Police in Uganda have arrested and detained two women on suspicion of engaging in homosexual acts, in violation of the country’s anti-gay laws.
The women were arrested on February 18 in Arua, a city in northwestern Uganda, after neighbors claimed they were often seen kissing in public.
Musicians Wendy Faith, 22, known as Torero Bae, and Alesi Diana Dennis, 21, were detained after police raided their rented room.
“We received information from the community that the suspects were seen kissing in broad daylight and engaging in strange and unusual behavior that appeared to be sexual in nature,” West Nile Regional Police spokeswoman Josephine Angusia said. guardian In a statement.
“Furthermore, it is said that a large number of women usually gather at the suspect’s residence. Based on the information, the police arrested two female suspects on suspicion of homosexual acts,” Angusia added.
Angusia said. Associated Press Officers allegedly caught the couple “red-handed on the cement floor” during the raid.
The women have since been released on bail and have not been charged, but the investigation continues.
Under the anti-homosexuality law passed in 2023, anyone found guilty of homosexual relations will be sentenced to life in prison. Those found guilty of “aggravated sodomy” (defined as incidents involving same-sex relations or coercion with an HIV-infected person) could face the death penalty.
Those found guilty of “attempted sodomy” face up to 14 years in prison, and those convicted of “attempted sodomy” face up to 10 years in prison.
The law also imposes up to 20 years in prison for anyone who defends or promotes LGBTQ rights, presents homosexuality as a normal sexual orientation (including members of the media), or provides a forum for such advocacy.
Same-sex acts are also criminalized under other colonial-era laws that punish relationships that violate the “order of nature.”
Human Rights Awareness Promotion Forum reported In January, it announced that since the anti-gay law was passed, it had handled 956 cases targeting LGBTQ people and 1,276 people had been charged under the law.
The detention of the women in Arua “underscores the harsh reality we face on the ground under anti-gay laws,” said Ugandan LGBTQ rights activist Frank Mugisha. “There has been a proliferation of targeted enforcement actions that go beyond simple arrests, fueling a dangerous cycle of extortion and extortion.”
“Uganda’s gay community is not just afraid right now. We are grieving. We are grieving for the freedoms we never fully had. We are grieving for two young women who did nothing wrong. We are grieving for a Uganda that we wanted to exist but doesn’t yet exist,” said Ugandan gay rights activist Hans Senhuma. guardian.
“The arrests of Wendy and Diana are not isolated incidents,” Senhuma added. “This is a loud, deliberate and brutal message to all queer people in Uganda: We are watching you and we are coming for you too.”
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
