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On Friday, citizens of Pretoria and Cape Town marched through the streets to protest against Uganda’s newly passed law, which makes it illegal to openly identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ). The protesters, consisting of about 100 people, called on Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni not to sign the bill.
This law would be the first of its kind, making it illegal to identify as an LGBTQ individual, even though same-sex relationships are already illegal in over 30 African countries. Human Rights Watch has criticized the legislation, calling it a significant setback for human rights in Uganda.
Papa De DeLovie Kwagala, a Ugandan LGBTQ rights activist and photographer, joined the protesters and stated that world leaders should put pressure on President Museveni not to sign the bill. Kwagala emphasized that this issue was not just a Ugandan issue but an African continent issue.
Kwagala further added that the LGBTQ community deserves the right to live just like everyone else and that stripping their rights was a world emergency.