Search
  1. Home
  2. East Africa
  3. Uganda

Gays and lesbians sidelined in AIDS campaigns

    JOHANNESBURG

    Discrimination against HIV-positive gay men and women is contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS in Uganda, according to local AIDS activists.

    Rubaramira Ruranga from the National Guidance and Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS warned that successes against the pandemic could come to naught if anti-AIDS campaigns did not recognise the gay community.

    The local New Vision newspaper quoted Ruranga as saying, "I don't agree with homosexuality, but it's totally naive to deny that the gay community is here. These people [homosexuals] are spreading the disease deliberately because they have to hide from a misplaced and stupid law."

    Homosexuality is a punishable offence in terms of section 145 of the country's penal code.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join