“Something evil has been put into society. We would be attacked, we would not be safe, Uganda is not safe”, says Diane, a young Ugandan woman forced to flee the country due to the LGBTQ violence. After friends rummaged through her phone, she and her partner were outed. Her partner’s father and two other men broke into their houses, beat them unconscious, and locked them in their homes for days. It was not until they contacted friends from the LGBTQ community that they were saved. Eventually, they were forced to flee the country, as they were unable to move around in the daytime in fear of being caught by the man-hunt out for them. This is just one example of over 300 suspected human rights violations targeted against homosexuals since the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was passed in May 2023.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ bills to date. The bill criminalizing same-sex conduct was approved by Parliament with a large majority, paving the way for Museveni to sign it into law shortly after. The anti-LGBTQ Act suppresses civil liberties and utilizes scapegoating to promote the power of authoritarian leaders.
What is the bill?
Since independence, Uganda’s politics have been characterized by strongman rule, human rights violations, and conflict, and Uganda has been in armed conflict with four out of five neighbors. In 1986, Yoweri Museveni’s forces eventually won a rebel battle against former leader Milton Obote and took power. Since then, Museveni remains in power, becoming Uganda’s longest-running leader. He has since opposed multiple human rights violations through torture, harassment, and police brutality, and recently by bringing the anti-LGBTQ bill into power. The bill outlaws gay marriage, punishes same-sex acts with life imprisonment, and allows the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” which includes homosexuality among ‘vulnerable people’ or people with disabilities. Lawmakers claim the bill is necessary because homosexuality is “un-African,” framing it as a threat to their culture and nation.
The bill punishes anyone who “promotes homosexuality”. Anyone advocating for the rights of LGBTQ people or reporting on LGBTQ matters faces up to 20 years in prison. Ugandans are required to report any suspicious act of homosexuality, demanding them to out their friends and neighbors. The bill also threatens landlords with up to seven years of imprisonment if they knowingly rent to homosexuals. All of these statutes are leaving LGBTQ people homeless and afraid. This bill expands on the existing 2014 Anti-Homosexuality Act, which increased political violence, extortion, arbitrary arrests, loss of employment, and discrimination evictions by landlords against LGBTQ.
How is this democratic backsliding?
This is an example of democratic backsliding on many accounts. First, it is a curtailing of civil liberties. Robert Dahl claims that, for a polyarchy to exist, there must be the protection of basic civil liberties. These include freedom of speech, association, and assembly. The Ugandan government imprisons groups that come together to protest government policy or support its victims, also known as restrictions on the freedom of assembly. When an erosion of civil liberties occurs, democracy begins to erode even if there are free and fair elections.
Next, this bill controls the media. In Zakarias’s “Illiberal Democracy,” illiberal democracies appear when institutions start to become constrained. By limiting institutions such as the media or judiciary, the government loses its accountability. People become miseducated and misinformed, as government control of the media leads to amplification and dissemination of demagogic rhetoric. Ugandas Anti-LGBTQ bill imprisons journalists who report on LGBTQ issues and weaponizes media to push anti-gay rhetoric. Restriction of the media is another example of scapegoating.
The reason this bill was created is not necessarily due to deep-seated homophobia. Political leaders target victims for political gain, known as scapegoating, the second reason this bill is an example of democratic backsliding. Scapegoating diverts citizens from corruption happening within the government. In May 2023, Uganda arrested multiple journalists on claims of “offensive communication,” opposition leader Kizza Besigye and six other politicians, and four activists. Museveni blatantly violated democratic rules by arresting opposition and protestors, but by passing the bill, people looked past the corruption happening among leaders. In creating a common enemy, Museveni pushed the blame for his own political corruption onto the LGBTQ community, and due to a lack of education and high rates of misinformation, the people believed him.
Not only does scapegoating push the blame on the LGBTQ community, but it also creates a level of fear. Political demagogues, such as Museveni, rely on persuasive communication to maintain power by exploiting public fears, grievances, prejudices, and driving polarization. When Museveni, a leader seen as legitimate to Ugandans, passes an official legal bill, citizens are going to believe the content of the bill. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill states homosexuals are dangerous and a threat to the culture. It creates a level of panic that there are enemies amongst their own. Museveni then uses populist appeals to frame himself as the savior of the people; protecting them from the “Western infiltration of homosexuals.”
However, Museveni is not entirely wrong about Western infiltration. Since colonialism, the Evangelical church has been the head of the homophobic movement, implementing conversion camps, leading the 2009 bill “Kill the Gays” which implemented the death penalty, and spreading rhetoric claiming gays are “recruiting” and “out to get children”. Yet it is the perpetuation by Ugandan officials that curtails civil liberties and uses weak spots in civil society for political boosts.
How do we solve this issue? If Museveni uses tactics to limit education and opposition, he is more likely to maintain power. A way to a strong democracy is through a vibrant civil society. People are more likely to oppose autocratic governments if they know the government is manipulating them. When people are allowed to organize, share opposing views, and oppose the government, democracy flourishes as those in power are held accountable. Promoting civil society through policy could be one way to reverse Western and Ugandan homophobia.
I think it is very interesting how there is a repeated pattern between democratic erosion and the downfall of the “vibrant civil society” that you have discussed in your post. I think. you did a great job on correlating the two and showing how this common tactic that many authoritarian or corrupt leaders tend to lean toward. By placing a vulnerable population into this position where they are scapegoated for all the issues within a country allows the distraction from the corrupt actions the government are enacting. Even more so when there is already existing biases against these population allowing these biases to grow even more and ultimately endangering those who identify with the population.
It is also interesting how the LGBTQ+ population is viewed as influenced from the West showing the extreme biases that the Ugandan government is preying on as it seems that they have a more traditional conservative society. This is another common tactic where countries that tend to backslide on democracy blame influence from the West and the need to return to more traditional morals. Even though countries like the US is blamed in this process, it is interesting how there are conservative thinkers in the US that also believe the US should return to conservative traditional values even as other countries blame the West as a whole for the liberal influence.
The situation in Uganda, as you’ve described in your post, is undeniably upsetting. Diane’s harrowing experience and the broader context of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill exemplifies the alarming democratic backsliding in the country. Diane’s forced departure from Uganda after a violent attack due to coming out about her LGBTQ identity highlights the personal toll of this repressive legislation. President Museveni’s approval of one of the world’s strictest anti-LGBTQ bills reflects a calculated move to suppress civil liberties, utilizing scapegoating as a tool to consolidate authoritarian power. Looking at this through the lens of democratic backsliding, it becomes evident that the erosion of civil liberties is a key aspect. The curtailing of freedom of speech, association, and assembly, as highlighted by Robert Dahl, poses a significant threat to the democratic foundation, even in the presence of seemingly fair elections. The control exerted over the media echoes the characteristics of illiberal democracies, aligning with the notion that limiting institutions leads to a decline in accountability. The scapegoating of the LGBTQ community serves a dual purpose, diverting attention from political corruption and arresting opposition figures.
This scapegoating not only shifts blame onto the LGBTQ community but also instills fear, contributing to the perpetuation of misinformation and discrimination. The exploitation of public fears and prejudices creates a cycle that undermines democratic values. Great topic and amazing blog post it’s very appealing and I enjoyed reading about Diane’s courageous story.
Hi Liv,
This post was really informative as I was unaware the situation was this bad for LGBTQ+ individuals in Uganda. I liked how you connected the actions by Museveni and this bill to democratic concepts defined in the course. I agree that targeting LGBTQ+ individuals in this case is scapegoating as Museveni is targeting victims for political gain. This reminds me of Hitler’s actions as leader of Germany and how he used Jewish, disabled, and LGBTQ+ people as scapegoats to promote his nationalistic views. I like you suggestion about how promoting civil society could reverse this homophobia in Uganda. When Museveni eventually leaves his position of power, it will be interesting to see how many of these values are actually engrained in Ugandan society now and how much of it was just Museveni pushing this anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda.
Hi Liv! I think the structure of your blog post was excellent, as it provides context to Ugandan politics, uplifts the voices of the victims of anti-LGBTQ+ policy, and analyzes the effects of Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ+ policy on democracy. I found your mentioning of scapegoating to be very important. Not only does Museveni blame queer people for problems in Uganda, but he also blames the West. I think that this rhetoric of an “out group” threatening the well being of the “in group” is incredibly dangerous, but it is also incredibly effective. In this case specifically, I think that this rhetoric is effective because the Ugandan people are, of course, wary of many things that come from the West due to colonization. Musevini was thus able to not only exploit fears of colonization, but he was also able to exploit fears of queer people threatening Ugandan culture and society. I think it would be really interesting to discuss what conditions allow for leaders like Musevini to scapegoat certain groups of people.
** As in what conditions (such as existing homophobia or fears of colonization) in other countries allow for leaders to scapegoat groups of people.
Hi Liv!
Before reading your post I hadn’t thought about exclusionary bills especially against LGBTQ+ populations as means of scapegoating and therefore democratic erosion. I thought it was really interesting how the post explained both the scapegoating through cultural explanations and human rights abuses of the bill and then connected that to the erosion of democracy in Uganda. I also liked how you connected these two aspects to different literature on democratic backsliding, this made your points very clear and well-organized. I wonder what the extent of Catholicism and colonialism was on the culture that allowed this decision to be implemented, and I also wonder how civil society could remedy this cultural backlash and discrimination.
This post also made me think about the Polish case where the populist government enacted “LGBTQ-free zones” and banned abortion, yet they did not have the popular support behind the issues so they were not able to remain in power. I think that this is one way that civil society could fight back against the authoritarian leaders in Uganda to demonstrate that the oppressive legislation is not supported by the people.
Amazing post! I learned a lot!
Liv, your powerful blog post on the Ugandan Anti-LGBTQ Bill exposes the severe human rights violations and democratic backsliding in Uganda. Your inclusion of personal accounts, like Diane’s experience, humanizes the impact of this oppressive legislation to your readers. As a queer woman myself, I find your post exceptionally important in shedding light on the dire consequences of anti-LGBTQ legislation, not only for individual lives but for the democratic fabric of a nation. The atrocities faced by the LGBTQ+ community in Uganda, from violence and imprisonment to forced exile, underscore the urgent need for global awareness and advocacy against such oppressive measures.
Your exploration of the bill’s provisions, from criminalizing same-sex conduct to punishing those advocating LGBTQ rights, paints a stark picture of the erosion of civil liberties. (I immediately connected this to Dahl’s concept of protecting basic liberties, so I am glad you did too). The threat of imprisonment for journalists reporting on LGBTQ+ issues and landlords renting to homosexuals further is abhorrent and further exemplifies how this is an attack on people’s fundamental freedoms. The suppression of freedom of assembly and the control of media, as highlighted by Zakarias’s concept of illiberal democracy, deepens our understanding of how institutions are being constrained, leading to a loss of accountability.
I also found the concept of scapegoating to be a strong part of your analysis. Museveni’s manipulation of public fears and prejudices through populist appeals echoes the dangerous tactics employed by demagogues to consolidate power. Your call for promoting civil society as a means to counteract these oppressive measures is a crucial step toward fostering a vibrant democracy. Empowering people to organize, share opposing views, and hold the government accountable is fundamental to challenging autocratic regimes. Overall, your blog post serves as a powerful testament to the urgency of addressing anti-LGBTQ legislation, not only for the sake of basic individual freedoms to love and happiness, but as a pivotal element in safeguarding democratic principles.
Liv, I found that your blog post offers an enlightening look into the recent decriminalization of homosexuality within Uganda. Your post was able to weave together individual stories and legislative details, which I felt created an all-encompassing portrayal of the human impact of oppressive policies. The post shows pretty clear links between the actions being perpetrated by Museveni and his party and democratic backsliding. You also showed off your reading chops citing Dahl’s principles on civil liberties and Zakarias’s insights on illiberal democracies. The only critique I’d have is that I think that a few more sentences on the Evangelical Church and its role in this policy being passed would’ve been enlightening. Overall, a commendable piece offering profound insights into a pressing human rights issue.
Hi Liv, I thought your post was really powerful. I like how you started with a personal account that really emphasized the dangers faced by LGTBQ+ individuals in Uganda. Museveni’s usage of homophobic legislation aids his erosion of democracy across many fronts, from scapegoating to creation of an ‘out group’ that polarizes society to media repression and misinformation. This legislation allows multiple avenues along which he can continue to erode the fabric of democracy. Museveni’s creation of a common enemy in the LGBTQ+ also serves to consolidate power through a populist appeal; he can frame himself as a savior protecting Uganda from the threat of Western infiltration. Manipulation of public sentiment in this way illustrates how political leaders exploit weak spots in civil society for political gains, contributing to erosion of democracy. The exploitation of these weak points in civil society also serves to strengthen your argument– a stronger, more vibrant civil society is able to resist populist rhetoric and demagoguery as well as polarization much better. Another solution for this issue in Uganda could be organized dissent and opposition to Museveni. If people are empowered to recognize and call out manipulative tactics, they may be able to curb impending autocracy.
Liv,
This is a very strong and intriguing blog post, and it is horrifying to imagine a life where one cannot be themself in their own country. I specifically found intriguing your description of an encounter that actually happened in Uganda to a LGBTQ+ couple. It makes me curious about what will happen in America if Trump is elected president, as Musevini was able to get away with passing something so harsh and cruel to humans. A common theme, unfortunately, of countries that are anti-democratic, is to legitimatize these cruel rules with a religion or way of life. It is especially concerning that the LGBTQ+ community in Uganda is seen as a “threat to the nation” and that punihsments are for both LGBTQ+ people and allies.
The erosion of this state is incredibly concerning, and I absolutely agree with you that this case is an example of democratic backsliding. People are misinformed about what is truly happening in their country because of the lawmaker’s ability to manipulate and control the lack of education in Uganda. I am wondering what you would say if you went farther on Western infiltration and what impact this has on bills like this one? Additionally, what tactics does Musevini use to limit things like education and media? I think you are right, that promoting civil society through policy could positively impact Ugandan homophobia, but this does not quite yet seem viable. What steps could be taken in order to combat this significant problem in Uganda that dehumanizes? I found your blog post intriguing and it has me asking many questions about Ugandan society and culture.
I find it intriguing how you’ve linked democratic decline with the weakening of vibrant civil society, revealing a common strategy employed by authoritarian leaders. By making vulnerable groups scapegoats, governments divert attention from their corrupt deeds, worsening existing biases and endangering those targeted. In Uganda, for instance, the LGBTQ+ community is depicted as influenced by Western ideas, exploiting conservative sentiments to suppress civil liberties.
The situation in Uganda, as depicted in your post, is profoundly troubling. The struggles of individuals like Diane, facing violence and forced exile due to their LGBTQ+ identity, highlight the dire consequences of oppressive laws. President Museveni’s endorsement of strict anti-LGBTQ measures reflects a calculated move to stifle civil liberties and consolidate power, exposing the erosion of democratic values. Your exploration of these themes, coupled with the plea to bolster civil society as a defense against oppression, strikes a chord and underscores the significance of advocacy in upholding democratic ideals.