Examining characteristics making up relationships between sexual minorities and larger society in 14 urban settings of Uganda 2008-2010
Introduction:
Homophobia in Uganda is in form of deaths, evictions and rejection of gay persons. Even within the gay community, trans persons are facing different fears. This report shows these homophobic tendencies in Uganda.
Methods:
Data was gathered qualitatively and was limited to 132 respondents;
95 LGBT, 12 questioning persons, 5 bisexual women and 20 bisexual men
in 14 urban settings. A standard questionnaire was administered once
a year for 3 years to generate responses on: Rent payments, seeking
health care, re-filling sexual/reproductive health consumables,
involvement in community activities, appearances at “gay”
functions, job security, anecdotal stories, and references to
activities involving same sex sexual relations. At the same period, a
standard key-informant guide was administered to 28 shop-owners, 14
local leaders and 24 motor-bike transporters to elicit relation to
“homosexuals” in their communities.
Results:
The questionnaire revealed: 52 (22-45 years) were dis-owned by their
immediate families because of their sexual-orientation. Of these 52,
30 are Trans persons. Of these 30 Trans persons, 23 faced abuse by
the hands of partners. 30 (20-43 years) reported past verbal abuses
by community members. 13 (25-32 years) were assaulted. 89 respondents
had their own places of residence. But only 10 (22-42 years) had
stayed in their places of residence for more than 5 years without any
interruptions or interferences in that given community. 8 (20-54
years) said owners of shops where they buy household commodities were
courteous, 63 reported verbal abuses and near-lynch threats
immediately following media “homosexuality” headlines, 54 had
been blackmailed in the past 3 years. All 64 key-informants (35-65
years) knew gay people staying in their community but had them
evicted.
Conclusion:
homophobic contexts in Uganda are an impediment for productive life
for gay persons in Uganda.
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