President Joe Biden wrote to the House speaker and president of the Senate on October 30 declaring his plan to end the US relationship with Uganda and several other African nations over what he described as gross violations of human rights. Once approved, the Central African Republic, Gabon, Niger, and Uganda will be frozen out of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a US policy from the early 2000s that aims to promote economic growth in African countries. Section 104F of the AGOA’s requirements states that to be eligible for aid, countries must not engage in violations of internationally recognized human rights or provide support for acts of international terrorism. Biden argued that Gabon and Niger had not established continual progress towards improving their human rights record while the Central African Republic and Uganda had violated international human rights. In May, Uganda passed sweeping anti-LGBTQ+ reforms – dubbed the Anti-Homosexuality Act – that ban homosexuality, causing a noticeable spike in anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes and abuse. The law also introduces an “aggravated homosexuality” clause which carries the death sentence. Calls for Biden to cut economic ties were first heard in July when California congressman Robert Garcia said it was against the USA’s fundamental principles to continue aiding Uganda. The termination of the AGOA eligibility would take effect by January 1, 2024. #Queer Up The World View