February 24, 2014, New York – Today, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) issued the following statement in response to reports that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed the notorious Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law:

In addition to putting the lives of LGBTI Ugandans at serious risk, in signing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, President Museveni has criminalized the existence and work of our client, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), and other advocacy organizations in violation of the Ugandan constitution and international law.  The Center for Constitutional Rights holds right-wing U.S. evangelical Scott Lively directly responsible: he has been working in Uganda since 2002 to outlaw the speech and assembly of LGBTI people and effectively silence and erase the community from political life.  

Just last week he claimed to be launching a new international anti-gay organization based in Illinois, whose first statement was its express support for the repressive Russian laws banning LGBTI advocacy “and to urge other nations of the world to follow the Russian example. “  Lively has played a key role in moving forward anti-speech and advocacy laws in Eastern Europe and elsewhere, as well.

 

The Center for Constitutional Rights will continue the fight to hold Lively accountable in a U.S. court on behalf of our client, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG).

 

This dangerous legislation had already stoked a climate of hatred and persecution and led to violence against the LGBTI community in Uganda and Russia.