Uganda Celebrates Gay Pride One Year After Antigay Law Was Overturned

A Ugandan beach got a colorful makeover on Saturday, as dozens of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people—and their supporters—marched with rainbow flags and umbrella just outside the country’s capital, Kampala.

The event was the culmination of a week of pride festivities, including a transgender awareness day and film screenings. The celebration comes just one year after the country struck down one of the harshest antigay laws in Africa.

Last August, Uganda’s constitutional court overturned the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which contained a life sentence for those found guilty of “aggravated homosexuality.” Previous versions of the bill included the death penalty.

Despite these modest gains, it’s still not easy to be gay in Uganda. Homosexuality remains illegal, punishable with a jail sentence, and is considered taboo. Threats of violence, workplace and housing discrimination have left LGBT Ugandans forced to hide their identity and live in secret. This culture of intolerance was largely introduced by American fundamental evangelicals, who fused religious doctrine with financial aid during mission trips. Members of the primarily Christian parliament are still looking for ways to crack down on LGBT activism, including legislation that would ban the “promotion of homosexuality,” meaning such a march would have be a punishable crime.

Still, the Ugandan event was “not a protest but a celebration,” event organizer Richard Lusimbo told The Guardian, and focused on progress made.