The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has postponed a meeting in Uganda due to the imminent signing of an anti-LGBTQ bill. The new law, which has been described as one of the harshest of its kind in the world, would criminalize a broad range of behavior labeled as “promoting homosexuality” and impose tough penalties, including death for what it describes as “aggravated homosexuality.”
President Yoweri Museveni sent the bill back to parliament asking for changes that would tone it down, to a limited extent. However, the U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Thursday that officials need time to assess the impact of the law on PEPFAR activities. The U.S. spends $400 million annually in Uganda through PEPFAR, and the program had already voiced concerns about the bill, saying it would jeopardize efforts to end HIV/AIDS.
The decision to postpone the meeting does not amount to freezing or cutting PEPFAR services in Uganda. However, the spokesperson cited research showing that HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) is up to five times higher in African countries with laws that criminalize those men compared to countries without such laws. “Additionally, HIV prevalence is up to 12 times higher among MSM in settings with recent prosecutions than in those without,” the spokesperson said.
While Museveni has asked legislators to make it clear that merely identifying as gay would not be a crime, the bill would still criminalize LGBTQ individuals who act on their sexuality. The postponement of the meeting highlights the potential implications of the law for PEPFAR activities and the broader impact on the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ individuals in Uganda.