Uganda's new anti-gay law lls for life prison for those who are nvicted : NPR

Contents:

• UGANDAN PRINT SIGNS ANTI-GAY LAW THAT INCLUS DEATH PENALTY AS A PUNISHMENT
• A NEW ANTI-GAY LAW UGANDA LLS FOR LIFE PRISON FOR THOSE WHO ARE NVICTED
• UGANDA PASS STRICT ANTI-GAY BILL THAT IMPOS DEATH PENALTY FOR SOME
• ‘WE WILL HUNT YOU’: UGANDANS FLEE AHEAD OF HARSH ANTI-GAY LAW
• UGANDA PLANS BILL IMPOSG ATH PENALTY FOR GAY SEX
• UGANDA'S PRINT SIGNS TO LAW ANTI-GAY LEGISLATN WH ATH PENALTY SOME S

UGANDAN PRINT SIGNS ANTI-GAY LAW THAT INCLUS DEATH PENALTY AS A PUNISHMENT

'Uganda's Print Yoweri Meveni has signed one of the world's tought anti-LGBTQ laws, cludg the ath penalty for "aggravated homosexualy, " fiance of Wtern nmnatns and potential sanctns om aid relatns were already illegal Uganda, as more than 30 Ain untri, but the new law go much impos pal punishment for some behavur, cludg transmtg a termal illns like HIV/AIDS through gay sex, and stipulat a 20-year sentence for "promotg" homosexualy. However, Alex Kofi Donkor, founr of LGBT+ Rights Ghana, says what happened Uganda is 'barbaric, ' and that people should not be crimalized for their and other activists have vowed to lnch a legal challenge to the law, which Meveni was shown signg at his sk wh a goln pen a photo tweeted by Uganda's 78-year-old lear has lled homosexualy a "viatn om normal" and urged lawmakers to rist "imperialist" prsure.

Ugandan human rights activists talk to the media after filg a petn challengg the signg of the new anti-homosexualy law by Meveni, at the nstutn urt Kampala, Uganda, on Monday. Print's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), s flagship HIV/AIDS activists Uganda ' shock' over anti-gay legislatn, fearg mass arrtsAnti-LGBTQ bill passed Uganda ed as 'low-hangg u' to distract public, rearcher saysIn a jot statement on Monday, PEPFAR, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the Jot Uned Natns Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said the law put Uganda's fight agast HIV/AIDS " grave jeopardy.

A NEW ANTI-GAY LAW UGANDA LLS FOR LIFE PRISON FOR THOSE WHO ARE NVICTED

The amend versn stipulated that merely intifyg as LGBTQ is not a crime and revised a measure that obliged people to report homosexual activy to only require reportg when a child is volved. AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe legislatn is among the most rtrictive of s kd the world and was nmned by Wtern lears and the Uned Natns human rights Ugandan Parliament May durg the passage of an anti-gay bill. Lawmakers passed an earlier versn Lubowa/RtersThe print of Uganda signed a punive anti-gay bill on Monday that clus the ath penalty, enshrg to law an tensifyg crackdown agast L.

People the nservative East Ain natn and dismissg wispread lls not to impose one of the world’s most rtrictive anti-gay law lls for life imprisonment for anyone who engag gay sex. Anyone who tri to have same-sex relatns uld be liable for up to a law also cre the ath penalty for anyone nvicted of “aggravated homosexualy, ” a term fed as acts of same-sex relatns wh children or disabled people, those rried out unr threat or while someone is unnsc. The offense of “attempted aggravated homosexualy” rri a sentence of up to 14 legislatn is a major blow to efforts by the Uned Natns, Wtern ernments, civil society and rights groups that had implored the print, Yoweri Meveni, not to sign .

Homosexualy is already illegal Uganda, but the new law lls for far more strgent punishment and broans the list of law’s passage has stoked fear among L. Gay rights groups say hundreds of gay people — facg rejectn om their fai, discrimatn at work or mob jtice the streets — have reached out to them recent weeks seekg help.

UGANDA PASS STRICT ANTI-GAY BILL THAT IMPOS DEATH PENALTY FOR SOME

“There’s fear that this law will emboln many Ugandans to take the law to their hands, ” said Frank Mugisha, the most proment openly gay rights activist Uganda.

‘WE WILL HUNT YOU’: UGANDANS FLEE AHEAD OF HARSH ANTI-GAY LAW

”The sweepg anti-gay measure as a growg number of Ain untri — cludg Kenya and Ghana — nsir passg siar or even stricter Ugandan legislatn, known officially as the Anti-Homosexualy Act, was first passed by Parliament March.

Lawmakers did add language makg clear that anyone spected of beg a homosexual would not be punished unls they engaged same-sex rt of the law remaed the same, cludg mandatg a prison term of up to 20 years for anyone who promot homosexualy, a vague provisn that activists fear uld be ed to target agenci supportg L. ”ImagePrint Yoweri Meveni of Uganda has been power for almost four Nalwadda/Associated PrsAnyone younger than 18 nvicted of havg gay sex fac up to three years prison. The law, which also enurag the public to report any spected acts of homosexualy, ntas ambiguo language that mak difficult to who allows premis to be ed for same-sex relatns uld face up to seven years prison, and a person nvicted of homosexualy uld be sent for “rehabilatn.

Policians first drew up a siar measure 2009, but when was signed to law 2014, the urt stck down on procral over the past few years, polil lears, along wh domtic and ternatnal relig anizatns, began rampg up anti-gay mpaigns and warng about what they ll a threat to fay valu. Last year, the thori shut down Sexual Mori Uganda, a leadg gay rights advocy group, claimg had not been officially registered wh the ernment. Jt days after the bill was first passed March, the anizatn’s Amerin founrs helped anize a nference Uganda among Ain lawmakers to promote anti-gay measur ntentwi.

UGANDA PLANS BILL IMPOSG ATH PENALTY FOR GAY SEX

”Some analysts said the law was meant to spegoat gay people and distract the public om mountg domtic challeng, cludg risg unemployment and skyrocketg food pric. ”A versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 4 of the New York edn wh the headle: Uganda Pass an Anti-Gay Law That Inclus the Death Penalty. Ugandan lawmakers on Tuday approved some of the world’s harsht anti-gay laws, makg some crim punishable by ath and imposg up to 20 years prison for people intifyg as LGBTQ+.

Acrdg to the bill, the ath penalty n be voked for s volvg “aggravated homosexualy” – a broad term ed the legislatn to scribe sex acts mted whout nsent or unr durs, agast children, people wh mental or physil disabili, by a “serial offenr, ” or volvg ct. “A person who ms the offense of aggravated homosexualy and is liable, on nvictn to suffer ath, ” read the amendments, which were prented by the chairperson for legal and parliamentary affairs Roba Rwakoojo.

Opposn lawmaker Asuman Basalirwa troduced the Anti Homosexualy Bill 2023 to parliament, sayg aims to “protect our church culture; the legal, relig and tradnal fay valu of Ugandans om the acts that are likely to promote sexual promiscuy this untry. It lls for the ath penalty for "aggravated homosexualy, " which is fed as same-sex relatns volvg HIV-posive people, children or other vulnerable people.

UGANDA'S PRINT SIGNS TO LAW ANTI-GAY LEGISLATN WH ATH PENALTY SOME S

Wispread anti-gay sentiment Uganda and the threat of imprisonment has forced many the LGBTQ muny to flee the untry over the past few years. It passed by a vote of 387 to Lubowa/RtersLawmakers Uganda have passed a sweepg anti-gay law that n brg punishments as severe as the ath penalty — the culmatn of a long-nng mpaign to crimalize homosexualy and target L.

People the nservative natn East law, which was passed late on Tuday night after more than seven hours of discsn and amendments, lls for a life sentence for anyone engagg gay sex. Even tryg to have same-sex relatns would be met wh a seven-year prison ath penalty would be applied to people nvicted of “aggravated homosexualy, ” a sweepg term fed the law as homosexual acts mted by anyone fected wh H. Most of the acts are already crim regardls of genr unr the Ugandan penal , but the ath penalty has been add to this bill to target s which the perpetrator and victim are of the same parliamentary vote ps a stggle over gay rights Uganda that has drawn ternatnal attentn for nearly 15 years.

It as anti-gay polici and discrimatn have been on the rise several Ain natns, cludg Kenya, Ghana and legislatn Uganda, lled the Anti-Homosexualy Bill, also impos a penalty of up to 1 billn Ugandan shillgs, about $264, 000, on any enty nvicted of promotg homosexualy. ”“This hoe will ntue to pass laws that regnize, protect and safeguard the sovereignty, morals and cultur of this untry, ” Ana An Among, the speaker of the Ugandan Parliament, said after legislators fished bill will now go to Print Yoweri Meveni, Uganda’s lear for nearly four s, who has been an outspoken driver of anti-gay measur.