Still, the new law prescribes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” which is defined as cases of sexual relations involving people infected with HIV, as well as with minors and other categories of vulnerable people. Museveni had returned the bill to the national assembly in April asking for changes that would differentiate between identifying as LGBTQ+ and engaging in homosexual acts.

The version signed did not criminalize those who identify as LGBT+, following an outcry over an earlier draft.

The new law signed by President Yoweri Museveni has been widely condemned by rights activists and others abroad. Pretty Peter, who wished to be identified by her chosen name out of concern for her safety, fled the country in 2019 after police arrested 150 people at a gay club and paraded them in front of the media before charging them with public nuisance. Homosexuality has long been illegal in Uganda under a colonial-era law criminalizing sexual activity “against the order of nature.” The punishment for that offense is life imprisonment. FILE – Member of Parliament from Bubulo contituency John Musira, dressed in an anti-gay gown, attends the debate of the Anti-Homosexuality Act inside the chambers at the Parliament buildings in Kampala, Uganda, March 21, 2023.

Malay gay telegram