Anti-Gay Attacks Will Lead to Rise in HIV Cases, Warns Christian Aid

By Henry Neondo

The increasingly targeted attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups of people in a number of African countries, which are thought to have led to the murder this week of outspoken Ugandan gay activist, David Kato, will contribute to an increase in HIV infections, says Christian Aid.  

Kato, whose name and photograph recently appeared on the front page of anti-gay Kampala-based newspaper Rolling Stone, under the headline ‘Hang Them’, was beaten to death in his home, Ugandan police confirmed yesterday. 

Nina O’Farrell, Head of HIV at Christian Aid, said today:  ‘It is vital to defend the rights of specific groups who are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection, including gay people, who also suffer from heightened stigma and discrimination, which in many cases makes them less likely to access HIV treatment, care and support. 

 "Our work is founded on Christian faith and inspired by hope. We believe that all people are created equal, with inherent dignity and infinite worth. We act to change an unjust world, helping people to claim the rights owed to them by virtue of their humanity".

Meanwhile, fear has gripped the Uganda gay community following the killing of David Kato, a gay activist who opposed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill submitted to parliament in 2009.

The possibility that Kato may have been killed because of his sexuality has made gay people feel very insecure. Homosexuality is a criminal offence in Uganda.

Police say no suspects have been arrested and the motive for Kato's murder remains unclear; he was hit on the head with a stone at his home in the central Ugandan district of Mukono on the afternoon of 26 January.
 
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the Uganda Police Force to urgently investigate Kato's death.

"The government should ensure that members of Uganda's LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community have adequate protection from violence and take prompt action against all threats or hate speech likely to incite violence, discrimination, or hostility toward them," the group said in a statement.