News
Uganda Revisits Anti-homosexuality Bill
Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which was first introduced to parliament in October 2009, is to be debated by the country’s new government.
The bill was first introduced as a private member's bill by MP David Bahati (pictured), an evangelical Christian and a member of the Fellowship Foundation, also known as the Family, a US-based Christian and political organisation which arranges the annual prestigious National Prayer Breakfast in Washington.
US President Barack Obama denounced the bill as "odious", Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to reject it and some international donors threatened to cut aid if it became law.
Last August, after widespread international condemnation, the Ugandan parliament said it had decided to drop the bill.
However, the bill has been tabled again and has been referred to parliament's legal and parliamentary affairs committee for scrutiny.
If enacted, the bill would greatly broaden the criminalisation of homosexuality by introducing the death penalty for people who have previous convictions, are HIV-positive, or engage in same-sex acts with people under 18 years of age.
The bill also includes provisions for Ugandans who engage in same-sex sexual relations outside of Uganda, asserting that they may be extradited for punishment back to Uganda, and includes penalties for individuals, companies, media organisations, or non-governmental organisations that support LGBT rights.