Uganda Passes Sweeping LGBTQ+ Bans

Facts

• Uganda's parliament on Tuesday passed a bill that criminalizes identifying as LGBTQ+ and proposes punishments for homosexual relationships.¹
• The bill — which now goes to Pres. Yoweri Museveni to be signed into law — would see anyone openly identifying as gay, lesbian, transgender, or queer face up to 20 years in prison. Same-sex intercourse is already unlawful in the country and punishable by life in prison.²
• Under the new legislation, the death penalty can be invoked for people convicted of "aggravated homosexuality" — defined in the bill as homosexual acts involving minors, people with disabilities, HIV-infected persons, or same-sex offenses committed without consent or under duress.³
• Individuals or institutions that support or fund LGBTQ+ rights activities or organizations — as well as journalists who publish, broadcast, and distribute content advocating homosexuality — also face prosecution and imprisonment.⁴
• The lawmakers assert that the law — known as the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2023 — aims to protect "the legal, religious, and traditional family values of Ugandans from the acts that are likely to promote sexual promiscuity in this country."⁵
• In 2009, the conservative East African nation introduced a similar bill that proposed the death penalty for same-sex relations. In 2014, a bill was signed into law, replacing the death penalty clause with life in prison. However, Uganda's Constitutional Court declared it "null and void" six months later.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²CNN, ³New York Times, ⁴BBC News, ⁵ NDTV, and ⁶ Vox.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Human Rights Watch. The draconian legislation promotes hatred and homophobia and seeks to strip LGBTQ+ individuals of their fundamental rights — including freedom of expression, privacy, and equality guaranteed under international human rights instruments to which Uganda is a party. The government must protect all people from violence and discrimination, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. To criminalize people simply for being who they are is morally repugnant.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Twitter. The West is quick to condemn anything that goes against its cultural imperialism but fails to realize that this bill is the direct result of its meddling. Shadowy international forces continue to promote and impose their morals on Africans, who have been forced to respond in kind. It's essential to protect Uganda's traditional family values, diverse culture, and the future of its children, even in the face of the West's financial blackmail.

Predictions

What will be the share of people living in countries where same-sex marriage is legal in the following years?

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