major consequences if Uganda implements strict anti-gay law

AFPDe Ugandan president Museveni

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 19:47

If the government of Uganda passes the anti-gay law passed this week, it will have “major consequences” for Dutch support for the East African country. That is what Minister Schreinemacher for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation says.

She calls on the government in Kampala to stop the legislation. Uganda’s parliament this week passed a law that criminalises the mere ‘promotion’ of homosexuality.

In addition to sex between people of the same sex, ‘promoting’ and ‘inciting’ homosexuality will also be punishable from now on. Violations lead to severe penalties. For example, sex with someone of the same sex can result in a life sentence. If that happens to someone under the age of 18 or if the “perpetrator” is HIV positive, the death penalty can be imposed.

Call to President

“Uganda is working on new, even more extreme anti-LGBTIQ + legislation, which even allows for the death penalty for homosexuality. Shocking, and that will have major consequences for our support for law enforcement programs, among other things. I call on the president to stop this law” Schreinemacher tweets.

It is not the first time Uganda has passed anti-gay legislation. In early 2014, President Museveni (who is still in power) signed legislation allowing people who are repeatedly “guilty” of homosexual activity to receive life imprisonment. The Constitutional Court later declared the law null and void. At the time, the Netherlands stopped helping the justice sector in Uganda because of the legislation.

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