Ugandan travel officials insist country is still safe for gay tourists
Tourism officials from Uganda have insisted that gay tourists should still feel safe in the country.
According to SoSoGay, delegates from the Ugandan Tourism board recently met with the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association to address concerns about rising homophobic sentiment in the country, following attempts to restore its anti-gay law.
IGLTA President John Tanzella told the website: “The delegation said that gay people are welcome.
“They were very concerned about the perception of Uganda in Western Europe and North America, and claimed that the backlash caught them by surprise.
“No-one thought it would pass. The delegates all pointed out that they have friends and family who are gay.”
Mr Tanzella added that Uganda is not welcome to join IGLTA, and would have to go through a “process of education” before being eligible for membership.
The author of Uganda’s anti-gay law has given notice that he will reintroduce a revised version during this parliamentary session, after the country’s Constitutional Court struck down the original Anti-Homosexuality Act last month.
The new version of the law is likely to tackle the “promotion” of homosexuality, after President Yoweri Museveni reportedly asked for an amendment to avoid targeting “consenting homosexuals”.
The homophobic Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament was dropped from an event taking place today in London, following complaints by human rights campaigners.
