Officials Behind Anti-Gay Uganda Law Ineligible for U.S. Visas
In response to Uganda's harsh, criminal treatment of its LGBTQ population, the U.S. has expanded visa restrictions to Ugandan officials.
The United States will now restrict visa access to officials from Uganda over the marginalization of their LGBTQ populations.
Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ law, considered one of the harshest in the world, was enacted in May and carries the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” according to NBC News.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the move comes with a growing consensus that Ugandan officials are responsible for, or complicit in, enacting policies aimed at repressing members of marginalized or vulnerable populations.
“These groups include, but are not limited to, environmental activists, human rights defenders, journalists, LGBTQI+ persons, and civil society organizers,” said Blinken.
In addition to Ugandan officials, Blinken announced officials from Zimbabwe will also be found ineligible for U.S. visas.
He cited the contested August 2023 election of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, which cleared the way for the president’s second term.
The policy restricts visas for those officials found to be undermining the democratic process for both countries, including anyone involved in the August election in Zimbabwe.
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