During 2013 Spectrum Uganda Initiatives Inc. provided health care and related services to Uganda’s LGBTI and HIV/AIDS community. The group reached close to 500  men with HIV/AIDS/STD prevention, treatment, care and support services across Uganda. However unfortunately with the passage of the Anti- Homosexuality Bill the future is uncertain and much of the good work is at great risk…….Threats, hateful speeches and discrimination from religious leaders and politician are increasing and resulting into insecurity to our peer educators, staff and LGBTI community, which are hampering health service delivery. When this law is enacted, we anticipate that it will get even worse.

On Friday 20th December 2013, the Parliament of Uganda decided to unwisely pass the long contested Anti-Homosexuality Bill that was introduced in October 2009 by Hon David Bahati as a private member’s bill. The grounds on which we have always contested this bill are that it is blatantly unconstitutional, is against international human rights standards, is redundant for the most part, and would wreak havoc on the fight against HIV/AIDS and other public health priorities in Uganda. Furthermore, that it would be used to strip ordinary Ugandans of their freedoms and rights. However despite our protests, the bill was passed by Parliament and is awaiting President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to sign it into law. We call on the President to reject discrimination and reject this Act.

Sexual Minorities Uganda, Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law and Spectrum Uganda condemn the arrest and detention of Sam K Ganafa and four others