New Bill Proposed In Uganda Brings On Severe Penalties To Members of the LGBTQ+ Community, Including Death and Life Prison Sentences

The LGBTQ+ community in Africa just took another L in the fight for their rights. Bloomberg reported that officials in Uganda just approved a bill with stricter laws against gay people. The new legislation will issue harsher penalties outlawing homosexuality – including death and life sentences in prison. Documents list same-sex intercourse with persons under 18, an “offender” who is HIV+, or a person who even identifies as LGBTQ, as aggravated homosexuality. While the legislation hasn’t been implemented as an official law, Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, who is a strong critic of LGBTQ, is expected to sign it into law. The almost-unanimous vote happened Tuesday night in a packed chamber, with only two out of close to 400 representatives voting against it. “Congratulations,” Speaker Anita Among said, according to NPR. “Whatever we are doing, we are doing it for the people of Uganda.” LGBTQ advocates, like U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, criticized the vote. In a tweet, Blinken said the bill “would undermine fundamental human rights of all Ugandans and could reverse gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS.” The Anti-Homosexuality Act passed by the Ugandan Parliament yesterday would undermine fundamental human rights of all Ugandans and could reverse gains...