Ugandan President signs HIV law

Sean Weaver

As originally reported by Buzzfeed on the 20 of August, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law a bill that would criminalize HIV transmission, as well as imposing a variety of ‘public health’ measures.

Feder states that ‘The copy of the signed legislation obtained by public health advocates is dated 31 July 2014, but official documents are frequently back-dated by Ugandan officials and so it’s possible that Museveni only signed the law in the past few days. Parliament voted in favor of the legislation on 13 May 2014.’

Part of the new law is its potential to imprison HIV positive people and to mandate compulsory HIV testing.

This law directly follows a ruling that struck down the anti-gay ruling in the previous weeks—which is due to be up for vote again, and could potentially be reinstated.

Both laws have the potential to create life threatening problems for openly gay people and those living with HIV in Uganda.

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About Sean Weaver

Sean Weaver is a blogger, writer, and reader. He is a graduate student at Kutztown University, Pa studying English. Bodies and sexualities are his expertise. He spends his time being somewhat neurotic about the clothes he wears, the books he reads, the endless papers he writes, and his next hair cut. Queer is his middle name.