Biden calls Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ law “tragic violation of human rights”

US President Joe Biden slammed Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday for enacting a new anti-homosexuality law, calling it a “tragic violation of universal human rights.” US President Joe Biden also demanded that it be repealed immediately.

Biden stated that no one should have to live in fear of their lives or face violence and discrimination. Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda, has signed a new law that mandates a 20-year sentence for “promoting” homosexuality and also prescribes the death penalty for certain behaviour, including engaging in gay sex while HIV positive.

“The enactment of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act is a tragic violation of universal human rights – one that is not worthy of the Ugandan people, and one that jeopardises the prospects of critical economic growth for the entire country. I join with people around the world – including many in Uganda – in calling for its immediate repeal. No one should have to live in constant fear for their life or being subjected to violence and discrimination. It is wrong,” Biden said in an official statement.

Biden also stated that since the Anti-Homosexuality Act was passed, there has been an increase in reports of violence and discrimination against Ugandans who are or are perceived to be LGBTQI+.

The US president also stated that this heinous Act is the latest development in Uganda’s alarming trend of human rights violations and corruption. The dangers posed by this democratic backsliding endanger everyone living in Uganda, including US government personnel, staff from our implementing partners, tourists, businesspeople, and others.

Biden also said that he has directed the US National Security Council to evaluate the implication of this law on all aspects of US engagement with Uganda, including our ability to safely deliver services under the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other forms of assistance and investments, according to an official statement of White House.

Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament Anita Among in a post Twitter on Monday said, “I now encourage the duty bearers under the law to execute the mandate bestowed upon them in the Anti-Homosexuality Act.”
“The People of Uganda have spoken, and it is your duty to now enforce the law in a fair, steadfast, and firm manner,” she said.

Same-sex relationships are illegal in more than 30 African countries, including Uganda, but the new law goes much further in discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people, according to Al Jazeera.

The law was approved despite opposition from Western governments, businesses, and human rights activists, according to Al Jazeera.

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 was one of six pieces of legislation signed into law by Museveni on Sunday, according to the president’s office.