Uganda's Museveni defends anti-LGBTQ law

STORY: "The signing is finished, nobody will move us."

Uganda's president has defended signing one of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ laws.

At a meeting of his National Resistance Movement party, Yoweri Museveni said the legislation - which includes the death penalty - was needed to prevent LGBTQ community members who were "disoriented" from "recruiting" others.

"It's not genetic, it's not hormonal. It is psychological disorientation where somebody, because of some experience, hates the people you should love and love the people you should not love. It is a type of sickness."

The law imposes capital punishment for so-called "aggravated homosexuality" and a life sentence for same-sex intercourse.

A 20-year jail term can be handed down for the "promotion" of homosexuality.

The legislation has triggered widespread Western criticism including threats by U.S. President Joe Biden and others to cut aid and impose sanctions.

"If they cut aid, we shall sit down and discipline our expenditure, rearrange our budgets. If they interfere with our trade, we shall trade with others."

Homosexuality was already illegal in Uganda - a conservative and deeply religious country where members of the LGBTQ community already face ostracism and harassment by security forces.