World Bank defunds Uganda over ‘anti-LGBT’ laws

The World Bank announced on Tuesday that it would be putting an indefinite pause on new financing to Uganda in response to the African nation’s recently adopted anti-homosexuality law.

The legislation, which criminalizes identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer, has been criticized by the United States and other Western nations, however, President Museveni has defended the policy, telling the international community to let Ugandans decide how they want to shape their society.

The World Bank explained that shortly after the deceptive law was passed in March, a team was sent to Uganda to ensure that the law did not get in the way of the organization’s goal of protecting sexual and gender minorities from discrimination and exclusion in the projects we finance.

Since 1960, Uganda has received over $2.5 billion in aid from the World Bank’s International Development Association and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.