IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1324 

Condemning Uganda’s undemocratic human rights regression. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 26, 2024 

Mr. TAKANO (for himself, Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. NORTON, Mr. POCAN, Mrs. RAMIREZ, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. DOGGETT, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. 

MOULTON, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. ROBERT GARCIA of California, Mr. TORRES of New York, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, 

Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, Mr. SHERMAN, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. BALINT, 

Ms. TLAIB, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, 

and Mr. NADLER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning Uganda’s undemocratic human rights 

regression. 

Whereas, since 1986, Uganda has been led by President 

Yoweri Museveni; 

Whereas, according to the United States Department of State 

2023 Human Rights Report, human rights issues in 

Uganda included credible reports of extrajudicial killings, 

forced disappearance, torture by government agencies, serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media, 

censorship, interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly and association, crimes involving violence or 

threats targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HRES 1324 IH 

queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) persons, human rights 

defenders, journalists, and other marginalized populations, and the existence of laws criminalizing consensual 

same-sex sexual conduct between adults; 

Whereas consensual same-sex sexual conduct has been illegal 

in Uganda according to a colonial-era law that criminalizes ‘‘carnal knowledge of any person against the order 

of nature’’, carrying a punishment of up to life imprisonment; 

Whereas, in December 2013, the Parliament of Uganda 

passed the country’s first Anti-Homosexuality Act that 

broadened the criminalization of consensual same-sex sexual relations and penalties for individuals, companies, 

and nongovernmental organizations that aid, abet, counsel, or procures another to ‘‘engage in acts of homosexuality’’; 

Whereas, in 2014, President Yoweri Museveni signed into law 

the Anti-Homosexuality Act; 

Whereas international condemnation was immediate in response to the 2014 Ugandan law; 

Whereas the United States issued aid, police, travel, and military sanctions against Uganda in response to the AntiHomosexuality Act; 

Whereas the Constitutional Court of Uganda ruled the act invalid on procedural grounds; 

Whereas, in March 2023, the Parliament of Uganda introduced and passed a new version of the Anti-Homosexuality Act that mirrored the legislation signed into law in 

2014 and introduced the death penalty even for some 

consensual acts; 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HRES 1324 IH 

Whereas, in April 2023, President Museveni returned the 

Anti-Homosexuality Act to the Parliament of Uganda for 

unsubstantial revisions; 

Whereas, on May 2, 2023, the Parliament of Uganda passed 

an amended version of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 

which maintained harsh penalties; 

Whereas, on May 26, 2023, President Museveni signed the 

Anti-Homosexuality Act; 

Whereas the Anti-Homosexuality Act includes, among other 

things, life imprisonment for consensual same-sex sexual 

conduct, the death penalty for individuals who commit 

the ‘‘offence of homosexuality’’ under certain circumstances, and 20 years of imprisonment for the ‘‘promotion of homosexuality,’’ which includes operating an 

organization that ‘‘promotes or encourages homosexuality 

or the observance and normalization of [homosexual] conduct’’; 

Whereas, on May 29, 2023, President Biden stated that ‘‘the 

enactment of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act is a tragic violation of universal human rights . . . that jeopardizes the prospects of critical economic growth for the entire country’’ and followed that statement by restricting 

Uganda’s trade privileges, enacting new sanctions and 

visa restrictions, reducing direct support to the Government of Uganda, and increasing assistance to victims of 

human rights abuse; 

Whereas the joint statement by the leaders of the Global 

Fund, the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, and 

the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief 

(PEPFAR) on Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act stated 

that the Anti-Homosexuality Act ‘‘will obstruct health 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HRES 1324 IH 

education and the outreach that can help end AIDS as 

a public health threat’’ and that ‘‘LGBTQI+ people in 

Uganda increasingly fear for their safety and security, 

and increasing numbers of people are being discouraged 

from seeking vital health services for fear of attack, punishment and further marginalization’’; 

Whereas, in August 2023, the World Bank announced that 

it would pause all lending to Uganda, stating that the 

Anti-Homosexuality Act ‘‘fundamentally contradicts the 

World Bank Group’s values,’’ and that their ‘‘vision to 

eradicate poverty on a livable planet can only succeed if 

it includes everyone irrespective of race, gender, or sexuality’’; 

Whereas the Anti-Homosexuality Act has had severe impacts 

on LGBTQI+ Ugandans through its government-sanctioned violence, societal vigilantism, and further 

marginalization of those perceived or actual LGBTQI+ 

individuals; 

Whereas under the legal enforcement of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which began in September 2023, human 

rights groups on the ground reported a marked uptick 

within the last 8 months in police violence, harassment, 

assault, evictions, job loss, and arrests of LGBTQI+ persons and individuals believed to be LGBTQI+, including— 

(1) over 434 cases of evictions; 

(2) 69 arrests; 

(3) 309 cases of violence, including physical violence, 

forced outing, threats, online attacks, police raids, and 

blackmail and extortion; 

(4) 108 cases of violations of an individual’s civil liberties and right to freedom from discrimination, including 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•HRES 1324 IH 

loss of employment, exclusion from social services, family 

rejection, and denial of a passport; and 

(5) 1253 total human rights violations and abuses; 

Whereas the Anti-Homosexuality Act has had a negative impact on health service providers and limited access to 

health care for LGBTQI+ persons, including denial of 

services to LGBTQI+ patients and a reluctance on the 

part of LGBTQI+ Ugandans to seek care for fear of 

being reported to the police; 

Whereas the impact on seeking and delivery of HIV/AIDSrelated services has been particularly acute for 

LGBTQI+ persons due to fear of being reported to law 

enforcement; 

Whereas reports from community members indicate that 

landlords and hoteliers continue to evict members of the 

LGBTQI+ community and LGBTQI+ organizations 

from properties due to the threat of prosecution for housing someone who violates one of the many provisions of 

the Anti-Homosexuality Act, increasing LGBTQI+ persons’ challenge to find safe housing; 

Whereas, on April 3, 2024, the Constitutional Court of Uganda ruled that all but two sections and two subsections of 

the Anti-Homosexuality Act were constitutional, upholding the Act as the law of the land and entrenching its 

disregard of Ugandans’ rights and their life, liberty, freedom, and equality; and 

Whereas the dangers posed by this democratic backsliding are 

a threat to everyone residing in Uganda, including foreign government personnel, the staff of nongovernmental 

organization implementing partners, visitors and tourists, 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•HRES 1324 IH 

members of the business community, and Ugandans 

themselves: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns the Government of Uganda’s 

3 criminalization and draconian punishments regard4 ing consensual same-sex sexual conduct and so5 called ‘‘promotion of homosexuality’’; 

6 (2) calls on the Government of Uganda to expe7 ditiously repeal the Anti-Homosexuality Act; and 

8 (3) supports the continuation of existing sanc9 tions imposed with respect to the Government of 

10 Uganda, including restrictions on visas to enter the 

11 United States for current and former Ugandan offi12 cials involved in repressing marginalized populations, 

13 business and travel advisories with respect to activi14 ties in Uganda, and reduction of support to the Gov15 ernment of Uganda, until the Anti-Homosexuality 

16 Act is repealed. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB