Authorities in Uganda announced Tuesday that they have detained two women following allegations of public same-sex behavior, citing the nation’s strict anti-LGBTQ legislation passed last year.
The arrests took place February 18 in Arua city, located in Uganda’s northwestern region, according to official police statements. The detained individuals include a 22-year-old performer and her 21-year-old companion who is currently unemployed.
Law enforcement officials stated the women were “involved in queer and unusual acts believed to be sexual in nature, besides being allegedly seen openly kissing … in broad daylight,” with authorities claiming these alleged violations date back to last year.
Uganda’s parliament approved the Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023, moving forward despite strong opposition from Western nations and human rights organizations both domestically and internationally.
Legal experts consider this legislation among the most severe anti-LGBTQ laws globally, establishing life imprisonment as punishment for same-sex relations while authorizing capital punishment for what the law defines as “aggravated” cases.
The law’s aggravated provisions apply to individuals with previous convictions, cases involving transmission of terminal diseases through same-sex contact, or intimate relations with minors, elderly individuals, or people with disabilities.
In a related development earlier this month, Ugandan judicial authorities dismissed charges against a man who had been the first person prosecuted under the aggravated homosexuality provisions, determining he was mentally incompetent due to extended pre-trial detention.
