Uganda passes bill banning people from identifying as LGBTQ+
Tonight, if you identify as gay in Uganda, it could land you in prison for the rest of your life or even the death penalty in certain cases. The change comes after parliament passed a new bill with widespread support to crack down on the country's LGBT community. In our country, we will have our morals. We will protect our children. We are going to reinforce the law enforcement officers to make sure that homosexuals have no space in Uganda. The bill still needs to be signed by the president to become law, but it would make merely identifying as gay illegal for the first time. Frank Mogisha, a gay LGBT activist living in Uganda, has grave concerns.
Because it has a death penalty and many people would be worried, many people would be scared. The move is drawing our from around the world. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights calling it a deeply troubling development. Anti-homosexuality bill that just passed parliament in Uganda is probably the most draconian and hideous anti-LGBTQ bill that exists anywhere in the world. And she's not alone in that sentiment. The White House press secretary agreeing, also bringing up potential ripple effects of such a law. We have grave concerns with the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act.
It would impinge upon universal human rights, jeopardize progress in the fight against HIV AIDS, deter tourism and invest in Uganda and damage Uganda's international reputation. Uganda is already one of more than 60 nations around the world that outlaw homosexual acts, according to the Human Rights Watch. But this bill introduces many new criminal offenses which could affect the entire population. Friends, family and other citizens would have a duty to report individuals in same-sex relationships to the authorities. It prohibits landlords from renting premises that are used for the purposes of homosexuality. You can be sentenced to prison for 10 years for knowingly renting a room to someone who's LGBTQ. The law would also criminalize the promotion or normalization of homosexuality, which means any organization, including foreign ones, that has a policy of non-discrimination could face criminal charges with individuals being subject to lengthy jail sentences.
The worst would be mass and mass arrests of LGBTQ persons, mob violence towards the LGBTQ community. Putting LGBT persons, I don't know if they're going to be concentration camps or rehabilitation centers that are so discriminatory because many people are going to be internally displaced. Ali Aruzzi joins us now from London. Ali, we heard in your piece the White House press secretary speaking out, but activists are calling on the United States to do more here. Is that right? That's right, Alison. The Ugandan LGBT community and activists want President Biden to send a clear message that this bill will not be tolerated and Uganda will become an international pariah if it's passed. They say that if he doesn't do that, that sends a message to other countries considering similar measures that a blind eye will be turned to bigotry and discrimination.
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