Ugandan Parliament passes Anti-Homosexuality Bill with death penalty

(CNN)- Uganda’s parliament has passed an amended version of the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 on Tuesday. Under the new proposed bill, homosexual conduct will still be illegal, but identifying as homosexual without conducting in homosexual acts will not be outlawed.

The bill, which originally proposed 20 years imprisonment for even identifying as LGBTQ+, was returned to parliament by Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni in late April. Museveni asked lawmakers to reconsider and clarify certain aspects of the bill.

The new Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 has made amendments to distinguish between those who identify or appear to be LGBTQ+ and those who actually engage in homosexual acts. Same-sex relations are already illegal in Uganda and warrant a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The bill previously suggested imprisoning those who identify as LGBTQ+, but now states that those who do not act on their “deviant proclivity” will not be punished by law. So-called “aggravated homosexuality,” will still be punishable by death.

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 will now be returned to President Museveni for reconsideration.

Lawmakers also agreed to a proposed amendment that would change the bill’s decree of a “duty to report” acts of homosexuality. Under the amended bill, individuals are now only legally required to report such acts if they are “against children and vulnerable people,” legislator Robina Gureme Rwakoojo confirmed in parliament. The punishment for not reporting this is a fine or imprisonment for six months, the bill states.

Only one lawmaker, legislator Fox Odoi-Oywelowo, spoke out against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 in Parliament on Tuesday, describing it as a breach of human rights. Speaker of the Parliament Anita Among accused Odoi-Oywelowo of being homosexual for opposing the bill, though Odoi-Oywelowo refuted this.