Across much of Africa, the priority for LGBT activists is far from pushing for equal marriage, but just resisting physical violence criminal sanctions. But even in Uganda, where there is a real thread of legislation that will provide for the death penalty for those convicted, there is progress. For the second consecutive year, there has been a gay pride parade, in Entebbe. Numbers were low – but unlike last year, the police made no attempt to intervene. As one participant noted, these are only baby steps – but babies tend to grow up.
Uganda holds 2nd annual LGBT pride march without arrests
Ugandan LGBTs have marched openly for a second time in Entebbe but police did not intervene despite being given advanced notice about the egnt
05 AUGUST 2013 | BY ANDREW POTTS
LGBTs in Uganda have again marched openly in what is the country’s second only pride event.
On Saturday over a hundred people marched along a beach and through a botanical garden in the city of Entebbe but police stayed away despite organizers giving them advanced notice about the event.
Things did not go so smoothly last year when a pride event was broken up by police, with several activists being detained before being released without charge.
Activist Kelly Mukwano told the Voice of America that the Ugandan LGBT community had been given a new sense of confidence with the success of the event.
‘That success gave us confidence that we can do it,’ Mukwano said, ‘We are getting more confident as time goes by.’
Some marchers thought it would not be long before they could march openly in the nation’s capital.
‘It’s baby steps,’ one marcher said, ‘Today, we are here, miles away from Kampala … Soon we shall be on Kampala Road.’
Uganda’s state owned New Vision news agency is yet to react to the pride event in Entebbe.
Ugandan MPs have been seeking to pass legislation that would see the death penalty for gay sex for repeat offenders and people with HIV but have called for a secret ballot to prevent them from being subjected to overseas travel bans.
via Gay Star News.
