Uganda Parliament Proposes Death Penalty for Gay Sex

Uganda’s parliament on Tuesday passed a law criminalizing LGBTQ identity of individuals. More than 30 African countries, including Uganda, have already banned same-sex relations.

This new law of Uganda for the first time will criminalize people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ). Supporters of this new law say it is the right action to curb LGBTQ activities, which according to them threatens traditional values.

The new Uganda law forbids promoting and abetting homosexuality as well as conspiracy to engage in homosexuality. Violations under the law draw steep penalties including death for so called aggravated homosexuality and life in prison for gay sex. Aggravated homosexuality means gay sex with people under 18 years old or when the perpetrator is HIV positive.

This new legislation already passed by the Uganda parliament will be sent to President Yoweri Museveni for approval. Museveni has long opposed LGBTQ rights and signed an anti-LGBTQ law in 2013, which was condemned by Western countries. A domestic court struck it down on procedural grounds.

This month, authorities arrested a secondary school teacher in the eastern Ugandan district of Jinja over accusations of “grooming of young girls into unnatural sex practices.” On Monday Uganda police arrested six people accused of running a network that was “actively involved in the grooming of young boys into acts of sodomy.”

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