16 gay activists arrested in uganda on gay sex suspicions

In Uganda, 16 LGBTQ+ activists have been arrested on suspicion of gay sex, according to The Guardian. Fellow activists worry that their arrest marks an escalation of homophobic rhetoric and state-sanctioned anti-queer violence in the African nation.

All 16 men were arrested by police at the office of a sexual health charity, where they all worked and lived. A spokesman for the police said on Thursday that officers found lubricants, condoms, and antiretroviral drugs on site. Additionally, they conducted dehumanizing medical examinations on each of the men, concluding, “Based on the medical examination report, it was established that the suspects were involved in sexual acts punishable under the penal code,” said a police spokesman, Patrick Onyango.

Gay sex in Uganda carries the possible penalty of life in jail. Earlier this month, a minster introduced the idea of enforcing the death penalty for gay sex.

“The 16 activists have been held by police for over 48 hours, forced to undergo anal examinations. We are expecting them to be produced before court today,” said Frank Mugisha, the executive director of Sexual Minorities Uganda.