Ugandan appeals court upholds ruling that blocked LGBTQ group from registering
A Ugandan appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling that prevented an LGBTQ rights group from legally registering in the country.
The Uganda Registration Services Bureau in 2012 refused to legally recognize Sexual Minorities Uganda. The Uganda High Court upheld the decision in 2018, and SMUG appealed it to the country’s Registrar Court of Appeal. “The LGBTQ community views this ruling as a missed opportunity to address the suppression of their freedom of association, instead focusing on perceived societal norms,” said SMUG in a press release. “It underscores a recurring trend in Ugandan courts, wherein rights of LGBTQ persons are marginalized, further widening the gap between legal protections and lived realities and experiences.” Katie Hultquist of Outright International in a post to her X account described the ruling as “illegal.” SMUG Executive Director Frank Mugisha said his organization is “fully committed to elevating this challenge to the next level.” “After thorough debriefing, we will communicate our next strategic steps,” said Mugisha. “This ruling doesn’t faze us.” The appeals court issued its ruling less than a year after President Yoweri Museveni signed the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, which contains a death penalty provision for “aggravated homosexuality.” The Constitutional Court in December heard arguments in a lawsuit that challenges the law.
It is not clear when a ruling will be issued. The post Ugandan appeals court upholds ruling that blocked LGBTQ group from registering appeared first on Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News.
