Uganda: New Anti-Gay Bill Further Threatens Rights | Human Rights Watch

Contents:

• UGANDA'S PRINT MEVENI APPROV TOUGH NEW ANTI-GAY LAW
• A NEW ANTI-GAY LAW UGANDA LLS FOR LIFE PRISON FOR THOSE WHO ARE NVICTED
• UGANDA'S ANTI-GAY LAW: HOW RTRICTED ARE LGBTQ RIGHTS AI?
• UGANDA PASS STRICT ANTI-GAY BILL THAT IMPOS DEATH PENALTY FOR SOME
• UGANDA: NEW ANTI-GAY BILL FURTHER THREATENS RIGHTS
• UGANDA SIGNS TOUGH ANTI-GAY LAW, WH DEATH PENALTY IN SOME CAS
• ADVOCY GROUPS: ETHPIAN ERNMENT’S ANTI-GAY RHETORIC SPURS ONLE ATTACKS
• UGANDA'S ANTI-GAY LEGISLATN, EXPLAED
• UGANDA'S LGBTQ MUNY IS ' SHOCK' OVER NEW MEASURE, GAY ACTIVIST SAYS
• UGANDAN PRINT SIGNS ANTI-GAY LAW THAT INCLUS DEATH PENALTY AS A PUNISHMENT
• UGANDA LAWMAKERS AMEND NTROVERSIAL ANTI-GAY LAW BUT ATH PENALTY FOR HIV POSIVE SEX REMAS
• UGANDA TO JAIL PEOPLE WHO INTIFY AS LGBTQ ONE OF WORLD'S MOST ANTI-GAY LAWS

UGANDA'S PRINT MEVENI APPROV TOUGH NEW ANTI-GAY LAW

” Augt 2009, Ssta and Philip Bialer, “Posn Statement on Issu Related to Homosexualy, ” APA Official Actns (Amerin Psychiatric Associatn, 2013), Bhugra et al., “WPA Posn Statement on Genr Inty and Same-Sex Orientatn, Attractn and Behavurs, ” World Psychiatry 15, no.

Image source, AFPImage ptn, Uganda's ernment has risted prsure to drop the legislatnUganda's progrs tacklg HIV is "grave jeopardy" after the print approved tough new anti-homosexualy legislatn, the UN and US have warned. The legislatn impos the ath penalty for so-lled aggravated s, which clu havg gay sex wh someone below the age of 18 or where someone is fected wh a life-long illns cludg a jot statement, three of the world's leadg health mpaign groups - the US Print's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), UNAids and the Global Fund - said they were eply ncerned about the "harmful impact" of the legislatn. '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. 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. 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.

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

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. Katumba/Agence France-Prse — Getty ImagThe bill’s passg was sharply cricized by rights groups and by a few lawmakers Uganda who said that ged on the eedoms of Ugandans and further erod the rights of gay Türk, the Uned Natns human rights chief, lled the anti-gay law “probably among the worst of s kd the world” and said that uld “serve to ce people agast each other.

UGANDA'S ANTI-GAY LAW: HOW RTRICTED ARE LGBTQ RIGHTS AI?

Around the world, a ath penalty sentence for same-sex relatns is imposed only a handful of untri, cludg Iran and Mrania, acrdg to a survey by Human Rights bill was troduced early March by the lawmaker Asuman Basalirwa, who has said that homosexualy threatens fay valu and the safety of Ugandan children. Basalirwa doubled down, sayg the law was need bee there was a “public outcry” over a plot to rec schoolchildren to homosexualy — an allegatn that rights advot have said is Uganda, a untry of about 46 ln people — about 85 percent Christian and 15 percent Mlim — relig lears have jotly veighed agast homosexualy and what they say is s impact on the sancty of fay and children. Many relig lears say that homosexualy is a Wtern import and have held protts and ralli urgg legislators to troduce laws that would harshly penalize gay even as anti-gay sentiment Uganda has bee pervasive, L.

People have bee more public, mobilizg to feat anti-gay legislatn urt, holdg small Pri paras, reprentg Uganda ternatnal gay events and creatg support groups for parents of gay children. The new laws, activists say, will aggravate the challeng already facg gay thori have recent years regularly round up people whom they spect of beg gay or lbian and arrtg people at gay-iendly bars on what rights groups say are fabrited dg charg, subjectg some to vasive physil examatns.

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

And last month, a major Ugandan ary officer urged health officials not to treat homosexual people ernment health year, the thori also closed down Sexual Mori Uganda, an anizatn that supported L. ImageGay Ugandan refuge who fled om their untry to neighborg Kenya returned om food shoppg Nairobi Inganga/Associated PrsWhile the vote happened quickly, the drive to outlaw homosexualy Uganda has been long-nng, drawg enuragement om evangelil Christians the Uned Stat and ternatnal outrage om gay people and human rights advot.

UGANDA: NEW ANTI-GAY BILL FURTHER THREATENS RIGHTS

Sce then, Amerin evangelil anizatns have operated out of the limelight, allowg lol lears and groups to feed the anti-gay sentiment Uganda, said Nicholas Opiyo, a Ugandan lawyer and human rights activist. Meveni that punished “aggravated homosexualy” wh life the Ugandan Constutnal Court nullified the law that same year, sayg that had been passed Parliament whout the necsary ntrast, for the vote on Tuday night, lawmakers filled parliamentary chambers.

The bill is a revised and more egreg versn of the 2014 Anti-Homosexualy Act, which rerced existg prison sentenc for same-sex nduct and outlawed the “promotn of homosexualy, ” but was stck down by a urt on procral grounds.

Like s precsor, the 2023 Anti-Homosexualy Bill expands on the crimalizatn of same sex acts, cludg broad prohibns on acts such as touchg another person “wh the tentn of mtg the act of homosexualy. But the bill go much further by also crimalizg any person who “holds out as a lbian, gay, transgenr, a queer, or any other sexual or genr inty that is ntrary to the bary tegori of male and female, ” wh a punishment of up to ten years prison.

UGANDA SIGNS TOUGH ANTI-GAY LAW, WH DEATH PENALTY IN SOME CAS

Uganda’s penal already punish “rnal knowledge agast the orr of nature, ” which is terpreted to mean homosexual relatns, wh a punishment of life prison, although the provisn, a lonial remnant, is rarely enforced.

ADVOCY GROUPS: ETHPIAN ERNMENT’S ANTI-GAY RHETORIC SPURS ONLE ATTACKS

The retroductn of the Anti-Homosexualy Bill follows months of hostile rhetoric agast sexual and genr mori by public figur Uganda, as well as ernment crackdowns on LGBT-rights groups and other human rights groups, ernment crics, and civil society. A January 2023 draft report by the bure intified 26 nonernmental anizatns, cludg SMUG, that acced of “promotg homosexualy” and lurg schoolchildren to homosexualy through “forced recment.

Francis Takirwa the puty manr of land forc the Ugandan ary, ed the handover of a renovated muny health facily to ll for excludg gay people om receivg health servic, sayg, “Don’t e our health facili to treat homosexuals. Wh five months of the passg of the 2013 Anti-Homosexualy Act LGBT people faced a notable crease arbrary arrts, police abe and extortn, loss of employment, evictns and homelsns, and sr fled the untry. KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda’s print has signed to law tough new anti-gay legislatn supported by many this East Ain untry but wily nmned by rights activists and others versn of the bill signed by Print Yoweri Meveni don’t crimalize those who intify as LGBTQ, a key ncern for mpaigners who nmned an earlier draft of the legislatn as an egreg attack on human the new law still prcrib the ath penalty for “aggravated homosexualy, ” which is fed as s of sexual relatns volvg people fected wh HIV as well as wh mors and other tegori of vulnerable people.

UGANDA'S ANTI-GAY LEGISLATN, EXPLAED

A spect nvicted of “attempted aggravated homosexualy” n be imprisoned for up to 14 years, acrdg to the 's print Yoweri Meveni has signed to law tough new anti-gay legislatn supported by many the untry but wily nmned by rights activists and others Associated PrsParliamentary Speaker Ana Among said a statement that the print had “answered the cri of our people” signg the bill. Uganda is one of several Ain natns where is illegal to be queer; the natn enacted s Anti-Homosexualy Act 2014, which allowed for life imprisonment for some homosexual acts between nsentg adults, and dified the reprsn of LGBTQ Ugandans. The latt bill, ially passed by parliament March, tak Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ polici much further, punishg LGBTQ advocy wh up to 20 years prison and proposg the ath penalty for “aggravated homosexualy” — homosexual acts volvg children or members of other at-risk groups, or volvg a person who is HIV posive.

UGANDA'S LGBTQ MUNY IS ' SHOCK' OVER NEW MEASURE, GAY ACTIVIST SAYS

Uganda was already hostile to LGBTQ people, even before the 2014 Anti-Homosexualy Act; lonial fluence was baked to the penal , and a 2009 bill lloquially lled the “kill the gays” bill sparked ternatnal outrage for a provisn that would allow gay people to be hanged.

The bill also required cizens to spy on their neighbors, iends, and fay members and report those they spected of beg LGBTQ or advotg for gay rights or face a three-year prison sentence, acrdg to a Human Rights Watch report at the time. The 2023 bill also appli to trans and genr-nonnformg people, punishg wh up to 10 years prison anyone who “holds out as a lbian, gay, transgenr, a queer, or any other sexual or genr inty that is ntrary to the bary tegori of male and female. In realy, the US particular has fluenced or supported anti-LGBTQ polici and attus Uganda, particularly via evangelil groups like the Fellowship Foundatn, which had a hand craftg the 2009 “kill the gays” bill, acrdg to a 2020 report om Open Democracy.

In 2012, SMUG sued Amerin evangelist Stt Lively a US urt for his role promotg the anti-LGBTQ agenda that fluenced the “kill the gays” bill and led to the persecutn of LGBTQ people Uganda.

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

“The prodigal son parable has propped up the ex-gay movement Uganda, ensurg there are open arms to gay people who n speak about prevly beg that life of ‘s’ and nounce their gayns publicly, ” Okereke wrote.

Law uld be the first to crimalise intifyg as lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer (LGBTQ): Rights WatchUganda’s parliament has passed sweepg antigay legislatn that propos tough new penalti for same-sex relatnships and crimalis anyone intifyg as LGBTQ.

While more than 30 Ain untri, cludg Uganda, already ban same-sex relatnships, the new law passed on Tuday appears to be the first to outlaw merely intifyg as lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer (LGBTQ), Human Rights Watch said. Frank Mugisha, executive director of Sexual Mori Uganda, a leadg gay rights anisatn whose operatns were spend by thori last year, told the AFP news agency earlier this month that he had already been undated wh lls om LGBTQ people over the new bill. “Wtern untri are puttg prsure on pennt untri by attackg the fay foundatn, promotg the ugly phenomenon of homosexualy, the spread of extremism and terrorism, and the e of human rights as a tool, for which the velopment of cultural teractns and cultural operatn between Iran and Uganda will be very effective nontg the plots of the enemi of the two natns, ” said Raisi.

UGANDA LAWMAKERS AMEND NTROVERSIAL ANTI-GAY LAW BUT ATH PENALTY FOR HIV POSIVE SEX REMAS

“In a dramatic expansn of the threat of vlence; there have also been lls to kill, burn, and beat up fai of those of who are openly LGBTQIA+ and live abroad orr to make their fai unrstand the ep shame and wound that Ethpian homophob the diaspora feel due to the outspokenns of those openly LGBTQIA+ dividuals, ” reads a statement that Hoe of Guramayle issued this week. Then-World Bank Print Jim Yong Kim 2014 postponed a $90 ln loan to the Ugandan ernment rponse to Meveni’s cisn to sign a versn of the Anti-Homosexualy Act that did not nta a ath penalty provisn.

“Türk warned agast retrogrsn om Uganda’s mments unr the ternatnal human rights treati has ratified, cludg the passage of the eply discrimatory and harmful anti-homosexualy law, that is already havg a negative impact on Ugandans, ” said the U.

UGANDA TO JAIL PEOPLE WHO INTIFY AS LGBTQ ONE OF WORLD'S MOST ANTI-GAY LAWS

Notably, the new law troduc the term "aggravated homosexualy" to scribe a host of same-sex sexual activi — sex wh an HIV-posive person, for example — that were not vered the 1950 act. " Other crimalized activi the new law clu the "nspiracy to m homosexualy, " as well as "aidg and abettg homosexualy, " which is vaguely fed as offerg your property or other "moveable assets for purpos of homosexualy. While the anti-gay bill was beg stalled durg the legislatn procs, the Ugandan Speaker of Parliament claimed that Ugandans were growg impatient, and were "mandg" the new anti-homosexualy bill to be signed.

In Febary 2014, the Print of Gambia said, "LGBT" stands for "Leprosy, Gonorrhea, Bacteria, and Tuberculosis, " and vowed to fight gay "verm" as fiercely as he fights malaria-g mosquo.