Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023 to be Tabled on Tuesday

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023 will be tabled tomorrow, 07th March 2023 for first reading.

According to tomorrow’s Order Paper, the bill will be read for the first time by a private member, Hon Asuman Basalirwa (Bugiri Municipality MP). Last week, Parliament granted Basalirwa leave to present the bill that will criminalise same-sex marriages and relationships. This comes against the backdrop of several cases of homosexuality and lesbianism, especially in Ugandan schools.

In December 2014, Parliament passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that criminalizes same-sex marriages. The Bill was assented to by the President in February 2014, before it was overturned by Court on technicalities of requisite quorum.

The new anti-homosexuality criminalises any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex, prohibits the promotion or recognition of such relations and provides for other related matters.

According to section 2 of the new bill, a person commits the offence of homosexuality if (a) he penetrates the anus or mouth of another person of the same sex with his penis or any other sexual contraption; (b) he or she uses any object or sexual contraption to penetrate or stimulate the sexual organ of a person of the same sex; (c) he or she touches another person with the intention of committing the act of homosexuality; (d) holds out as a lesbian, gay, transgender, a queer or any other sexual or gender identity that is contrary to the binary categories of male and female.

A person who commits an offence under this section shall be liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for ten years.