US lawmakers front resolution to repeal Uganda anti-gay law
People hold placards during a demonstration against the proposed new Ugandan anti-gay legislation which makes homesexuality illegal and punishable by harsh sentences for people identifying as LGBTQ+ in Pretoria, South Africa on March 31, 2023. PHOTO | REUTERS
US lawmakers are leading a resolution to be tabled in the House, denouncing and seeking to put pressure on Uganda government to repeal its anti-gay law, a copy of the resolution reviewed by The EastAfrican says.
The 21 congressmen and women want the Anti-Homosexuality Act – passed and signed in law early last year – expeditiously repealed for what they describe as its criminalisation and draconian punishments regarding consensual same-sex conduct and the so-called promotion of homosexuality.
The resolution also supports continuation of sanctions, including restrictions on visas to enter the US, for the current and former Ugandan officials involved in repressing marginalised populations, as well as for Washington to maintain business and travel advisories with respect to activities in Uganda.
Representatives Mark Takano and Joyce Beatty who are leading the resolution, also support reduction of US support to Uganda government, until the law is repealed.
The US gives Uganda close to $1 billion for military support and the health sector, including funding of anti-retroviral treatments – under the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) programme – for nearly 1.5 million Ugandans living with HIV-Aids.
“It is difficult to overstate the gross inhumanity of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act,” said Mr Takano.
“Instead of focusing on rooting out corruption or ending extrajudicial killings, the Ugandan Parliament, President, and Constitutional Court have chosen to mark LGBTQ+ Ugandans as less than human.
He adds: “Congress must not be silent in the face of such systematic, state-sponsored discrimination. To all those LGBTQ+ people and your allies in Uganda—we see you. We and the Biden Administration will not allow this terrible violation of basic dignity to go unchallenged.”
The timing of this resolution is important as it comes as the LGBTQ+ community heads to the end of Pride Month, gay rights activists said.
The legislators fronting the resolution say Uganda’s anti-gay law is already having deadly, real-world consequences, with many LGBTQ+ Ugandans having gone underground, and living in fear of the Anti-Homosexuality Act.
For instance, Michael Opolot, one of the first people charged with aggravated homosexuality has been held in prison for over 300 days, and during a recent court hearing, prosecutors modified their indictment to drop the charges using the Anti-Homosexuality Act.
However, Mr Opolot is still in prison and charged with violating the country’s extreme anti-sodomy law – which carries a 14-year-long sentence.
“This draconian law stands in clear violation of universal human rights and has already resulted in catastrophic personal outcomes for LGBTQI+ Ugandans, further discouraging them from seeking vital health services and facilitating a culture that supports state-sponsored violence,” says Ms Beatty.
She adds that the resolution shows that members of the US Congress stand with gay Ugandans, and demands immediate repeal of the law so that all Ugandans can lead safe, healthy lives free from fear.
Mr Takano was the first openly gay person of colour elected to the House and is a co-chair of the Congressional equality caucus, while Ms Beatty is a former chair of the Congressional black caucus and currently serves on the House committee on financial services as ranking member of the subcommittee on national security, illicit finance, and international financial institutions.
