New law: ‘Homosexual acts’ can now lead to life imprisonment in Uganda Energy-efficient air conditioning to termite mounds

Despite strong international protests, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law a controversial anti-LGBTQ law that provides for life imprisonment for “homosexual acts”. Museveni signed a slightly amended version of the “2023 Anti-Homosexuality Bill” on Monday, according to information from parliament and the presidential office on Twitter, which parliament submitted in early May.

Under the amended law, identifying as homosexual is not yet a criminal offence. “Participation in homosexual acts” is a crime punishable by life imprisonment. People or groups that advocate for homosexuals, such as LGBT activist groups, can be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

The law also provides for the death penalty for homosexuals convicted of rape or sex with minors or the disabled. The death penalty also applies to “serious homosexuality” – sexual relations with people infected with HIV. The death penalty is enshrined in Uganda’s constitution, but has not been applied for years.

is the English abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. The variant LGBTQ is also often used. Other variants are LGBTQI or LGBTQIA+. Each letter represents a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation.

Sharp criticism

The law has been strongly criticized internationally, including by the US, the EU and human rights organizations. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said Monday after Museveni signed that the procedure would allow “systematic violations of LGBTQ rights and the rights of the entire population”. The human rights organization Human Rights Watch also spoke of a violation of the rights of “everyone in Uganda”.

The effects were felt even before the law was signed, says Ugandan LGBT activist Sam Ganafa. Hospitals would refuse homosexuals for fear of government harassment. “This is sad news. Our people have to hide again,” said Ganafa of the German news agency.

Uganda’s progress in the fight against HIV is now in serious jeopardy, according to the UN Program to Combat the Immunodeficiency Disease AIDS (UNAIDS). The stigma and discrimination associated with passing the law has already led to limited access to prevention and treatment services.

“Trust, confidentiality and a stigma-free commitment are essential for anyone seeking healthcare,” UNAIDS, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the US President’s AIDS Emergency Response Plan (PEPFAR) wrote in a joint statement.

Museveni expressed concern

However, the law is widely supported by the people of Uganda. Homosexuality was still a criminal offense in the country during colonial times. However, since independence in 1962, there has never been a conviction for same-sex consensual activity.

Just over a month ago, Museveni sent a first draft of the law back to parliament. The president had expressed concern that the law could be legally vulnerable. In the original version, the law would also have criminalized homosexuals who voluntarily seek medical help. Parliament has now amended this aspect in a second variant law. The signed version no longer includes a six-month prison sentence for those who do not report suspicions of homosexual acts to the police.

Of the 54 countries on the African continent, only 22 allow homosexuality. But the new law in Uganda is now one of the strictest anti-LGBTQ guidelines in the world. The rights of homosexuals are particularly violated in those countries where Sharia law is the legal basis. The death penalty is imminent in Mauritania, Nigeria and Somalia. Life imprisonment is imminent in Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Uganda, up to 14 years in Gambia, Kenya and Malawi. (t-online, dpa, afp, lw)