The president of Uganda, Yoweni Museveni, released a statement Saturday saying he planned to sign the sweeping Anti-Homosexuality Bill that passed the nation’s parliament in December.
The bill was originally introduced in 2009 with a death penalty provision for some “homosexual acts,” but it was delayed because of international uproar and the threat of a loss of aid from several nations. The current bill does not include a death penalty provision, but it could put people in prison for life if they engage in “aggravated homosexuality,” which means engaging in acts where someone is infected with HIV, having sex with minors, or being “serial offenders.” People who offer services to LGBTQ people, such as human rights groups, could also face criminal charges and years in prison.
President Obama came out against the bill in a statement over the weekend. “The Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda, once law, will be more than an affront and a danger to the gay community in Uganda,” he said. “It will be a step backward for all Ugandans and reflect poorly on Uganda’s commitment to protecting the human rights of its people. It also will mark a serious setback for all those around the world who share a commitment to freedom, justice and equal rights.”
Since the bill was proposed, there has already been an increase in discrimination and violence against gay people. As reported by Jeanne Clark in “Unholy Alliance” in the Fall 2013 issue of Ms. magazine, David Kato, a leader of the gay rights movement in Uganda, was beaten to death shortly after the introduction of the bill. In addition, “The attacks against gays in the country have further demonized condom usage,” Clark writes. In a country with frequent condom shortages and discouragement of the use of condoms – in part because the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funding continues to be held hostage to abstinence programs – millions of Ugandans are at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and having unsafe abortions.
