Gambia Passes New Anti-LGBT Bill

Flickr photo courtesy of Andrew Bardwell.

The Gambia passed a bill in August 2014 that amended its criminal code to make “aggravated homosexuality” punishable by life imprisonment, according to The Guardian.

Previously in Gambia, homosexual acts by either men or women were punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The National Assembly speaker, Abdoulie Bojang, confirmed that the new bill was passed last month according to The Guardian.

The minority leader of the National Reconciliation Party, Samba Jallow, and one other lawmaker reportedly voted against the bill. The Guardian reports that, though he specified that his party did not condone homosexuality, Jallow said, “In our view, [homosexuals] did not commit a crime worthy of life imprisonment or any treasonable offense.”

The bill now awaits approval by Gambia’s president, Yahya Jammeh, who has publicly denounced homosexuals in the past according to The Guardian.

Read the full story here.