Research conducted by Amnesty International reveals widespread patterns of online violence against Uganda’s LGBTQIA community
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGE BY PEXELS
Online attacks against the LGBTQIA community in Uganda have drastically increased, according to a new report by Amnesty International. These attacks, which include blackmailing, outing and threats of physical violence, follow last year’s passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Act and a persecution of LGBTQIA individuals in what some have called a “witch-hunt”.
The report reveals patterns of online violence against the LGBTQIA people in Uganda are becoming more widespread. Amnesty conducted their research across six Ugandan cities and neighbouring areas, and all saw an increase in doxing, outing, threats of violence, blackmailing, impersonation, hacking and disinformation.
This online violence has been encouraged and condoned by state authorities. Following the implementation of the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, a climate of impunity for attacks against the LGBTQIA community has been fostered. There have also been numerous cases in which members of the police force have used social media platforms to connect with LGBTQIA people before blackmailing them and threatening physical violence and arrest. This has decreased the number of people willing to report gender and sexuality based online violence to the police, and in the cases where they have, these individuals have often been subjected to further humiliation.
Shreshtha Das, Amnesty International’s Gender Researcher, said: “The stigma, violence, and discrimination [the Ugandan LGBTQIA community] face in offline spaces has been mirrored and amplified in digital spaces.”
Das highlighted some of the offline consequences online violence is having in Uganda. These include arbitrary arrests, torture, forced evictions, dismissal from work and both mental and physical health problems. LGBTQIA organisations in Uganda rely on social media to share information about sexual health services, but many have had to shut these pages down as they fear a suspension of their registration, which could be enforced if they are accused of “promoting homosexuality”.
Marco Perolini, Amnesty International’s Civic Space Policy Advisor, added: “Instead of adopting policies to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence, the Ugandan authorities have clamped down on human rights defenders and organisations, placing discriminatory restrictions on their work. Their acts amount to a witch-hunt against those perceived as “promoting homosexuality”, creating a chilling effect on the rights to freedom of expression and association.”
Amnesty is calling on the Ugandan Parliament to immediately repeal the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 and other laws that criminalise acts and behaviours that disproportionately impact LGBTQIA people.
The authorities must also establish an independent mechanism to conduct effective, prompt, impartial, and independent investigations into allegations of technology-facilitated gender-based violence and other human rights violations committed against LGBTQIA people.
DIVA magazine celebrates 30 years in print in 2024. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.
