Uganda deports British theatre producer over gay play

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Published time: February 12, 2013 16:37
Edited time: February 13, 2013 00:43

Gay tolerance clearly has a long way to go in some African states. The British producer of a play about homosexuals has enraged authorities in Uganda, leading to his deportation back to the UK. His local girlfriend and two children were left behind.

­According to the BBC, the state of Uganda, where homosexuality is prohibited by law, started legal action against producer David Cecil last September. Cecil was arrested for "disobeying lawful orders".

The controversial play “The River and the Mountain” focused on the story of a gay businessman who is murdered by the employees of his own company. It was staged at two theatres in the city of Kampala last August without official authorization.

The charges against Cecil were soon dropped due to the lack of evidence. However last Wednesday Ugandan authorities arrested Cecil again on the grounds he was an "undesirable person". He was deported on Monday, the UK embassy reported.

"We are concerned that he was deported without being given an opportunity to challenge the order through the Ugandan courts," British foreign office spokesman told the BBC.

Cecil’s girlfriend was left shocked with the news of her partner's deportation. "David hasn't killed anyone, he hasn't hurt anyone," Kebirungi is quoted by Guerdian as saying. "He has two children here. The case against him [for producing the play] was dismissed last month. He was not treated fairly. None of us have been treated fairly."

"The process of removing [Cecil] is on. He's going to be removed from the country … this was a decision that was taken by the minister [of internal affairs] … and we have prepared the relevant papers," Uganda's director for immigration, Godfrey Sasagah told Reuters on Monday.

LGBT rights in Uganda are largely neglected in Uganda, with the state denying gay people any legal protection. Homosexuals are often subjected to physical assaults and social rejection.