Uganda approves tough new anti-gay law - BBC News

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and President Biden has led international condemnation of new laws in Uganda that mean anyone who has gay sex can be jailed for life, in some circumstances people could face the penalty of death. Mr. Biden called the laws shameful and said the United States was considering sanctions here is David Willis, the United States has led the growing chorus of condemnation over these new laws. President Biden in a five-paragraph statement called Uganda's new laws shameful and a tragic violation of universal human rights. He has called for those laws to be immediately repealed and threatened sanctions if that does not happen, saying that, in his words, the United States will evaluate the implications of the law on all aspects of the United States' engagement with Uganda.

Now, one aspect of the engagement with Uganda is a program known as pepfar that remains. for the president's emergency plan for AIDS relief, which was established in 2003 under the George W. Bush administration to a limit and aids the global fight against HIV and AIDS as such, has been widely hailed as one of the most successful comprehensive health programs in its Uganda is one of the main recipients of funding for that program and there are fears that this new law passed in Uganda could set back the progress made in the fight against HIV and AIDS for the simple A One of the reasons men in the future might be more reluctant to come forward and seek treatment now is that the United States, as it has threatened in the past, could suspend funding for that program until the Ugandan government changes course ( something that seems notably reluctant to consider making total US investment in Uganda around $1 billion a year, so there are other ways that other incentives could be in jeopardy at the moment and it's worth noting too that the condemnation of these new laws in Uganda is not limited to Democrats, Republican Senator Ted Cruz called the new anti-homosexuality Lauren Uganda an abomination and grotesque David Willis eh, talk to us a little before, well, let's talk live now with Rodney Croom, a spokesperson for the national advocacy organization LGBTQ Plus. anyway Australia it's good to have you with us first of all your reaction to the passing of this law Ben um thank you for having me uh obviously uh as a gay man who has fought for equality for lgbti people QA plus for decades.

I am deeply disappointed um and angry at the events in Uganda as lgbtiq plus people around the world, it seems that today history is going backwards, that we are no longer on an upward trajectory towards greater equality and freedom, but we also know this from history of our movement. around the world that there is no hatred or discrimination that we cannot overcome, we must overcome our anger and our disillusionment and we must come together as a global community to work with our governments to repeal this law. I do not have any doubt. that we can do that, but today yes, a day is a day of anger and deep disappointment because a similar law was struck down by the Constitutional Court of Uganda in 2014.

Are you hopeful that some kind of challenge to this might cause it to be reconsidered ? Yes, I have spoken to people who are connected to the legal teams, who are dealing with this issue and who have already filed appeals. I understand, in Kampala and, yes, they are hopeful that the appeals they will make. within the Ugandan judiciary will be successful as they were in 2014. They are obviously not trying to be overconfident, but there is a hope that even though Parliament seems united in support of this abhorrent law that the judiciary is in Uganda. It will see the light and recognize fundamental human rights, so there is hope, but of course, as you can imagine, among everyday lgbti QA and Ugandans there is a deep fear and panic about this today.

I have been talking to people in direct contact again. with um queer Ugandans and there is fear of mass arrests, there is fear of extrajudicial killings, um, there is a deep fear there and as advocates around the world and, um, and particularly in countries like Australia and the United Kingdom, where our governments need , uh, they can do more about it. Hard work needs to be done to ensure that the international voice remains firmly against these laws. It's interesting that you mentioned the international response. What else would you like to see done? I mean, what do you realistically think of these countries you mentioned the UK and the US?

Australia and others can do it well Australia can speak publicly, it hasn't done it yet, the US, the UK and Canada have done it and other countries, but there is even more to do, we need to make sure there are travel restrictions and sanctions for those who have done so. I have been involved in the passage of this law. I understand that the United States is marked as a good thing. There needs to be greater cooperation at the UN and within the Commonwealth to ensure pressure is put on Ugandan government countries such as Australia and the UK.

Australia has a very low income and we will push for it to increase and above all we must support those court appeals that we have already mentioned and community education on the ground um clearly there are many Ugandans who support these laws, that is unfortunate um and we have to being there supporting lgbti quality assurance plus Ugandans and their allies change those attitudes you mentioned, you mentioned Ugandans seeking asylum elsewhere, what? What feeling do you have about the lgbtq plus community when you are in contact with them in Uganda? Do you get the sense that people are determined to stay and fight and try to get this law removed or do you think that a growing number of people will feel that it is not safe for them to remain healthy, as you can imagine, with a large population of people, including the lgbtiqa plus community, there are different answers, eh, I have spoken with some who are even more determined to stay and fight.

They are unwilling to give up their sense of belonging as Ugandans and want to fight for a better Uganda, but there are others who feel it has become too dangerous and are either going back into the closet or will seek asylum abroad. Whatever the situation, whatever the perspective of lgbtiqa and Ugandan individuals, each of them has to make a really difficult decision today. Each of them will be thinking: What do I do now? I stay? Leave? Should I go incognito? It's safer in Kenya or Tanzania, which it probably isn't. The choices those people face now are choices no one should be forced to face.

Nobody's ever okay, Rodney. Thank you very much, Rodney Croom, from the advocacy organization lgbtq plus. Just Same Australia. thank you thank you ben