A pressing issue has come to surface in Uganda regarding gay rights. Friday, August 18, a 20-year-old Ugandan man in the eastern district of Soroti was charged with aggravated homosexuality due to relations with a 40-year-old man. The Ugandan government decided that the 20-year-old is eligible for the death penalty, but there is no further news on the specific charges for this man.
The Ugandan people have not had much rejection to the anti-gay law but there are still protests arising. Ugandan officials are gaining pressure from abroad to repeal the charges towards homosexuality; however, as of August they have not repealed the anti-gay laws and many people conform to traditional views on sexuality.
The origins of the anti-gay law come from May of this year when Uganda made the anti-gay law that enables the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality. Lawmakers state that if someone is charged for aggravated homosexuality, it can result in up to 14 years in prison and for certain cases, the death penalty.
“Aggravated homosexuality is defined as cases of same-sex sexual relations involving a minor and other categories of vulnerable people, or when the perpetrator is infected with HIV,” said The Associated Press.
As of now, the Ugandan government has not clarified the “aggravated” portion of aggravated sexuality, causing some people to believe that the charge may be biased.
