White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday that the U.S. had "grave concerns" over an anti-LGBTQ2 bill passed on Tuesday by Uganda's parliament.

Jean-Pierre said it was one of the most extreme actions taken against the LGBTQ2 community in the world.

The bill has not yet been signed into law, but she said it would "impinge on universal human rights" and jeopardize the fight against HIV-AIDS.

The bill appears to be the first to outlaw merely identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer, according to Human Rights Watch. It also bans promoting and abetting homosexuality as well as what it calls conspiracy to engage in homosexuality. Supporters of the law have defended it saying it's needed to punish a broader array of LGBTQ2 activities, which they say threatens traditional values in the East African nation.

White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said there had not yet been a decision on possible economic repercussions on the bill.


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