Uganda passes new version of horrific anti-LGBTQ law
The newly-passed bill still includes the death penalty.
Uganda’s parliament has officially passed a new version of a horrific anti-LGBTQ bill.
The bill was first passed in March. It made simply being LGBTQ+ a criminal offence.
However, President Yoweri Museveni returned the bill last month asking for differentiation between identifying as LGBTQ and engaging in homosexual acts.
The updated law no longer criminalises people for simply being a member of the community.
Otherwise, the new version bill is mostly unaltered.
The Associated Press reported that the amended bill was passed on Tuesday (2 May). It will now return to the Ugandan president, who can sign or veto it.
The bill still includes jail time (up to 14 years) for “attempted aggravated homosexuality.”
Furthermore, the bill still includes the death penalty for those charged with “aggravated homosexuality” like child abuse.
The previous version included a duty on people to report gay individuals, even friends, and family members. This is now only the case where children are involved.
However, Museveni is under strong international pressure to not sign the law.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, previously shared that the president “must urgently veto this appalling legislation.”
Chagutah described the legislation as “deeply repressive” and warns it will “institutionalise discrimination, hatred, and prejudice against LGBTI people.”
Recent reports detail that over $40 million of foreign aid has been given to anti-LGBTQ groups in Uganda since 2014.
A report by the Institute for Journalism and Social Change (IJSC) say that the UK funded “Uganda – Open Society” scheme has received £134,900 since 2021.
The UK Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office told Attitude it is “concerned by the increasing criminalisation of LGBT+ persons in Uganda.”
It added: “The UK does not currently provide funding to the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda.”