jail-the-gays-bill

Uganda's Anti-Gay Law Has Been Struck Down

Rich Juzwiak · 08/01/14 08:15AM

Uganda's so-called "jail the gays" bill, which President Yoweri Museveni signed in February and imposed seven years in jail for "the offense of homosexuality" (gay sex) and lifetime in jail for "aggravated homosexuality," is no more. This does not mark shifting attitudes in the country that has become notorious for its harsh treatment of its LGBT citizens. Rather, on Friday, a court invalidated it on a technicality: it was passed during a parliamentary session that lacked a quorum.

Ugandan President Signs "Jail the Gays" Bill

Rich Juzwiak · 02/24/14 01:15PM

Today, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act, a wide-ranging bill that imposes seven years in jail for "the offense of homosexuality" (gay sex) and lifetime in jail for "aggravated homosexuality," which describes an array of offenses like incest, sex with a minor, and sex with a person with a disability. Uganda's The Observer reports, "The bill will formally become law when it gets published in the Uganda Gazette. That, however, remains a formality. For Uganda's largely anti-gay population, the most important part was the president's signature."