Uganda’s LGBTIQ+ Communities Confront Funding Cuts During Pride Month
As Pride Month unfolds around the world, Uganda’s LGBTIQ+ community finds itself at a crossroad. The community is facing unprecedented challenges following the suspension of the U.S. Aid. The funding is a lifeline that has historically sustained critical health services, advocacy, and the daily survival of some of the most marginalized individuals in the country.
Rafto laureate 2011 Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and its Executive Director Frank Mugisha have long stood at the forefront of the struggle for LGBTIQ+ rights in Uganda. Their tireless advocacy, often under threat of violence and legal persecution, earned them the Rafto Prize for Human Rights in 2011.
Today, SMUG and other community-based organizations are facing severe disruption. According to a new report by SMUG and a coalition of grassroots partners, the suspension of U.S. Aid has devastated Uganda’s LGBTIQ+ organizations, halting essential services like HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. Approximately 85% of surveyed organizations reported relying heavily on US-funded HIV prevention commodities, including condoms and self-testing kits, which are now critically scarce.
It’s not just about health commodities. These funds supported safe spaces, legal assistance, and community drop-in centers that offered a lifeline to people facing daily stigma and discrimination. With drop-in centers shuttered or forced to redirect clients to public health facilities where discrimination is widespread, many fear seeking treatment altogether.
The timing could not be more troubling. Pride Month is typically a time of visibility and celebration, but in Uganda, the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 has created a climate of hostility. Many community members now fear for their safety when accessing essential services. Members of the LGBTIQ+ community may end up having to choose between risking exposure to discrimination or going without life-saving healthcare.
Yet, amid all this, the resilience of Uganda’s LGBTIQ+ movement keeps on going. Community-led organizations have mobilized creative strategies, shared scarce resources, launching community pharmacies, and establishing tiered subscription models to keep services running. But the report warns that without immediate and diversified funding, many organizations may not survive the next year.
The Rafto Foundation stands in solidarity with SMUG, Frank Mugisha, and the Ugandan LGBTIQ+ community. Their struggle is a reminder that Pride is not just about celebration. It’s about resilience, resistance and human rights for all. As global Pride festivities unfold, the international community must not look away. Now, more than ever, support and solidarity are needed to ensure that Uganda’s LGBTIQ+ organizations can continue their life-saving work.