UGANDA GAY BILL THREATENS HOMELESSNESS

Wire Report

KAMPALA, UGANDA |

A prominent leader of Uganda’s LGBTQ community said March 23 he was worried about becoming homeless, describing anguished calls by others like him who are concerned for their safety after the passing of a harsh new anti-gay bill.

“I am worried about being evicted,” said Frank Mugisha, head of the banned LGBTQ support group Sexual Minorities Uganda. “I am worried about being evicted from the place where I live, because I don’t own property. I could become homeless.”

The legislation “would make it impossible for me to live in this country and work here,” he said.

Mugisha spoke to The Associated Press amid growing pressure from the United Nations, the United States and others who are urging President Yoweri Museveni to block the legislation passed by lawmakers March 21.

The bill prescribes the death penalty for the offense of “aggravated homosexuality” and life imprisonment for “homosexuality.” Aggravated homosexuality is defined as cases of sex relations involving those infected with HIV as well as minors and other categories of vulnerable people. Jail terms of up to 20 years are proposed for those who advocate or promote the rights of LGBTQ people.

A suspect convicted of “attempted aggravated homosexuality” can be jailed for 14 years and the offense of “attempted homosexuality” is punishable by up to 10 years, according to the bill.

It remains unclear when Museveni will notify the legislature about his intentions regarding the bill. He sometimes takes his time before signing bills into law. He has condemned homosexuality over the years and recently accused unnamed Western nations of “trying to impose their practices on other people.”

The bill was introduced last month by an opposition lawmaker who said his goal was to punish the “promotion, recruitment and funding” of LGBTQ activities in this East African country where homosexuals are widely disparaged. Only two of 389 legislators present during the voting session opposed the bill, including one taunted during plenary debate by his colleagues as “a homosexualist” after he presented a dissenting view.

International concern is rising over the legislation.

Washington has “grave concerns” about the bill, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said March 22, adding that it would hamper tourism and economic investment in Uganda.

U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said if the law were enacted Washington would “have to take a look” at imposing economic sanctions on Uganda. He noted that this would be “really unfortunate” since most U.S. aid is in the form of health assistance, especially AIDS-related assistance.

The U.N. AIDS agency also warns that the legislation “threatens public health” because it would hurt efforts to fight HIV.

Anti-gay sentiment in Uganda has grown in recent weeks amid press reports alleging sodomy in boarding schools, including a prestigious one for boys where a parent accused a teacher of abusing her son. The recent decision of the Church of England to bless civil marriages of same-sex couples also has inflamed many, including some who see homosexuality as imported from abroad.

Mich Gov Signs Lgbtq Rights Law

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act March 16, which expands basic protections for the LGBTQ community. The measure, Senate Bill 4, was sponsored by openly gay state Sen. Jeremy Moss who less than a year previously had been shot down by the Republican majority as he attempted to have a non-binding resolution to recognize “Pride Month” adopted by the Senate. In her signing remarks, Whitmer noted: “In the words of Detroit native Lizzo, it’s about damn time! Bigotry is bad for business. Come to Michigan, you will be respected and protected under the law.”

Missouri Senate Endorses Trans Health Restrictions

The Missouri Senate advanced a pair of bills March 21 to prohibit gender-transitioning health care treatments for minors and restrict them from competing in sports. The Senate votes came after an all-night session of closed-door negotiations and only after Republican lawmakers agreed not to prohibit transitions already in process and to let the measures expire in 2027. The measures reflect a national push led by Republicans to restrict transgender health care, drag shows, bathroom access and how LGBTQ topics are discussed in schools.

Nebraska Trans Bill Advances

The Nebraska Legislature voted March 23 to advance a contentious bill that would ban gender-affirming care for minors, despite threats from some lawmakers that they would filibuster the rest of the session. The vote came on the third day of debate, in which lawmakers angrily accused one another of hypocrisy and a lack of collegiality early on. With the bill’s advancement, Omaha Sens. Megan Hunt and Machaela Cavanaugh promised to filibuster every bill that comes before lawmakers for the rest of the 90-day session. By the end of Thursday’s debate, other lawmakers had vowed to join that effort, including Omaha Sen. Jen Day and Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad. The bill will have to survive two more rounds of debate to pass in the unique one-house, officially nonpartisan Legislature.

ITALY’S DEMOCRATIC HEAD BLASTS LIMIT ON LGBTQ PARENT RIGHTS

Elly Schlein, the head of Italy’s opposition Democratic Party who in 2020 revealed she was in a relationship with another woman, blasted a bureaucratic crackdown on LGBTQ families as ideological, cruel and discriminatory and has vowed to push through legislation to better recognize and protect their rights. Schlein joined thousands of people at a demonstration in Milan to protest a move by the far-right-led Italian government to restrict the rights of parents in same-sex relationships. The Interior Ministry has forced Milan to limit parental rights to the biological parent when same-sex couples register their children with the city.