Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act and Its U.S. Influence

By Safia Hasan

Last year the Ugandan Parliament passed one of the harshest anti-LGBTQ laws in the world, known as the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA). As a result, the law has faced backlash, though, aspects of this response have also been critiqued.

Following the passing of the law, the World Bank announced it would suspend lending to Uganda. This includes the $5.4 billion in loans and grants to Uganda which support smallholder farmers, women entrepreneurs, refugees, infrastructural development, and health facilities for HIV/AIDS care and maternal health services [1]. The World Bank explained its decision to suspend funding by stating that the AHA is “not consistent with the values of non-discrimination and inclusion that the institution upholds” [2]. However, the World Bank’s decision to withhold essential funds from Ugandan citizens aggravates their economic conditions and endangers treatment during an HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The World Bank should instead place responsibility on the Western anti-LGBTQ extremist groups, which have lobbied for strict anti-LGBTQ laws in sub-Saharan countries like Uganda. Many U.S.based right-wing Christian organizations have been influencing sexual politics in Africa by drafting policies and supporting the election of lawmakers to enact restrictive laws on abortion, LGBTQ rights, and contraception [3]. By 2014 evangelical nongovernmental organizations accounted for 20% of all nonprofit groups in Uganda and held $2 billion in wealth [4]. For example, the Catholic group Human Life International hosts conferences, distributes literature, and establishes relationships with African politicians and religious figures to propagate its position against abortion, stem-cell research, and contraception [3]. The Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, Frank Mugisha, stated Family Watch International was highly influential in the creation of Uganda’s legislation of the AHA [1].

Though homophobia may exist is African countries without external influences, U.S. evangelical groups have enabled anti-gay movements to become well-funded, powerful, and deeply embedded in public life [3]. Approximately 20 U.S.-based Christian organizations known for their campaigns against LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive healthcare spent around $54 million in Africa between 2007 and 2020 [1].

Rather than withdrawing essential aid that supports public health services and agricultural development in countries, efforts should focus on reforming NGO regulations that have allowed Western evangelical groups to significantly influence governments and public opinion. Evangelical NGOs in Uganda are now larger and better funded than most secular aid organizations, accounting for more than one-fifth of all NGOs in the country [3]. Evangelical groups, compared to secular NGOs, maintain close ties with Ugandan government leaders, enabling them to solidify their influence in the country. They are granted NGO status and permitted to apply for development aid, access credit schemes, enjoy tax-free status, and receive government funding, even if they do not directly address pressing social issues [5]. Meanwhile, secular NGOs are placed under heavier restrictions and cannot engage on political or advocacy-based issues [5].

As the Ugandan government relies on funding from evangelical organizations and legislates according to the ideology of the groups, less emphasis is placed on addressing systemic issues within public institutions or alleviating poverty directly. Therefore, it is essential for international donors and policymakers to establish stricter oversight and accountability measures for NGO funding, ensuring resources are directed toward organizations that promote inclusive development and uphold universal human rights. By prioritizing investments in public institutions and grassroots initiatives that tackle systemic poverty and inequality, the global community can support sustainable progress without enabling agendas that undermine social cohesion and individual freedoms.

Works Cited