Uganda’s Anti-LGBTQIA+ Law Costs Country Billions, Crushes Economy
Uganda’s hateful Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) has drained up to $1.6 billion from the country’s coffers in just one year, reports LGBTQ Nation. President Yoweri Museveni signed the law in May 2023, making “aggravated homosexuality” punishable by death. The global backlash was swift and severe.
The Economic Cost of This Discriminatory Law Is Too High
In January, the U.S. booted Uganda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), slamming the door on duty-free exports. The World Bank also froze new loans last August. This aid suspension alone could bleed Uganda of $276 to $1,024 million per year.
Uganda’s global reputation is in tatters. The country may lose up to $99 million in tourism annually. LGBTQIA+ workers, struggling with mental health, are less productive, costing $23 to $58 million per year.
5,000 to 15,000 LGBTQIA+ Individuals Expected to Flee
Uganda’s “talent flight” could see 5,000 to 15,000 LGBTQIA+ individuals escape persecution, draining $3 to $24 million in productivity. The AHA makes it “harder for Uganda to foster a dynamic and diversified modern economy,” warns the Open for Business report
Calls Grow to “Annul This Apartheid Law”
In April, Uganda’s Constitutional Court struck down parts of the AHA but kept its horrific punishments. LGBTQIA+ activists are now appealing to the Supreme Court. The state-funded Human Rights Commission has even asked to decriminalise homosexuality.
Ugandan LGBTQIA+ advocates are urging the government to “take immediate action to repeal the AHA in its entirety.” The “anxiety within the investment and general business community” is undeniable. Uganda’s Supreme Court must “do the right thing and annul this apartheid law.”
