Uganda faces international backlash for ‘devastating’ anti-gay law

Human rights groups and world leaders have led calls for an African nation’s president to reject an “appalling” anti-gay bill passed by parliament this week.

Backlash has come thick and fast from around the world against an “appalling” anti-gay bill passed by an African parliament this week.

The Ugandan parliament approved the Anti-Homosexuality Act with a near-unanimous majority on March 21, handing authorities broad powers to target and enforce harsh penalties on Ugandans who already face legal discrimination and violence.

The passage prompted the United Nations, United States, and human and LGBT rights advocates around the world to call for Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to reject the bill.

Ugandan people face life sentences and death penalties for engaging in same-sex relations. Picture: Tony Karumba/AFP

Homosexuality was already illegal in the conservative East African nation but the new bill takes a hardline approach and introduces capital and life sentences for gay sex, as well as for the “recruitment, promotion and funding” of homosexual “activities”.

Some offenders could face decades to life in prison or even the death penalty for aggravated, attempted, or promoting homosexuality.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk was among the first global figures to condemn the “draconian” legislation, saying it was “devastating and deeply disturbing”.

“The passing of this discriminatory bill – probably among the worst of its kind in the world – is a deeply troubling development,” he said in a statement.

“If signed into law by the President, it will render lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Uganda criminals simply for existing, for being who they are.

“It could provide carte blanche for the systematic violation of nearly all of their human rights and serve to incite people against each other.”

Mr Türk called for Mr Museveni to reject the adopted bill, which needs his signature to become law.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has condemned the bill. Picture: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

The bill proposes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” – gay sex with people under the age of 18 or when the perpetrator is HIV positive, among other categories – life imprisonment for the “offence of homosexuality”, up to 14 years for “attempted homosexuality”, and up to 20 years for “promoting homosexuality”, Reuters reports.

Mr Türk said it also exposes journalists, medical workers, and human rights workers to prison terms “simply for doing their jobs”.

Supporters of the harsh laws say it was a necessary step to punish a wider range of LGBTQI+ activities, which they say threaten traditional values in the conservative and religious nation.

“Let us be clear: this is not about ‘values’,” Mr Türk said.

“Promoting violence and discrimination against people for who they are and who they love is wrong and any disingenuous attempts to justify this on the basis of ‘values’ should be called out and condemned.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also called for politicians to reconsider the law. Picture: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America via AFP

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken also condemned the law, and urged authorities to reconsider implementing the law.

He said it would “undermine fundamental human rights of all Ugandans and could reverse gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS”.

Amnesty International also appealed to Mr Museveni to “urgently veto this appalling legislation”, calling it a “grave assault” on LGBTQI+ people and “institutionalise discrimination, hatred, and prejudice” against the whole community.

Britain’s Africa Minister Andrew Mitchell said he was “deeply disappointed” with the Ugandan politicians’ decision.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s special envoy on LGBT rights Nicholas Herbert warned the law would risk increasing “discrimination and persecution of people across Uganda”.

“While many countries – including a number on the African continent – are moving towards decriminalisation, this is a deeply troubling step in the opposite direction,” Mr Herbert said on Twitter.

While many countries, including a number on the African continent, are moving towards decriminalisation this is a deeply troubling step in the opposite direction. (2/2)

— Nick Herbert (@nickherbertcbe) March 22, 2023

After a chaotic seven-hour debate of the bill, where significant amendments were made to the original draft legislation, 389 legislators voted in its favour.

Two MPs from the ruling party, Fox Odoi-Oywelowo and Paul Kwizera Bucyana, opposed the new legislation.

Mr Museveni has not commented on the current proposal but, in 2013, he signed a similar anti-LGBTQI+ law that called for life sentences for people caught having gay sex.

That law was also condemned by Western countries and subsequently struck down by a domestic court.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni (in 2018) has previously signed anti-LGBT laws. Picture: Sumy Sadruni/AFP

Mr Museveni, however, has signalled that he does not view the issue as a priority, and would instead prefer to maintain good international relations with Western investors.

Uganda criminalises homosexuality under colonial-era laws and, despite gaining independence in 1962, has never pushed to decriminalise it.

There are 69 countries that have laws that criminalise homosexuality, and nearly half of these are in Africa, according to research from The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.

The Association reports 22 out of the 54 UN member states in Africa either decriminalised, or never criminalised homosexuality, including Angola, Botswana, Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Rwanda, and the Seychelles.