Uganda’s Parliament passed a Bill that proposes tougher penalties for people engaging in same-sex relations or who identify publicly as LGBTQ in the country.
Under the proposed law which now awaits approval by President Museveni, LGBTQ members could face up to 10 years in prison.
Local media reported the Bill was passed unanimously by the House.
“This House will not shy to restrict any right to the extent of the House that recognizes, protects, and safeguards the sovereignty, morals, and culture of this country,” speaker Anita Among said after Parliament unanimously adopted the Bill.
The legislation enjoys broad public support in Uganda and reaction from civil society has been muted under President Yoweri Museveni’s increasingly authoritarian rule.
Museveni has consistently signaled he does not view the issue as a priority and would prefer to maintain good relations with Western donors and investors.
Discussions about the bill in parliament have frequently been laced with homophobic rhetoric, with Museveni last week referring to gay people as “these deviants.”
“Homosexuals are deviations from normal. Why? Is it by nature or nurture? We need to answer these questions,” he told lawmakers.
“We need a medical opinion on that. We shall discuss it thoroughly,” he added, in a maneuver interpreted by analysts and foreign diplomats as a delaying tactic.
