On Feb. 24, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law a bill that criminalizes homosexuality, CNN reported.
Last month, Museveni said he wouldn't sign the bill, describing gay people as "sick" individuals who needed help, not imprisonment. Then he changed his mind this month and said he'd sign it because scientists had determined that there's no gene for homosexuality and that it's merely abnormal behavior. He then said he would seek advice from U.S. scientists before he made any decision.
Although same-sex acts are illegal in Uganda, the measure toughens penalties for certain acts, adding the possibility of life imprisonment.
LGBT-rights groups immediately condemned Museveni's action. "This law is so vague that it is could even lead to prison time for health workers who provide care to someone thought to be gay," said Thomas Ndayiragije, senior program officer in the IGLHRC ( International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission ) Africa Program, in a statement. "Ordinary Ugandans who believe in equality, humanity, and rights, could end up in jail."
In a separate press release, American Jewish World Service President Ruth Messinger said, "By signing this draconian bill into law, President Museveni has demonstrated his disregard for the fundamental human rights of Ugandan citizens and has sanctioned hate and discrimination toward LGBT Ugandans."
The following is a Feb. 24 statement on Uganda from the White House, Office of the Press Secretary.
Instead of standing on the side of freedom, justice, and equal rights for its people, today, regrettably, Ugandan President Museveni took Uganda a step backward by signing into law legislation criminalizing homosexuality.
As President Obama has said, this law is more than an affront and a danger to the gay community in Uganda, it reflects poorly on the country's commitment to protecting the human rights of its people and will undermine public health, including efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. We will continue to urge the Ugandan government to repeal this abhorrent law and to advocate for the protection of the universal human rights of LGBT persons in Uganda and around the world.
The following is a press release from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission:
Human Rights Defenders Call on Uganda to Repeal Discriminatory Anti-LGBT Rights Legislation
( 24 February 2014, Johannesburg )—The "Anti-Homosexuality Legislation," went into effect today in Uganda after President Museveni signed it into law. The fate of the controversial bill has been the subject of international attention and concern over the impact on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT ) persons in Uganda.
Human rights defenders expressed a strong and immediate response: "The Ugandan government must immediately move to repeal the so-called 'Anti-Homosexuality' law which attaches severe criminal penalties to freedom of association and speech related to LGBT rights," said Jessica Stern, Executive Director, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission ( IGLHRC ).
Known as the "Jail the Gays" law, it has been criticized widely by Ugandan and international civil society, as well as by state leaders, as inherently in violation of Uganda's international human rights obligations. The law redoubles existing legislation criminalizing homosexual relations. It is widely viewed as part of political maneuvering as Uganda prepares for presidential elections.
"This law is so vague that it is could even lead to prison time for health workers who provide care to someone thought to be gay," said Thomas Ndayiragije, Senior Program Officer in the IGLHRC Africa Program. "Ordinary Ugandans who believe in equality, humanity, and rights, could end up in jail."
Experience from other jurisdictions with similarly draconian laws, such as Nigeria or Russia, indicates that their implementation is often followed by a surge in violence against individuals thought to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The Ugandan government has not indicated any plans to counter such violence or to investigate potential allegations of abuse.
"The Ugandan government has an obligation to protect everyone within its jurisdiction from violence," said Ndayiragije. "To meet this obligation, we need to see concrete plans to stop vigilante violence in the wake of this legislation and to investigate, impartially, all allegations of abuse so long as the law is in effect. The government must publicly declare that it will not tolerate violence against LGBT populations."
