Uganda’s President Has Rejected A Bill That Would Make It A Crime To Be LGBTQ
It’s not clear if Yoweri Museveni, who has a record of being anti-LGBTQ, sent the bill back to make it even tougher.
Uganda’s president has rejected a bill that would make it a crime to be LGBTQ.
Under the bill, those who are found guilty of having gay sex could face life imprisonment, and just attempting same-sex relations could result in seven years in prison.
People who commit “aggravated homosexuality”, which involves having gay sex while being HIV positive or with people under the age of 18, could face the death penalty.
People under 18 who are found to be LGBTQ could be jailed for three years and have to undergo a period of “rehabilitation”.
Friends, family and members of the community also have a duty to report people in same-sex relationships to the authorities.
But on Thursday April 20, president Yoweri Museveni declined to sign the bill into law and sent it back to parliament for reconsideration.
It’s not clear if Museveni, who has a record of being anti-LGBTQ, sent the bill back to make it even tougher.
A spokesperson said the president had wanted lawmakers to reconsider the issue of “rehabilitation”.
