Ugandan Ethics and Integrity Minister Simon Lokodo

Simon Lokodo, the Ethics and Integrity minister of Uganda, announced in an interview with Thomson Reuters today (Thursday, Oct. 10) that he plans to introduce to the Ugandan parliament a bill imposing the death penalty for same-sex relations and “promotion and recruitment” of homosexuality in order to curb a rise in “unnatural sex.”

Local activists confirm that it is to be tabled on Oct. 28, according to Outright Action International, an international LGBTQ advocacy organization.

Uganda’s “Anti-Homosexuality Act” was first passed by the parliament in 2013 and signed into law by President Museveni in early 2014, only to be invalidated by the Constitutional Court of Uganda on procedural grounds the same year.

According to Thomson Reuters, the government now plans to resurrect the act in the coming weeks, with a death penalty foreseen not only for same-sex relations, but also for “promotion and recruitment” of homosexuality Outright Action International noted in a press release.

Kasha Jacquelin, founder of the Uganda LGBT Community, told Outright Action, “The timing of the resurrection of the bill is callous. LGBTIQ people are being used as a scapegoat as elections approach. Violence against us has escalated in recent months; countless community members have fled, and I fear it will only get worse.

“We urgently need support from the international community if we are to stand up against the witch hunt being launched against us,” Jacquelin said.

OutRight Action International Executive Director Jessica Stern said, “Same-sex relations are already criminalized in Uganda, with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Efforts to impose a death penalty constitute legal overkill, and only serve to increase hate and stigma against LGBTIQ people, putting them at risk not only of government persecution but also vigilante violence.

“More concerning still are Minister Lokodo’s remarks that ‘promotion’ of LGBTIQ issues should also be criminalized to the same extent,” Stern continued. “This is an extremely dangerous addition to the resurfacing anti-homosexuality bill, which would, in essence, put activists in grave danger not only for being LGBTIQ, but also for engaging in any community support, awareness raising or service provision activities.”

Same-sex relations have been criminalized in Uganda since British colonial times, the advocacy organization notes, adding that Articles on “unnatural offenses” and “indecent practices” have been retained in the Penal Code since independence. “Carnal knowledge against the order of nature” between men currently carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

— Tammye Nash