Uganda Gay Travel Index 2026
Score = Legal 7/60 + Scene 0/40 = 7/100 · thin scene coverage — legal-weighted provisional score
Updated 15 Oct 2026 · release 2026.3.
A live score, not an annual report — it recomputes as laws, rulings and the scene itself change. See what moved in 2026.
Legal composite · Legal milestones · Scene on the ground · Frequently asked questions
Same-sex intimacy is criminalized or actively repressed here. Consult your government travel advisories before any trip; this listing is informational, not an endorsement of travel.
Legal composite — 7/60 points
| Criminalization | Death penalty possible |
|---|---|
| Partnership | ● No not recognised |
| Anti-discrimination | ● No |
| Gender recognition | Not possible — no legal gender recognition |
| Enforcement reality | Active enforcement — arrests and prosecutions continue |
Research note: HRAPF/HRW 2025: AHA arrests rising, entrapment, evictions — GayOut Index 2026.3 legal research (ILGA World / Human Dignity Trust / Rainbow Europe / Equaldex).
Legal composite, five components
Fulfilment per component (100 = maximum). Weights: criminalisation 35% · partnership 20% · enforcement 20% · anti-discrimination 15% · gender recognition 10%.
Legal milestones
Background, not travel advice — how the current status came to be. For planning a trip, rely on the current score, tier and scene sections above; 2026 movements are tracked in the sourced change log.
- 1950The colonial-era Penal Code Act criminalised "carnal knowledge against the order of nature," punishing same-sex acts with up to life imprisonment. ↗
- 2014President Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act, imposing life imprisonment for "aggravated homosexuality." ↗
- 2014The Constitutional Court annulled the Anti-Homosexuality Act on a technicality, ruling it was passed without the required parliamentary quorum. ↗
- 2023President Museveni signed a new Anti-Homosexuality Act, among the world's harshest, with the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality." ↗
- 2024The Constitutional Court largely upheld the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act, striking only a few narrow provisions. ↗
- TodaySame-sex activity remains criminalised with penalties up to death, making Uganda one of the world's most dangerous countries for LGBT people. ↗
Sources: ILGA World · Human Dignity Trust · Equaldex. Each milestone links to a reference source ↗.
Scene on the ground — 0/40 points
Detailed scene metrics (for researchers)
| Gay bars per million | — |
|---|---|
| Saunas per million | — |
| Events per million | 0 |
| Coverage grade | — |
| Scene score | 0/40 (raw scene index 0/100) |
Frequently asked questions
Is Uganda safe for gay travellers?
Uganda is rated Death-penalty risk on the GayOut Gay Travel Index 2026: same-sex intimacy is criminalized and can carry the death penalty. Its legal safety component is 7/60. On enforcement reality, arrests and prosecutions continue.
Is same-sex marriage legal in Uganda?
No. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Uganda. Overall legal status: Death penalty possible.
Does Uganda have a gay scene?
GayOut currently lists no LGBTQ+ venues in Uganda, so any gay scene is limited, informal or not publicly documented.