Uganda: Further information: Anti-Homosexuality Bill signed into law
On 24 February Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law.
Further information on UA: 346/13 Index: AFR 59/004/2014 Date: 24 February 2014
URGENT ACTION
ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
On 24 February Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill
into law.
President Yoweri Museveni has assented to the Anti Homosexuality Act which entrenches discrimination and
hatred against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people.
The Anti-Homosexuality Act imposes penalties as high as life imprisonment for people engaging in consensual
same-sex sexual activity, and contravenes the rights guaranteed in Uganda’s Constitution and in regional and
international human rights mechanisms which Uganda is a party to, including the right to privacy, freedom from
discrimination and freedom of expression, assembly and association. The Act compels HIV testing in certain
circumstances where the person is accused of ‘aggravated homosexuality’ – an offence which criminalizes same-
sex sexual activity among ‘serial offenders’, people with disabilities and people living with HIV among others. The
Act also criminalizes ‘promotion of homosexuality’, which will have a detrimental impact on healthcare providers
and Ugandan and international organizations conducting advocacy on human rights issues.
No further action urging the President to veto the Anti Homosexuality Bill is requested from the UA
network. Amnesty International continues to monitor the situation in Uganda and is consulting with local
partners on further campaigning plans. Many thanks to all who sent appeals.
This is the second update of UA 346/13. Further information: http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR59/002/2014/en
Further information on UA: 346/13 Index: AFR 59/004/2014 Issue Date: 24 February 2014