Ugandans Will Be Jailed for Identifying as LGBTQ & The Death Penalty May Apply for Other Sex Crimes

Photo Jake Naughton/National Geographic

Uganda's new LGBTQ law will jail anyone who identifies as gay. Under this bill, the death penalty can be invoked if homosexual acts are committed under duress against children, people with mental or physical disabilities, by a "serial offender," or involving incest, or when perpetrators are infected with HIV.

According to Reuters, Frank Mugisha, a prominent Ugandan LGBTQ activist, denounced the legislation as draconian. "This law is very extreme and draconian ... it criminalizes being an LGBTQ person, but also they are trying to erase the entire existence of any LGBTQ Ugandan," he said.

Ugandan LGBTQ Members: Photo by Ben Cutis/AP

Uganda is a highly religious country that predominantly practices Christianity and has a small population of Muslims. The government has reportedly been cracking down on professional adults, such as teachers, who allegedly groom students for homosexual activities. Ugandan authorities also discovered an underground network that grooms young boys for homosexual activity.

In addition to Uganda, over thirty countries in Africa ban homosexuality. Stay tuned for more details; this is a developing story.