sex, a dangerous mission for ugandan homosexuals

By Jailes Bahati

August 31, 2006: Lack of information and facilitation concerning safe sex for homosexuals in Uganda has resulted in young gays and lesbians engaging in degrading and shocking acts of unprotected sex. 

Several Western Ugandan high school students have confessed to what they called a �pathetic way of having sex�, stating that they are forced to use unsafe objects to please themselves as they do not know much about sex toys and how they are used. They also have to be extremely careful about where they have sex since the country�s laws criminalise homosexuality.

�We use testitubes, bananas and sometimes hard, penis-like objects covered with condoms so that they do not hurt,� a lesbian student from one prominent high school in Western Uganda said.
 
On the other hand gay boys have resorted to using vegetables for lubrication as they do not have access to commercial safer lubricants such as water-based lubricants, which are said to be safe for anal sex. �We use avocado and blue band for lubrication. We must have sex but using any oils we find is dangerous as they damage condoms, so blue band and avocado are the preferred options"

Having sex in these communities seems to be the most complicated and dangerous mission as homosexuals have to hide in places that are often unsafe. "We can only have sex at night when all the people are asleep. Sometimes we lock ourselves in the toilets, move to dark corners in the night and at times in our beds with curtains covering around."

Touched by these findings, Chairperson of Freedom and Rome Uganda (FAR-UG), Kasha Jacqueline said that these problems are not only in the Western part but all over Uganda. �It is very absurd that human beings should face such discomfort when they have a right to sex and sexual health education. FAR-UG has launched a campaign to educate and inform its constituency. Through the campaign we will distribute educative material throughout Uganda,� she said.

She added that brochures distributed in schools, titled Understanding sexuality-a tool to self realization, will teach adolescents, about their rights to sex and sexual health education. �Other brochures will include information about HIV/Aids for women having sex with other women, Domestic violence in same sex relationships and finally FAR-UG newsletter will inform our constituency about where to go if they need help. Even though FAR-UG is a lesbian organization we have contacts that can help gay men.�
 
FAR-UG together with other LGBTI organizations in Uganda is working on a strategy to lobby for the recognition of homosexuals in Uganda. �We are strategising on how to lobby the government to change the penal code section that discriminates against homosexuals and replace it with a code that will punish those who discriminate against homosexuals,� she concluded.