in the country outlawed as terror groups, leading to mass arrests of LGBTQIA+ individuals.
As it stands now, Uganda still stands to lose billions in withdrawn future funding from international monetary organizations, a forfeit characterized as worthwhile by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, despite the East African nation’s reliance on financial aid. Wealthy political leaders in the country insulated from the effects of slashing such funding will allow regular Ugandans to pay a hefty price to perpetuate state-sponsored homophobia. Kabuye, however, warns that it is not time to give up on fighting for equality in Uganda.
“Continue supporting CSOs that help with the LGBTQIA+ Ugandans. Do not stop adding a voice to the plea of the LGBTQIA+ Ugandans. Hold Homophobic Ugandan politicians accountable.”
Photos: Courtesy of Steven Kabuye, Designed by Freepik.com
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