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.