Uganda's president signs harsh anti-gay bill into law
Anita Among, in a statement."We have stood strong to defend the culture, values and aspirations of our people."The law imposes capital punishment for some behaviour including transmitting a terminal illness like HIV/AIDS through gay sex, and stipulates a 20-year sentence for "promoting" homosexuality.Organisations found guilty of encouraging same-sex activity could face a 10-year ban.Hon @HonBasalirwaA displays a copy of the assented to Anti-Homosexuality Act to the members of the media.
pic.twitter.com/VATja6eMvvThe president had called on MPs to rework the bill.The amended version said that identifying as gay would not be criminalised but "engaging in acts of homosexuality" would be an offence punishable with life imprisonment.The earlier version also required Ugandans to report suspected homosexual activity to the police or face six months' imprisonment.Lawmakers agreed to amend that provision after Museveni said it risked creating "conflicts in society".Instead, the reporting requirement pertained only to suspected sexual offences against children and vulnerable people, with the penalty raised to five years in jail."The Ugandan president has today legalised state-sponsored homophobia and transphobia," said Clare Byarugaba, a Ugandan rights activist."It's a very dark and sad day for the LGBTIQ community, our allies and all of Uganda."She and other activists have vowed a legal challenge to the law.The United States, European Union and international human rights groups have all condemned the bill, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk appealed to Museveni not to sign it, describing it as "probably among the worst of its kind in the world."But it enjoys broad public support in Uganda, a devout.
