White House reviewing Ugandan relations due to anti-gay law
The White House says the United States is reviewing its relationship with Uganda because of the African nation's new anti-gay law.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a bill into law Monday that punishes gay sex with up to life in prison. He said the law was needed because the West is promoting homosexuality in Africa.
White House press secretary Jay Carney called the law "abhorrent." Carney said the country "took a step backward" with the law and urged its repeal.
“We are undertaking a review of our relationship with Uganda in light of this decision,” Carney said, though he declined to say what that could mean in terms of aid or other impacts while the review is underway.
President Obama warned President Museveni earlier that signing the bill into law would “complicate” the United States’ relationship with Uganda.
Mr. Obama’s national security adviser Susan Rice spoke with Museveni over the phone on Saturday night, urging him not to sign the law. "People everywhere deserve freedom, justice, and equality. No one should be discriminated against for who they are or whom they love," Rice said via Twitter.