On Tuesday, Uganda’s parliament was scheduled to vote on a proposed anti-gay legislation that seeks to impose stricter penalties for same-sex relations in a country where homosexuality is already illegal. The new law proposes that anyone who engages in same-sex activity or publicly identifies as LGBTQ in the conservative East African nation could face up to 10 years in prison. The legal and parliamentary affairs committee, which has been studying the legislation, announced that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was ready and would be presented for a vote in parliament that afternoon. The legislation enjoys broad public support in Uganda, and there has been limited reaction from civil society, given years of erosion of civic space under President Yoweri Museveni’s increasingly authoritarian rule.
Despite the bill’s popularity, Museveni has indicated that he does not view the issue as a priority and would prefer to maintain good relations with Western donors and investors. During parliamentary discussions of the bill, Museveni referred to gay people as “deviants,” using homophobic rhetoric that has frequently been used in such debates. However, Museveni’s suggestion that a medical opinion on the issue was needed was interpreted by analysts and foreign diplomats as a delaying tactic. Museveni has historically taken into account the potential damage of the bill to Uganda’s geopolitical relationships, particularly with the West and donor funding.
During parliamentary proceedings, some lawmakers spoke out against the bill, with legislator Fox Odoi-Oywelowo urging his colleagues not to pass the legislation. He argued that the bill contains unconstitutional provisions, reverses gains made in the fight against gender-based violence, and criminalizes individuals instead of conduct that contravenes legal provisions. However, other lawmakers repeatedly tried to shout him down.
Uganda has a history of intolerance of homosexuality, which is criminalized under colonial-era laws. However, since independence in 1962, there has never been a conviction for consensual same-sex activity. In 2014, Ugandan lawmakers passed a bill that called for life imprisonment for people caught having gay sex, which sparked international condemnation and resulted in some Western nations freezing or redirecting millions of dollars of government aid in response. The law was later struck down on a technicality by a court.