BY Claire Mom
Uganda’s parliament is considering a law that criminalises anyone identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ).
On Thursday, members of parliament said the bill was necessary as the current ban on same-sex relations is considered not enough.
The bill is the latest move to rein in queer relationships in the highly conservative and religious east African nation.
The country’s penal codes permit life imprisonment for same-sex relations.
In 2019, members of parliament pushed for new laws to make homosexual acts punishable by death.
Uganda’s new law, if passed, would appear to be the first to criminalise people merely identifying as LGBTQ+, according to Human Rights Watch.
A copy of the bill as seen by Reuters, showed the proposed law was introduced to help the country fight “threats to the traditional, heterosexual family”. Offenders risk 10 years in jail.
The bill also threatens landlords who rent houses to gay people with a prison sentence.
People who “promote” homosexuality and “abet” and “conspire” to engage in same-sex relations also face threats.
Same-sex relations are banned in about 30 African countries including Nigeria.
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