Biden—And Ted Cruz—Rebuke Uganda’s New Anti-LGBTQ Law Allowing Death Penalty

Forbes Business Breaking Biden—And Ted Cruz—Rebuke Uganda’s New Anti-LGBTQ Law Allowing Death Penalty Sara Dorn Forbes Staff Politics Following May 29, 2023, 04:13pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline President Joe Biden and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sharply condemned Uganda’s new anti-LGBTQ legislation Monday that allows life sentences and the death penalty in some cases for people who engage in same-sex relations—as Biden said the “shameful” law threatens U. S.

aid programs to Uganda and could lead to sanctions. Uganda President Yoweri Museveni signed legislation Monday that allows for life in prison and the . .

. [+] death penalty in some cases for people who engage in same-sex relations. (AP Photo/John Muchucha, File) Copyright 2020 The Associated Press.

All rights reserved. Key Facts Biden called for the “immediate repeal” of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which was signed Monday by President Yoweri Museveni after it was passed by Parliament in March. Cruz called the legislation “grotesque & an abomination” in a tweet , adding “ALL civilized nations should join together in condemning this human rights abuse.

” The new legislation affirms an existing law that allows life sentences for people who engage in same-sex relations and includes more drastic measures, such as allowing the death penalty for HIV-positive people who repeatedly engage in sex with people of the same gender, along with prison sentences of up to 20 years for “promoting homosexuality. ” Biden said he has directed the U. S.

National Security Council to re-evaluate aid programs to Uganda in the wake of the new law and said his administration is also considering sanctions against Uganda and “restriction of entry into the United States against anyone involved in serious human rights abuses or corruption. ” Tangent Cruz has voted against codifying same-sex marriage in the past and criticized the Supreme Court for legalizing it nationwide. However, he has pushed Texas to repeal a defunct law criminalizing sexual activity between same-sex couples, telling the Dallas Morning News : “Consenting adults should be able to do what they wish in their private sexual activity, and government has no business in their bedrooms.

” Big Number $950 million. That’s how much aid the U. S.

provides each year to Uganda, a large portion of which is dedicated to health-related programs, according to the State Department. Key Background Uganda, which is one of more than 30 African countries where homosexuality is illegal, attempted to implement similar laws in 2014 and 2019, but the first bill was struck down amid legal challenges and Museveni vetoed the second piece of legislation, citing concerns about adverse “foreign policy implications. ” Many in the LGBTQ community have left the country or gone into hiding amid the new restrictions.

Chief Critic The leaders of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund), the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, and the U. S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief warned the legislation could reverse strides to fight AIDS in Uganda by obstructing education and outreach efforts.

“The stigma and discrimination associated with the passage of the Act has already led to reduced access to prevention as well as treatment services,” they wrote in a statement. Further Reading Uganda Passes Drastic Anti-LGBTQ Law—Including Death Penalty (Forbes) Follow me on Twitter . Send me a secure tip .

Sara Dorn Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.