Uganda is not an isolated case: in these countries homosexuals risk the death penalty

After a chaotic parliamentary debate, Uganda passed a new anti-gay law on Wednesday. And that’s the point: homosexuals who are guilty of “serious” crimes risk the death penalty in the worst case. The MPs did not specify in detail which offenses are included. People who knowingly shelter homosexuals, provide medical care or legal assistance can also be sentenced to a maximum of ten years in prison.

Incitement to hatred against homosexuals is the order of the day in the East African country with a population of about 45 million. Religious and political leaders sometimes outdo each other with homophobic statements – long before the law came along.

The climate for gays and lesbians has also deteriorated recently in other East African countries. A prominent politician from Tanzania’s ruling party recently called for the castration of homosexuals. Kenyan President William Ruto said in early March that there was no place for homosexuality in his country.

Homosexuals face prison sentences in 30 African countries, and the death penalty in Somalia and soon in Uganda. Gays and lesbians are also often discriminated against in African countries without an explicit ban, such as Angola or Botswana.

In many African countries, conservative beliefs – whether Christian or Muslim – are still very important. Many people are convinced that homosexuality does not fit traditional moral beliefs. In addition, African politicians have repeatedly argued that homosexuality is a Western ideology that should be forced upon Africa.

In the Western world, people are more open: in most countries homosexuals have been allowed to marry for years in a civil registry office, and in some they are also allowed to adopt children. Which country has which rules? An overview:

Same-sex love laws are strictest in Africa and Asia. In Iran, Afghanistan and parts of Nigeria there is a risk of the death penalty for sexual acts between men.

Although it is largely accepted in Europe, ‘marriage for all’ is still far from being allowed in all countries.

In many Eastern European countries, such as Poland, Hungary, Romania or Ukraine, marriage is only defined in the constitution as a union between a man and a woman.

Homosexual acts have been legalized in Switzerland since 1942 with the introduction of the penal code. Still, sometimes it was and still is a long road to full recognition. State discrimination based on sexual orientation has only been explicitly prohibited under constitutional law since 2000.

After that, progress was only made in small steps: homosexual partnerships could be registered from 2007 and on July 1, 2022, Switzerland finally became the 17th and thus one of the last Western European countries to introduce “marriage for all”. The offer was immediately taken up: in the second half of 2022, 749 same-sex couples married in Switzerland and 2,234 couples had their registered partnership converted into a marriage.