Uganda

“If signed into law by the President, it will render lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Uganda criminals simply for existing, for being who they are. It could ...

[@unitednationshumanrights](https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Funitednationshumanrights%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cohchr-infodesign%40un.org%7C0638ebc3f76c408edc0c08db2ac4e164%7C0f9e35db544f4f60bdcc5ea416e6dc70%7C0%7C0%7C638150797298521958%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jAKTK%2FFUgvpGiPEo4cQvz8s3EhhrAChrJxuJVQkIDeM%3D&reserved=0) [unitednationshumanrights](https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Funitednationshumanrights&data=05%7C01%7Cohchr-infodesign%40un.org%7C0638ebc3f76c408edc0c08db2ac4e164%7C0f9e35db544f4f60bdcc5ea416e6dc70%7C0%7C0%7C638150797298521958%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=gCGn5yjN%2BgoWnGLNwufHo4Kcb46LTR%2BQ5k16UeDOVPQ%3D&reserved=0) [@UNHumanRights](https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FUNHumanRights&data=05%7C01%7Cohchr-infodesign%40un.org%7C0638ebc3f76c408edc0c08db2ac4e164%7C0f9e35db544f4f60bdcc5ea416e6dc70%7C0%7C0%7C638150797298521958%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=1Bv%2FcmQt%2BkO5FROedADOyouCF1KTWEmjv%2BX66bRxwXk%3D&reserved=0) I would like to renew his plea today.” “Let us be clear: this is not about ‘values’. According to a civil society group, in February 2023 alone in Uganda, more than 110 LGBTQI+ people reported incidents, including arrests, sexual violence, evictions and public stripping. This bill will be a massive distraction from taking the necessary action to end sexual violence,” the High Commissioner said. “If signed into law by the President, it will render lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Uganda criminals simply for existing, for being who they are. It now awaits the President’s signature to become law. [+41 22 917 9383](tel:+41%20(0)22%20917%209383) / [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) or [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) or [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) or

Ugandan lawmakers on Tuesday approved some of the world's harshest anti-gay laws, making some crimes punishable by death and imposing up to 20 years in ...

Museveni last week derided homosexuals as “deviants.” It targets an array of activities, and includes a ban on promoting and abetting homosexuality as well as conspiracy to engage in homosexuality, Reuters reported. “We will go to all courts in Uganda. “One of the most extreme features of this new bill is that it criminalizes people simply for being who they are as well as further infringing on the rights to privacy, and freedoms of expression and association that are already compromised in Uganda,” HRW Uganda researcher Oryem Nyeko said in a statement that called on politicians in the country to “stop targeting LGBT people for political capital.” “The objective of the bill was to establish a comprehensive and enhanced legislation to protect traditional family values, our diverse culture, our faiths, by prohibiting any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex and the promotion or recognition of sexual relations between persons of the same sex,” Basalirwa said on Tuesday. [Ugandan lawmakers](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/08/africa/uganda-shuts-lgbtq-group-intl/index.html) on Tuesday approved some of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws, making some crimes punishable by death and imposing up to 20 years in prison for people identifying as [LGBTQ+](https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/10/africa/uganda-bill-criminalize-lgbtq-intl/index.html).

The UN has urged Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, to block an anti-LGBTQ+ bill that has harsh penalties for some homosexual offences, including death and ...

“It could provide carte blanche for the systematic violation of nearly all of their human rights and serve to incite people against each other.” The bill now goes to Museveni, who can veto or sign it into law. Aggravated homosexuality applies in cases of sex relations involving those infected with HIV as well as minors and other categories of vulnerable people.

The legislation makes it an offence to simply identify as gay, and obliges relatives to alert police.

They argue the offences it seeks to criminalise are already covered in the country's Penal Code Act. There is no reason why you should have a bill that criminalises individuals that are having consensual same-sex adult relationships," Clare Byarugaba, LGBTQ+ Rights Activist, Chapter Four Uganda told the BBC. So the issue of recruitment has been unproven, it is baseless, it is biased." " "There is a lot of blackmail. The bill is one of the toughest pieces of anti-gay legislation in Africa.

The country passes a bill which will make it a crime to identify as LGBT, with severe penalties including life in prison for having gay sex.

During a debate on the bill, politician David Bahati said: "Our creator God is happy [about] what is happening... "One of the most extreme features of this new bill is that it criminalises people simply for being who they are as well as further infringing on the rights to privacy, and freedoms of expression and association that are already compromised in Uganda," the group's spokesperson Oryem Nyeko said in a statement earlier this month. But politician Fox Odoi said the bill was "ill-conceived" and unconstitutional because it "criminalises individuals instead of conduct". The bill was introduced last month by an opposition politician who said his goal was to punish "promotion, recruitment and funding" of homosexuality. Uganda has passed a bill to make it a crime to identify as LGBT - with the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality". The country passes a bill which will make it a crime to identify as LGBT, with severe penalties including life in prison for having gay sex.

Biden is watching situation 'closely', press secretary said on Wednesday.

And it would come amid a new, resurgent wave of anti-LGBT+ hatred being spurred on the American right wing. Some acts considered “aggravated homosexuality” by the bill’s authors would be eligible for a death sentence. Should it be signed by Uganda’s president, who has a history of slandering the LGBT+ community, it would make the country one of the most hostile places on Earth for LGBT+ people.

The United Nations and United States on Wednesday added to international outrage over a hardline bill passed by Ugandan lawmakers that criminalizes simply ...

“African Rainbow Family condemns in its entirety, the passing of the Ugandan ‘Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023’ into law. “Seeking to strip LGBTQIA persons of their whole humanity, it extends to deny them housing, education and health care. And now that it has actually passed in Parliament, the (LGBTQ) community is quite in fear,” Onziema said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken slammed the bill, which would “undermine fundamental human rights of all Ugandans and could reverse gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” he tweeted on Wednesday. “If signed into law by the President, it will render lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Uganda criminals simply for existing, for being who they are. Volker Türk called the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2023 “draconian,” saying it would have negative repercussions on society as a whole and violates the nation’s constitution.

Uganda said on Thursday it expects its mountainous public debt to enter a "declining trend" helped by strong economic growth, which is projected to hit 7% ...

We project that real GDP growth will increase to over 7 percent at the start of commercial oil production." Register for free to Reuters and know the full story [(0883.HK)](https://www.reuters.com/companies/0883.HK) [launched](/world/africa/uganda-unveil-first-commercial-oil-production-drilling-programme-2023-01-24/) the drilling programme for the first production well in the fields which it co-owns with France's TotalEnergies [(TTEF.PA)](https://www.reuters.com/companies/TTEF.PA) and Uganda's national oil company.

If assented to by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, the bill will hand authorities broad powers to target gay Ugandans who already face legal discrimination ...

“If signed into law by the president, it will render lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Uganda criminals simply for existing, for being who they are. She was subsequently charged with gross indecency and is in prison awaiting trial. The police said on Monday they had arrested six people accused of running a network that was “actively involved in the grooming of young boys into acts of sodomy”. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the legislation would “undermine fundamental human rights of all Ugandans and could reverse gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS” and urged Uganda to reconsider the implementation of the bill. “The passing of this discriminatory bill – probably among the worst of its kind in the world – is a deeply troubling development,” he said in a statement. But opposition politicians boycotted a speech by Museveni on Thursday, in which he described gay people as “deviations”, to protest against human rights violations and the illegal imprisonment and forced disappearance of their supporters.

The United Nations rights chief on Wednesday urged Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to block an anti-LGBTQ bill passed this week that prescribes harsh ...

If anyone were to rent a room to a gay couple, they could go to jail for 10 years," Nyeko said. "If signed into law by the president, it will render lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Uganda criminals simply for existing, for being who they are," Turk, the U.N. He suggested in a recent speech that he supports the legislation, accusing unnamed Western nations of "trying to impose their practices on other people." "It could provide carte blanche for the systematic violation of nearly all of their human rights and serve to incite people against each other." [introduced last month](https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-rights-uganda-africa-bb09f1747ca18a0b707e49ea964fba92) by an opposition lawmaker who said his goal was to punish "promotion, recruitment and funding" related to LGBTQ activities in this East African country where homosexuals are widely disparaged. Aggravated homosexuality applies in cases of sex relations involving those infected with HIV, as well as minors.

A bill was passed in Uganda that would put people in jail for up to 10 years for merely identifying as LGBTQ+. Applause erupted in the Parliament building ...

They are also trying to erase the entire existence of any LGBTQ+ Ugandan,’ he warned. The bill also criminalises any person who fails to report someone they suspect of participating in same-sex acts to the police, calling for a fine or imprisonment for six months. I support the bill to protect the future of our children,’ lawmaker David Bahati said during a debate on the bill. The 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Bill confirms an already existing punishment of life in prison for same-sex conduct, while also increasing to 10 years the sentence for an attempt at same-sex conduct. Anyone advocating for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, or financially supporting organisations that do so, could face up to 20 years’ imprisonment. A bill was passed in Uganda that would put people in jail for up to 10 years for merely identifying as LGBTQ+.

KAMPALA, Uganda — (AP) — A prominent leader of Uganda's LGBTQ community said Thursday he was worried about becoming "homeless," describing anguished calls ...

The bill was introduced last month by an opposition lawmaker who said his goal was to punish the “promotion, recruitment and funding” of LGBTQ activities in this East African country where homosexuals are widely disparaged. “Many people are concerned about getting outed,” he said. The recent decision of the Church of England to bless civil marriages of same-sex couples also has inflamed many, including some who see homosexuality as imported from abroad. Jail terms of up to 20 years are proposed for those who advocate or promote the rights of LGBTQ people. “I am worried about being evicted from the place where I live, because I don't own property. “I am worried about being evicted,” said Frank Mugisha, head of the banned LGBTQ support group Sexual Minorities Uganda.

The Ugandan parliament has just passed a draconian new bill making it illegal to identify as LGBTQ+. The deeply chilling video of MPs cheering and ...

[was “illegal”](https://www.bigissue.com/news/activism/drag-queen-reading-protest-story-time/). [ new guidance](https://www.churchofengland.org/news-and-media/news-and-statements/guidance-welcoming-transgender-people-published) to welcome the trans community in 2018, amid the backlash from conservative corners – but, again, stopped short of fully welcoming trans Christians by not offering a transition blessing. [pronouns](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/gender-pronouns/), and [Westminster’s backlash to Scotland’s gender reform bill.](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/uk-government-blocks-scotlands-gender-recognition-law_uk_63c58c47e4b0cbfd55f55a79) We need a medical opinion on that.” We need to answer those questions. [Vladimir Putin](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/vladimir-putin) mocked the [ Church of England](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/church-of-england) for considering using [ gender-neutral terms](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/church-of-england-gender-neutral-god-same-sex-marriage_uk_63e37cf9e4b0c2b49ae6c610) for God in a landmark speech earlier this year, adding: “We have to protect our children from degradation and degeneration – and we will.” [Commonwealth](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/commonwealth), where most of the 33 member countries criminalise same-sex activity, often do so on the basis of laws which reach right back to colonial era. He also claimed in February that the West was trying to get other nations to “normalise” “deviations”, adding: “Homosexuals are deviations from the normal. [said](https://www.politico.eu/article/anti-lgbtq-violence-europe-highest-report/): “We have seen proof that anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech is not just the words of marginal leaders or would-be autocrats, but a real problem with dire consequences for people and communities.” [Ugandan](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/uganda) parliament has just passed a draconian new bill making it illegal to identify as [LGBTQ](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lgbtq+)+. More than 30 African countries have similar statues in place already, although this one is the first criminalise just being LGBTQ (as well as the promotion of homosexuality, and “abetting” and “conspiring” to engage in same-sex relations). [economic](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/economy) sanctions.

President Yoweri Museveni's government in Uganda has passed a harsh anti-LGBTQ+ bill that would include making homosexuality punishable by life in prison.

This is just the tip of the iceberg considering that, according to the United Nations, [not all cases of discrimination and violence against the LGBTQ+ community are reported](https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Discrimination/Joint_LGBTI_Statement_ENG.PDF) due to shame, stigma, and a lack of justice. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk has described the bill as “the worst of its kind in the world”, [urging President Museveni not to pass it into law](https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/03/uganda-turk-urges-president-not-sign-shocking-anti-homosexuality-bill). [according to the Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/22/un-urges-uganda-to-block-worst-in-the-world-anti-lqbtq-bill). [distraction from Uganda’s other existing crucial issues](https://twitter.com/BBCAfrica/status/1638532551391211520), including poor governance, corruption, and increased rates of poverty. The more we educate ourselves and speak about disruptions and violations of human rights, the stronger we become in our fight against them. The bill was later [ struck down by a domestic court](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/02/world/africa/uganda-anti-gay-law-struck-down-by-court.html) that said it had been passed without a proper quorum. Even prior to the bill, discrimination and violence leveled at LGTBQ+ individuals in Uganda has been intense and We urge the Ugandan Government to strongly reconsider the implementation of this legislation.— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) This affects you whether you’re gay or not.— Oryem Nyeko (@oryembley) The human rights of LGBTQ+ people in Uganda are once again under attack. Homosexuals are deviations from the normal.” It will also implement harsher penalties — including life imprisonment for homosexuality, while “aggravated homosexuality” would carry the death penalty.

Advocats say Uganda's passage of an anti-homosexuality bill could be the impetus for similar far-reaching legislation across Africa.

"People don't want to be associated with [homosexuals] because of the possibility of being tagged a criminal for not reporting. Tony Perkins, president of Washington-based Family Research Council, tweeted Wednesday that "Gender/Sexual ideology is not enshrined in international human rights treaties." "I have been in this house for over four years. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the bill "one of the most extreme LGBTQI+ laws in the world." Some supporters of the bill said it would make Uganda comport with God's wishes. sanctions against Uganda, saying, if enacted, the bill could force "repercussions that we would have to take, perhaps in an economic way."

The bill passed by Uganda's parliament is denounced by the UN as 'probably among the worst of its kind in the world'

Mr Museveni can veto the bill, or sign it into law. Someone convicted of “attempted aggravated homosexuality” can be jailed for 14 years and the offence of “attempted homosexuality” is punishable by up to 10 years, according to the bill. The bill still needs presidential assent, but prescribes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” and life imprisonment for “homosexuality”.

Uganda is one of 30 African countries which bans same-sex acts, but the new legislation from the Parliament takes things a step further.

[warned](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2023/03/22/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-and-nsc-coordinator-for-strategic-communications-john-kirby-11/) of potential economic repercussions if the bill is signed into law. ‘s High Commissioner for Human Rights, [called the bill](https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/03/uganda-turk-urges-president-not-sign-shocking-anti-homosexuality-bill) “draconian” and urged Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni not to sign it. “Congratulations,” said Anita Among, the speaker of the parliament. [Ozempic Exposed the Cracks in the Body Positivity Movement](https://time.com/6263689/ozempic-cracks-body-positivity/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) [Major Investigations Into Donald Trump](https://time.com/6212677/donald-trump-investigations-explained/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) [Who Should Be on the 2023 TIME100?](https://time.com/time100-reader-poll-2023/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202)Vote Now - The