The Obama administration on Monday
criticized Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for signing a harsh
anti-gay bill into law, saying that he had taken the nation “a step
backward.”
Museveni acted roughly two months after
lawmakers approved the bill which prescribes life imprisonment for
people repeatedly convicted of having consensual sex with a member of
the same sex.
(Related: Yoweri
Museveni signs Ugandan anti-gay bill.)
“Instead of standing on the side of
freedom, justice, and equal rights for its people, today,
regrettably, Ugandan President Museveni took Uganda a step backward
by signing into law legislation criminalizing homosexuality,” the
Obama administration said in an emailed statement. “As President
Obama has said, this law is more than an affront and a danger to the
gay community in Uganda, it reflects poorly on the country's
commitment to protecting the human rights of its people and will
undermine public health, including efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. We
will continue to urge the Ugandan government to repeal this abhorrent
law and to advocate for the protection of the universal human rights
of LGBT persons in Uganda and around the world.”