An all-boys secondary school in Uganda erupted into violent riots recently over four students accused of practising and promoting homosexuality. The four boys narrowly escaped the violence, though one was reportedly taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.According to Erasing 76 Crimes, which reports on the toll of international anti-LGBTQ+ laws, Saul Rwampororo, head teacher at Ntare School, told Ugandan media that the students goal was to harm the four boys. The rioters accused the schools administration and student leaders of taking no action against the students accused of being gay. Related Death & rape threats force straight activist to flee Uganda over anti-LGBTQ+ law They wanted to beat them, and two boys ran away while two others were saved by the administration, Rwampororo said. Even those who ran away, we caught up with them. One was hurt, but we took him to the hospital.Rwampororo said that after the four boys escaped, the rioting students turned to destroying school property. Police were called to deal with the violence. Its unclear whether any arrests were made, but Erasing 76 Crimes reports that an investigation is underway. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Rwampororo condemned the rioting, telling Ugandan media that such acts of violence undermine the values of education and respect we aim to instill at Ntare, and promising disciplinary action against the rioters.According to the outlet, students who spoke to Ugandan media claimed without evidence that the schools administrators were also involved in the alleged homosexual activity. This was just a wakeup call. If its not addressed, we will take it upon ourselves to stop the vice, one Ntare student said, noting that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who signed the countrys notorious Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), is an alumnus of the school. The president, who is an Old Boy of this school, assented to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. It would be a shame to hear that such practices are happening here.The 2023 law, which has been roundly condemned by human rights organizations, members of the U.S. House of Representatives, former President Joe Biden, and even the late Pope Francis, punishes aggravated homosexuality including same-sex acts that transmit HIV with the death penalty and imposes a life sentence for recruitment, promotion and funding of same-sex activities. The law even bans identifying as LGBTQ+ in Uganda.According to one Ugandan healthcare worker, the AHA has had a devastating impact on the countrys public health, making it nearly impossible for clinics that specialize in LGBTQ+ healthcare issues to function while also discouraging LGBTQ+ people from seeking care. A 2024 report from Open for Business, a coalition of global companies dedicated to LGBTQ+ inclusion, estimated that the law had resulted in an economic loss of between $470 million and $1.6 billion in its first year due to healthcare costs from untreated HIV and depression, loss of tourism and worker productivity, and talent flight. Ugandan LGBTQ rights advocate Frank Mugisha pointed to the climate of hatred toward LGBTQ+ people in the country as the source of the Ntare riot.This radicalized environment makes schools, families, and communities unsafe for students who are simply trying to navigate the natural changes of adolescence or understand themselves, Mugisha said, according to Erasing 76 Crimes. The Ntare School case demonstrates how these pressures play out in real time. Students, whether out of curiosity, misunderstanding, or peer pressure, escalated a situation that might have been resolved with careful guidance and education.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.