Perplexing Announcement: DStv Uganda Halts Gay Content Following Controversial LGBTQIA+ Legislation

MultiChoice has made the decision to abstain from showcasing any queer content on DStv in Uganda. This pronouncement comes in the wake of Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni approving one of the most stringent anti-LGBTQIA+ legislations globally, which may result in the death penalty for engaging in “aggravated homosexuality.”

MultiChoice has proclaimed that it intends to adhere to laws and stipulations that govern it in all the nations it operates in. Thus, content that endorses LGBTQIA+ perception will not be aired on DStv in Uganda.

Although MultiChoice would not comment on whether it has intervened in content production in Uganda and how it will limit LGBTQIA+ content in Uganda and all other countries covered by their satellite transponder, reports suggest that MultiChoice has adjusted its programming strategies. Perhaps anticipating an increasingly anti-gay climate in certain African countries, MultiChoice has shifted its approach by compelling international channel providers to avoid overt queer characters or themes when creating programming schedules for channels on DStv.

For instance, Warner Bros. Discovery implemented self-censorship by not airing its Pride Month lineup for TLC channel in South Africa so that it would not reach anti-LGBTQIA+ countries like Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria. Some channels like Viacom International Media Networks Africa, now Paramount Global, banned certain shows with overtly queer characters entirely.

Interestingly, M-Net has also modified its approach by keeping certain content away from DStv subscribers in East and West Africa, where such content has been met with complaints. Overall, MultiChoice aims to remain Africa’s most beloved storytelling business while respecting the laws of the countries where it operates.