Uganda Gay Rights Activist Murdered

Protest at Uganda House, New York, against the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Copyright Kaytee Riek.

In a tragic update to a posting several weeks ago regarding gay rights in Africa, a leading activist in Uganda was horrifically murdered yesterday. According to several news sources,

“David Kato, the advocacy officer for Sexual Minorities Uganda, was bludgeoned to death in Mukono, Kampala, yesterday afternoon.”

Mr. Kato was instrumental in a successful law suit brought against the Ugandan newspaper Rolling Stone to force it to stop printing names, addresses and pictures of LGBT persons in Uganda.  Mr. Kato was also a leading voice lobbying against a bill still pending in Parliament to punish those accused of homosexuality with death.

We mourn Mr. Kato’s tragic death. The human rights community lost a courageous defender yesterday.

Update: Send a message of solidarity to Uganda’s LGBT Rights Coalition. Let’s let them know they are not alone.

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8 thoughts on “Uganda Gay Rights Activist Murdered

  1. Sad example of what's going on in many places of the world. Let's use this to make people be aware of the situation, let's not forget him.

  2. Sad example of what’s going on in many places of the world. Let’s use this to make people be aware of the situation, let’s not forget him.

  3. There are so many gay people dying every day in Africa. It's so sad that the missionaries are teaching Africans how to destroy ourselves. One Afrrican against another. African people need to start to build our own coalition to fight agains this injustice. We cannot sit back and wait for Westerners to tell us how to do it. In Africa, gays have existed for millions and millions of years. This is not new. To change this situation, African people, especially those who are celebrity and role models, like sports figures and musicians, must speak out against the persecution of gay people whether they are gay or not. Once those popular figures who are straight people start to speak to Africans, then the politicians will jump on board pretty quick. It is so important, though, for us to remember that this is not a fight just for gay Africans, this matters to all Africans who care about living in a just and equal world without discrimination of any kind.

  4. There are so many gay people dying every day in Africa. It’s so sad that the missionaries are teaching Africans how to destroy ourselves. One Afrrican against another. African people need to start to build our own coalition to fight agains this injustice. We cannot sit back and wait for Westerners to tell us how to do it. In Africa, gays have existed for millions and millions of years. This is not new. To change this situation, African people, especially those who are celebrity and role models, like sports figures and musicians, must speak out against the persecution of gay people whether they are gay or not. Once those popular figures who are straight people start to speak to Africans, then the politicians will jump on board pretty quick. It is so important, though, for us to remember that this is not a fight just for gay Africans, this matters to all Africans who care about living in a just and equal world without discrimination of any kind.

  5. Disgusting. People are becoming more and more worthless. I believe in human and animal rights. No one should EVER murder an activist. This is terrible.

  6. Disgusting. People are becoming more and more worthless. I believe in human and animal rights. No one should EVER murder an activist. This is terrible.

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