Uganda Passes Anti-Gay Bill

The Ugandan Parliament has passed the bill which originally called for the execution of gay people in the country. What was known as the ‘Kill the Gays’ bill has been watered down but still remains one of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world.

The bill now allows for life imprisonment of people who are caught engaging in a homosexual act for a second time. A life sentence will also be given to those having gay sex where one person is HIV positive or if one party is under 14 years of age.

The legislation has been widely condemned by political activists and world leaders. US President Barack Obama describing the bill as “odious” and Archbishop Desmond Tutu compared it to apartheid. There have been widespread calls for Uganda President Museveni to veto the law.

Earlier the week the parliament passed a bill that banned focusing on pornography, which also made mini skirts and sexually suggestive music videos illegal.