The Ugandan parliament just approved a law that will make it illegal to identify as gay or a member of a sexual minority.
If President Yoweri Museveni signs the measure into law, people can get severe prison sentences.
According to the proposed legislation, friends, relatives, and community members would have a responsibility to alert the police when someone they know is involved in a same-sex relationship.
In the nation of East Africa, homosexual acts are already prohibited.
But the law aims to go farther and criminalize individuals based on their sexual orientation.
The law, which was initially introduced earlier this month, was passed by the Ugandan parliament on Tuesday with broad support.
So it is up to President Museveni to decide whether to exercise his veto and preserve his goodwill among Western funders and financiers—or make it law.
A person who is found guilty of grooming or trafficking youngsters with the intention of using them in homosexual acts will be sentenced to life in prison, according to the bill.
Anyone who prints, broadcasts, or distributes pro-gay media content and literature, as well as those who support or financially assist LGBT rights organizations or activities, risk prosecution and jail.
The bill's concept was contested by a small number of Ugandan MPs on the committee that was reviewing it. They contend that the country's Criminal Code Act already addresses the offenses it intends to criminalize.
The measure may have far-reaching effects, according to activists and LGBT persons in Uganda who claim that the nation's anti-homosexuality sentiment exposes them to physical and online harassment for Ugandans as a whole.
A similar measure that had increased prohibitions against the LGBT population in Uganda was declared invalid by the country's constitutional court in 2014.
This included stating that homosexual conduct should carry a life sentence in jail and making it unlawful to support and promote LGBT organizations and activities.
Because the act was passed by parliament without the necessary quorum, the court decided that it should be annulled. Western nations have widely denounced the law.
Over 30 African nations, where many people support strong religious and societal norms, have laws prohibiting same-sex relationships.
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