- South Africans swarmed the capital cities of Pretoria and Cape town, last weekend protesting Uganda’s verdict on the LGBTQ community.
- The protesters who aired the protests on several social media platforms called on Ugandas President Yoweri K Museveni to call off the ban.
- South Africa has been at the forefront of policies aimed at safeguarding the welfare of the gay community even as more intense homophobic perils surge in Africa.
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A crowd of South Africans swarmed the streets of Pretoria and Cape Town to protest Uganda’s new controversial law concerning the LGBTQ+ community on Monday.
During their riots that were broadcasted on social media platforms, South Africans Gay supporters called on Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni, not to sign off on the law.
According to Reuters, there were about 100 at the demonstration at Pretoria, which took place outside the United Nations Information Centre. Papa De DeLovie Kwagala, one of the protesters on the scene, and Uganda
World leaders should put pressure on Museveni to not sign the bill because it’s not only a Ugandan issue, it is an African continent issue.”
Earlier in March, Uganda lawmakers enacted a law that would make it criminal for people to candidly claim to be affiliated with the LGBTQ+ community. Although Uganda is one of the numerous African countries that have declared same-sex relationships illicit, it would be the first country to legally ban identifying as LGBTQ+.
If it is set in motion, Uganda’s new law will subject members of the LGBTQ+ to closer scrutiny, and life imprisonment. The East African country’s legislature will also target people who aid and abet homosexuality
South Africa has had a long history of LGBTQ+ activism. In 1994, it became the first country in Africa—and the fifth in the world—to legalize same-sex marriage. In spite of its early flagship, South African LGBTQ+ members also face discrimination and violence.
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of protests by the LGBTQ+ community in South Africa. In 2021, members of the community spoke out about the increasing homophobic attacks that they were receiving.
