Uganda Passes Anti-Gay Bill That Includes Life In Prison
Uganda's Parliament ignored Western criticism and passed a bill on Friday that punishes acts of homosexuality with prison terms that can include life in prison.
The bill has been a source of controversy for years and President Yoweri Museveni must sign the bill for it to take effect. Western governments and leaders, including President Obama, have criticized the measure.
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill, it's actual name, also makes it a crime to "promote" homosexuality which could mean simply offering HIV counseling.
It also makes it a crime punishable by five years in prison for renting an apartment to an LGBT person and don't inform on your tenant to authorities.
"It's trying to make it impossible for people to have private lives," said Jessica Stern, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, based in New York.
"If you're perceived to be LGBT, no one's going to rent to you, for fear of their own criminal responsibility," she added. "So if this law is enacted in its current form, it's basically a homelessness sentence for LGBT Ugandans."
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