Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a new anti-LGBTQ legislation on Monday, defying Western governments and international human rights groups.

He assented to the anti Homosexuality Bill 2023 and has now become an act. Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, but the new law imposes serious penalties, including 14-year prison terms for first-time offenders and life sentences to the said group of people.

Uganda’s head of state had called on lawmakers to amend the bill, and a new draft of the legislation was presented earlier this month.

The amended version clarifies that merely identifying yourself as gay would not be the cause for imprisonment.

Museveni had also advised lawmakers to remove a provision that made “aggravated homosexuality” subject to capital punishment, but this suggestion was rejected by Uganda’s parliament.

He said that he chose to sign the bill because the so called scientists had failed to get a gene for homos*****.
The provision pertains to repeat offenders and those found to have had sex while HIV-positive.