United Nations: Tabloids publishing lists ‘exposing’ gay people shows danger of Uganda’s anti-gay law
The United Nations has hit out at the publication of a list of the “200 top” gay people by a Ugandan tabloid, to say it shows the danger of a newly-introduced anti-gay law.
The list of 200 people features prominent gay rights activist Pepe Julian Onziema, a hip-hop artist and a Catholic priest.
It nodded to a 2011 report by a now closed newspaper which called for the execution of gay people.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights put out a statement condeming the list.
It said: “The publication by a newspaper in Uganda of the names and photos of people it claims are homosexual not only violates the right to privacy, it also demonstrates the very real danger that the new anti-homosexuality law will encourage acts of violence and harassment against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”
The law calls for repeat offenders to be sentenced to 14 years in prison and makes it a criminal offence not to report someone for being gay.
Sweden has also said it will review its aid spending.
