Ugandan president signs anti-gay legislation law with death penalty

Ugandan president signs anti-gay legislation law with death penaltyUganda's president has signed a new anti-gay legislation law, supported by many East African countries but condemned by human rights activists.

by Mariana Chiwaya

31-05-2023 12:32

in LGBTQIA

Uganda anti-LGBTIQ bill protests for Pretoria and Cape Town. Photo: Pexels

President Yoweri Museveni has signed a bill that does not criminalise those who identify as homosexual. This is a concern for many campaigners who condemned a draft that was presented earlier.

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The new law still proposes the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality', which is defined as cases of sexual relations involving people infected with HIV, as well as with minors and other categories.

In this new bill, a suspect convicted of attempted aggravated homosexuality' can be sentenced to 14 years in prison. In a statement by the parliamentary speaker, Anita Among said, With a lot of humility, I thank my colleagues, the members of parliament for withstanding all the pressure from the bullies and doomsday conspiracy theorists of our country .

In Uganda, homosexuality has been criminalised from colonial times, it was illegal and was an activity against the order of nature . People who were charged with the offence were imprisoned.

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NGOs in South Africa demand termination of the new Ugandan law According to the Daily Maverick, the founders and representatives of Parents, Friends and Families of South African Queers (PFSAQ), Lerato la Basadi and Isikhala Women's Group, stand in solidarity with the LGBTIQ community in Uganda and they are demanding that the new law be terminated. They have deemed the law unjust'.

Following the news of the new bill passed in Uganda, the collective wrote We as a collective of South African NGOs dedicated to fighting gender-based violence and the challenges faced by LGBTIQ persons, write today with concern and urgency . They implore the Ugandan government to immediately repeal the law. It is of great concern that this is the second law of its nature in just ten years they wrote.

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The NGO leaders have urged African leaders, especially those in South Africa and Uganda to take a stand for justice and compassion. In Africa, countries like Nigeria, Mauritania, and Somalia impose bans and imprisonment for homosexual people, with a few countries that make it possible for homosexual people to attain rights. South Africa is one of the countries in Africa that protects homosexual people.

ALSO READ: LGBTIQ rights in Africa: the state in the entire continent now

The progress we have made in advancing human rights and equality in our respective nations cannot be undermined by such regressive legislation . The leaders also called upon Africa to reject prejudice and to embrace diversity' in the continent.

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