Lawmakers in Uganda on Tuesday approved some of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world. Identifying as LGBTQ+ is now punishable by two decades of prison time. Read to know more.
Ugandan parliament passes anti-gay laws
Ugranda’s new legislation is now increasing the crackdown on people belonging to the LGBTQ+ community in the country. The new law is targeting several activities and includes a ban on the promotion and encouragement of homosexuality. The death penalty can be invoked for cases that involve “aggravated homosexuality”. The term is broadly used in the bill to describe sexual acts committed against children or people with disabilities, under duress or without consent, involving incest or by “serial offenders”.
“A person who commits the offense of aggravated homosexuality and is liable, on conviction to suffer death,” reads the amendments. Robina Rwakoojo, the chairperson for legal and parliamentary affairs presented the law.
Opposition lawmaker Asuman Basalirwa introduced the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2023 to parliament, saying it aims to “protect our church culture; the legal, religious and traditional family values of Ugandans from the acts that are likely to promote sexual promiscuity in this country.”
“The objective of the bill was to establish a comprehensive and enhanced legislation to protect traditional family values, our diverse culture, our faiths, by prohibiting any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex and the promotion or recognition of sexual relations between persons of the same sex,” Basalirwa said on Tuesday.
Voices against the new legislature
Lawmaker Fox Odoi-Oywelowo spoke against the anti-gay bill calling it “contravenes established international and regional human rights standards”. He also added that it “unfairly limits the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ persons.” The bill will eventually go to Yoweri Museveni, the country’s president for assent. Last week, he called homosexuals “deviants”.
Moreover, Human Rights Watch warned that the law violates Ugandans’ rights. “One of the most extreme features of this new bill is that it criminalizes people simply for being who they are as well as further infringing on the privacy rights, and freedoms of expression and association that are already compromised in Uganda,” said Oryem Neyko. Neyko is a Human Rights Watch Ugranda researcher. He also called on the politicians to “stop targeting LGBT people for political capital.”