Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is set to discuss a strict anti-LGBTQ bill with lawmakers from his party. The bill would impose the death penalty for so-called aggravated homosexuality, including having gay sex when HIV-positive, and 20-year sentences for “promoting” homosexuality. The bill has faced international condemnation from the United Nations, European Union, and corporate giants like Google.
The legislation, which passed with near-unanimous support in parliament, has already led to arrests, evictions, and mob attacks against LGBTQ Ugandans. Despite opposition from human rights activists and the US government, Museveni, a strong opponent of LGBTQ rights, has not indicated what he plans to do.
Museveni faces a balancing act between appeasing lawmakers who support the legislation and avoiding antagonizing foreign donors who provide billions of dollars in aid each year. Western governments have previously suspended aid and imposed visa restrictions in response to a 2014 law he signed that stiffened penalties for same-sex relations.
Opponents of the new bill argue that same-sex relations are already illegal in Uganda, as they are in more than 30 African countries. However, proponents of the bill argue that stronger legislation is needed to combat the threat homosexuality presents to traditional family values.
While some lawmakers expect Museveni to either sign the bill or send it back to parliament with suggested amendments, others fear that the legislation’s broad popular support will make it difficult to prevent it from becoming law. Regardless of what Museveni ultimately decides, the legislation’s impact on LGBTQ Ugandans is likely to be devastating.