A teacher in Jinja, Uganda has been arrested for promoting homosexuality in school. The unnamed teacher works at PMM Girls School, an all-girls school in Jinja City, and is currently being questioned after her partner accused her of neglect and “recruiting students to become lesbians.”
“We have the couple in our custody. The partner claims the teacher has been cheating on her and not providing her with basic needs,” stated Kiira regional police spokesperson James Mubi. He continued, “but the suspect testified to police that she rented a house for her partner and set up for her timber business and she disputed allegations of not providing basic needs to her alleged lesbian partner.”
Hundreds of angry parents swarmed the school to protest against the teacher and the “promotion of homosexuality.” They were blockaded from entering the school, but many of them reportedly threatened to remove their daughters from the school after the teacher had “spoiled” them. Ms Rose Kalembe, the chairperson of the school, said the teacher should be suspended from school because she is “tarnishing its image.”
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“I was here in the 1990s and had never heard of lesbian issues in this school. The suspected teacher was also a student in this school, and as old girls, we have to do something,” Kalembe said.
Both partners are in custody and Mubi stated they would be charged with sexual harassment once the case has been concluded. Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda and is punishable by life imprisonment. The country has a history of discrimination and violence against LGBTQ individuals, with many facing harassment, arrest, and physical attacks. The incident has sparked outrage among LGBTQ activists, who argue that the teacher’s arrest is a violation of human rights.
The arrest has also raised concerns about the safety and well-being of LGBTQ students in schools. Many LGBTQ students in Uganda face discrimination and bullying and are often forced to hide their sexuality in order to avoid harassment and violence. Human rights groups have called for the immediate release of the teacher and an end to the persecution of LGBTQ individuals in Uganda.
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