The LGBT+ Network for Change (Network), is engaged actively in Rwanda in support to the country’s LGBT+ and LGBTQ+ communities (the ‘Q’ standing for ‘questioning’: those enroute to full self-identifications as non-heterosexual and/or non-cisgender). However, we have also a proactive record of speaking up for LGBT people in Uganda, a country that recently passed its ‘Anti-Homosexuality Act’ under the impress and direction of religious/Christian influences of fundamentalist intolerant kinds. These latter having core UK and USA far right Conservative religious fundamentalist groups/entities active involvement and strong involvement in anti-LGBT hate inspiring through comparable religious groups/entities in the Global South, especially Africa.
The Network has in the case of Uganda in particular, had frankly very disappointing experiences of engagement with the UK Government’s Foreign & Commonwealth & Development Department (FCDO) and its British High Commission (BHC) entities, such as but not limited to Uganda. Please see: https://lgbtnetwork4change.com/network-support-to-uganda-lgbt-lesbian-community-request-to-british-high-commission-kampala-regarding-ravaging-of-covid-19-in-lesbian-safe-house/.
As all know, at the end of May this year the Government of Uganda passed a vicious piece of legislation – Anti-Homosexuaity Act (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Homosexuality_Act,_2023_(Uganda).
Words — formally expressed words — the Network has received on email from the UK FCDO and BHC Kampala, of the strongest disapproval of the Ugandan Government’s open and extreme action of taking religious [Christian faith in its most extreme/intolerant form] inspired and directed persecutory hatred of non-heterosexual and gender minorities Ugandan citizens to a level comparable to anti-Jewish community hatred in Nazi Germany of the mid to late 1930s, of LGBT human rights support have in formal communications been received from the UK Government (FCDO) by the LGBT+ Network for Change.
Unfortunately in our direct communications and evidence-based experience the UK Government (FCDO) has fallen badly short in its record concerning actual effective/meaningful practical support to the Ugandan LGBT community, and, much worse has been revealed as taking a de-facto practical and ‘UK influence’ level position against Ugandan LGBT+ & LGBTQ+ community members facing a ruthless and legal and ‘on the ground’ religious fundamentalist directed and inspired ‘lynch mob’ murderous ‘culture.’
The LGBT+ Network for Change believes that such de-facto Whitehall with, effectively but not openly stated Cabinet Office and 10 Downing Street level record/choices on this very important international level Human Rights matter has for the good name of the UK now most pressing duties to take action. These transcend narrow nationalistic (even, perceived, xenophobic) ‘Brexit’ considerations – the matter concerned impacting very negatively on the good name of the UK internationally, and one that is on the global level harming the very name of ‘Britain.’ Please read more on this urgent matter at: https://lgbtnetwork4change.com/two-different-records-to-date-concerning-bills-to-ban-conversion-therapy-therapies-uk-and-republic-of-ireland/