Aston Lukoye
- Once the bill is made law by the president, it will outlaw same-sex partnerships, discourage the promotion of homosexuality, criminalize homosexual acts, and compensate homosexual victims.
- The move intends to safeguard valued cultural norms, traditional family values, and young people who are at risk of sexual assault.
- Uganda’s parliament passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act on Dec. 20, 2013, before it was declared “null and void” by the constitutional court in 2014, citing a lack of a necessary quorum of lawmakers to vote on it.
Ugandan lawmakers on Thursday approved new legislation that entrenches the criminalization of same-sex conduct. Additionally, it makes up new crimes that will stifle any LGBTQ advocacy and bar LGBTQ individuals from any form of social engagement in Uganda.
The 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Bill increases the prison term for an attempt at same-sex behavior to ten years while maintaining the existing punishment of life in prison for same-sex conduct.
However, one of the most heinous clauses, “aggravated homosexuality,” asks for the death penalty in some situations, such as for “serial offenders” or anyone engaging in same-sex relationships with people who are disabled, denying those people the right to agree to sex.
The bill also made it illegal to advocate for homosexuality. Anyone who promotes the rights of LGBT individuals or gives money to groups that do so faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Additionally, anyone who promotes homosexuality by advertising, publishing, printing, broadcasting, or digital distribution could be prosecuted.
The bill also makes it illegal for anyone to withhold information from the police about someone they believe is engaging in same-sex acts. Violators might face a fine or six months in jail. If supportive family members don’t notify the authorities about their LGBTQ loved one, they risk going to prison.
The bill includes a clause that forbids making accommodations that encourage criminal activity. For instance, a ten-year prison sentence could be imposed on anyone who rents a room to a gay couple.
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill has 30 days to get consent or rejection from President Yoweri Museveni.
