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Uganda: ‘Drastic’ rise in online attacks against LGBTQ people with ‘devastating consequences’ – New report

Matte Jr
Uganda: ‘Drastic’ rise in online attacks against LGBTQ people with ‘devastating consequences’ – New report

Online attacks against Uganda’s LGBTQ communities have increased dramatically, due to overly broad laws that criminalize various aspects of LGBTQ people’s lives and entrench discrimination, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.

The report – “Everyone here has two lives and two phones”: The devastating impact of criminalization on digital spaces for LGBTQ people in Uganda – is based on research conducted in six cities in Uganda and surrounding areas, including 64 interviews with LGBTQ people and organizations.

Research reveals widespread patterns of technology-facilitated gender-based violence against LGBTQ people in Uganda. It documents cases of doxing, outing, threats of violence, blackmail, impersonation, hacking and disinformation – further marginalizing LGBTQ people, especially those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds – and highlights not only the failure of state authorities to prevent or address these abuses, but also their active role in encouraging and tolerating them, exposing LGBTQ people to serious human rights violations.

The Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023, in particular, has fostered a climate of impunity for attacks against LGBTQ people, forcing both individuals and organizations to significantly alter the way they present themselves and interact with people online.

Amnesty has documented numerous cases where police have seized devices or data from LGBTQ people, threatening them with arrest, and found cases where both police and members of the general public have used social media platforms to connect with LGBTQ people before attack with physical violence and blackmail. . Blackmail was the most prevalent form of technology-facilitated gender-based violence observed across all locations.

Shreshtha Das, gender researcher at Amnesty International, said:

“Our research shows that although LGBTQ activists and organizations have continued to use digital spaces in a very hostile environment, the stigma, violence and discrimination they face in offline spaces have been reflected and amplified in digital spaces.” violence-based violence has devastating consequences for LGBTQ people, as online targeting can result in offline consequences, including arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment, forced evictions, dismissal from work, exposure to offline violence, as well as stress, anxiety and depression. “

ONE ‘witch hunt’

LGBTQ people and organizations in Uganda rely on digital platforms to connect with their communities, share information about sexual health services, and protect their rights.

The prevalence of technology-facilitated gender-based violence has severely limited LGBTQ people’s ability to access, communicate, and gather in digital spaces, while hampering many organizations’ outreach efforts.

Those providing health services to marginalized groups have been forced to avoid advertising their services online, fearing that authorities could arbitrarily suspend their registration based on spurious accusations of “promoting homosexuality”.

Marco Perolini, Civic Space Policy Advisor at Amnesty International, said:

“Instead of adopting policies to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence, Ugandan authorities have cracked down on human rights defenders and organizations, imposing discriminatory restrictions on their work. Their actions amount to a witch hunt against those who are considered “promoters of homosexuality”, “creating a chilling effect on the rights to freedom of expression and association.”

Prejudiced laws worsen homophobia and transphobia

While technology-facilitated gender-based violence against LGBTQ individuals was already common in Uganda, its severity and prevalence have increased since the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023, which has intensified homophobic and transphobic public discourse.

All interviewees told Amnesty that they would not report technology-facilitated gender-based violence to the police due to fear of being reported, blackmailed or arrested. In the few cases where LGBTQ people reported cases, the police took no action and instead subjected them to further humiliation.

Roland Ebole, Amnesty International Uganda researcher, said:

“Today, the digital spaces that are so vital for LGBTQ people in Uganda are often no safer than offline spaces – they are experiencing discrimination and violence in both.”