Uganda’s gay rights supporters caught a glimpse of hope on Aug. 1 when the country’s constitutional court ruled that the December 2013 parliamentary vote to pass the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was illegal because of the below-quorum attendance. The new law, hailed by the Ugandan president as a defense of African and family values, brought resounding criticism from political and religious leaders around the globe. In place of the originally intended death penalty, the law prescribed life imprisonment for those found guilty of “aggravated homosexuality” and up to three years for those who fail to report offenders. Gay rights activists warn, however, that homosexual acts are still illegal in Uganda and that the repeal of this law on grounds of illegal voting practices may not postpone its revival for long. On Aug. 13 the attorney general announced that the government has dropped plans to appeal the ruling, and President Museveni has made clear that the law is “not a priority.”
Anti-Gay Law Struck Down in Uganda
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
On Inside the Vatican, we explore Pope Leo’s persistent calls for peace and his unexpected support for journalist Paola Ugaz, who exposed abuse in a powerful Peruvian lay group suppressed by Pope Francis.
On Tuesday night, Mr. Mamdani pulled off a shocking upset and finished first in the initial round of vote-counting in the Democratic primary for mayor. What can his campaign teach the Catholic Church about energizing “Gen Z”?
Though other factors are surely at play, church leaders in Nigeria insist the attacks are part of a systematic campaign to drive Christians from the region or force their conversion.
How should American Catholics respond to the U.S. attacks on Iran? Perhaps the Feast of Corpus Christi offers a counterpoint to the god of war, power and vengeance invoked by so many today.