Uganda’s parliament passes sweeping antigay legislation

Uganda’s parliament has passed sweeping antigay legislation that proposes tough new penalties for same-sex relationships and criminalizes anyone identifying as s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ).

While more than 30 African countries, including Uganda, already ban same-sex relationships, the new law passed on Tuesday appears to be the first to outlaw merely identifying LGBTQ, Human Rights Watch said.

Discussion about the bill in parliament was hot with politicians conflating child sexual abuse with consensual same-sex activity between adults.

Legislator David Bahati said during the debate on the bill that their creator God is happy [about] what is happening hence supporting the bill to protect the future of their children.

Bahati said that is about the sovereignty of their nation, nobody should blackmail and intimidate them.”