Prominent Ugandan gay activist slain

KAMPALA – A prominent Ugandan gay rights activist whose picture was published by an anti-gay newspaper next to the words ‘Hang Them’ was bludgeoned to death after receiving multiple threats, officials said Thursday.

David Kato, an advocacy officer for the gay rights group Sexual Minorities Uganda, was found with serious wounds to his head at his home in Uganda’s capital Kampala, late on Wednesday, a police spokeswoman said. Kato later died from his injuries on the way to hospital, police said.’We cannot confirm that Kato was killed because he was gay or whether it was just an ordinary crime,’ police spokeswoman Judith Nabakooba said. Investigations were under way and no arrests had yet been made, she said.A Ugandan tabloid newspaper called Rolling Stone listed a number of men they said were homosexuals last year, including Kato. Kato’s picture was published on the front page, along with his name and a headline that said ‘Hang Them’. A judge eventually barred the tabloid from printing such stories and photos.Kato and two other gay activists sued the newspaper over claims that it had violated their constitutional rights to privacy and won the case earlier this month. A judge issued an injunction banning the publication of the identities and personal details of alleged homosexuals.- Nampa-AP