Uganda: Gay activist and house guests detained

Sam Ganafa turned himself in to police after he was requested to do so

A prominent Ugandan gay rights activist turned himself into police at their request, but according to 76 Crimes, it’s unclear what charges he is facing.

Sam Ganafa, who holds senior positions in two LGBT organizations, Spectrum Uganda Initiatives and Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), was held along with two house guests who were taken to the Kasangati police station for questioning.

The 76 Crimes report describes Ganafa as a well-respected figure and a “good role model” whose home is a shelter for many homeless LGBT people.

Gay Star News adds that Ganafa is expected to appear in court today, Nov 14, with authorities pushing for a speedy conclusion to the matter.

Natasha Barsotti is originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. She had high aspirations of representing her country in Olympic Games sprint events, but after a while the firing of the starting gun proved too much for her nerves. So she went off to university instead. Her first professional love has always been journalism. After pursuing a Master of Journalism at UBC , she began freelancing at Xtra West — now Xtra Vancouver — in 2006, becoming a full-time reporter there in 2008.

Keep Reading

Trans issues didn’t doom the Democrats

OPINION: The Republicans won ending on a giant anti-trans note, but Democrats ultimately failed to communicate on class

Xtra Explains: Trans girls and sports

Debunking some of the biggest myths around trans girls and fairness in sports

How ‘mature minor’ laws let trans kids make their own decisions

Canadian law lets some youth make medical or legal decisions for themselves, but how does it work?

To combat transphobia, we need to engage with the people who spread it

OPINION: opening up a dialogue with those we disagree with is key if we want to achieve widespread social change