Sweden Threaten To Cut Aid To Uganda If The Government Criminalises Homosexuality

Sweden has become the latest country to voice their anger about Uganda’s plan to push forward with a bill that would act to criminalise homosexuality and make it punishment by death.

Acting to not only condemn the action, the Swedish development assistance minister, Gunilla Carlosson has also been quoted as saying that the Swedish govenment would consider cutting their $50 million annual aids package to Uganda, if the Ugandan government does not reverse it’s decision on what they believe is an “appalling policy”.

Carlosson has also been reported to be angered, not only by the law, but also the disrespect that the Ugandan government has shown to Sweden, saying he had “hoped we had started to share common values and understanding,” and that it was “offensive to see how Ugandans choose to look at how we see things, and the kind of reception we get when we bring up these issues.”

Ndorwa West MP David Bahati, who has lead the action for the bill still denies the bill is part of a hate campaign against the LGBT community, but that he is merely acting to defend the heterosexual family.

If the law is passed then offenders would face the death penalty if they have sex with a disabled person or a minor, or infected their partner with HIV. Imprisonment would also occur if people were deemed to be touching in a homosexual way, and third parties who failed to report homosexual relationships would also be suject to punishment.