The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, has called on Africa to "save the world from homosexuality," just days after Uganda's parliament passed a controversial bill that would jail all gay

people. Reports suggest that the President is likely to sign the bill into law, despite the international condemnation it has received. The new law would prohibit Ugandans from "promoting and abetting" homosexuality and from conspiring to engage in same-sex relationships. It also imposes the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality." Rights groups have condemned the law as "appalling."

In a speech on Sunday, President Museveni said that homosexuality was "a big threat and danger to the procreation of human race." He added, "Africa should provide the lead to save the world from this degeneration and decadence, which is really very dangerous for humanity." The President's comments followed a two-day inter-parliamentary conference at State House in Entebbe, attended by MPs and delegates from 22 African countries. The conference, promoted by the Ugandan parliament, the African Bar Association, and the Nigerian-based Foundation for African Cultural Heritage, focused on "family values and sovereignty."

Some unnamed British MPs also attended the conference, both in-person and online. The conference was hosted by Family Group International, a US evangelical Christian group defined as an anti-LGBTQ organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors far-right groups.

The anti-homosexuality bill was passed on March 21, inside a packed parliamentary chamber in the capital, Kampala. The speaker of the house ordered a roll call, warning that it was necessary to identify those who might oppose the legislation. The bill was supported by nearly all of the 389 legislators present. Amnesty International has urged President Museveni to veto the bill, warning it is "a grave assault" on LGBTQ people. However, based on the President's recent comments, it appears unlikely he will not sign the bill into law.

The bill was introduced last month by an opposition lawmaker who said his goal was to punish "promotion, recruitment, and funding" related to LGBTQ activities. A Ugandan gay rights activist who attended the conference via Zoom accused Uganda of "drawing up an African strategy to fight homosexuality," according to The Guardian.

The new law is likely to have serious implications for Uganda's LGBTQ community, who already face significant persecution and discrimination. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, Ugandan police have used COVID-19 restrictions as a pretext to target and arrest LGBTQ people. The report highlights a case in which police arrested 19 LGBTQ people in March 2020, claiming they had violated COVID-19 measures. The police detained the group for 50 days without charge, subjected them to forced anal examinations, and charged them with "a negligent act likely to spread infection of disease."

The passage of the new law has been met with widespread international condemnation. The US State Department issued a statement expressing deep concern, saying the legislation "would further criminalize consensual same-sex conduct, enshrining discrimination and persecution into law." The UK's foreign office also expressed concern, stating that the law "violates human rights and is an affront to the dignity of Ugandans." The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, called on President Museveni to "protect the human rights of all Ugandans and reject this discriminatory legislation." Photo by Chatham House, Wikimedia commons.