An imam in Uganda has come under fire for marrying a man he thought was a woman, pointing to the deep intolerance in the East African country, gay rights activist Frank Mugisha said.
An imam who claims he did not know his partner was male has been suspended, while his partner has been charged with an "unnatural" offence.
Many Ugandans mocked the imam on social media, saying he was a homosexual who was not telling the truth.
Activist Mugisha, leader of the Uganda Sexual Minorities group, said today that this case proves "how much homophobia there is in the country."
"Imam may be honest when he says he didn't know. Ugandans should respect people's privacy. They are not necessarily homosexuals," Mugisha said.
He said that it is not known whether the imam's partner is a transgender person, which is why his organization decided not to publish a statement regarding the case.
A few days after the wedding, the imam's partner was arrested for allegedly stealing a television in the Kajunga area, where their wedding was held several weeks ago.
The local newspaper Daily Monitor reported that the policewoman reported the suspect as a man after the search.
The newspaper also quoted a statement from a Muslim cleric from the imam's mosque who said that his colleague needed counseling because his wife "refused to undress when they were sleeping."
Sex with a person of the same sex is punishable in Uganda, and in recent years there have been calls for stricter punishments for homosexuals, including hanging.
A harsh anti-gay law was passed in Uganda in 2014, but it was struck down in court after international pressure and threats to stop aid.
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