Opendi is one of the most vocal proponents of the very strict anti-LGBT+ law that the country implemented in 2023. She even proposed an amendment to castrate homosexuals. Opendi is concerned that homosexual men will continue to have sex even while in prison.
The reason for the US rejecting her visa application is not known. The embassy does not respond to individual cases. The politician herself expresses being "shocked." "Ninety-six per cent of MPs voted in favour of the bill and I am aware of a number of MPs that have gotten visas to the US yet they supported the bill."
Activists applaud the decision of the US. Ugandan human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo says in The Guardian: “The denial of a visa is a strong statement against those spreading hatred. I hope it sends a firm message that such individuals have no place in civilized societies.”
The Ugandan anti-LGBT+ law is one of the strictest of its kind, even criminalising the identification as LGBT+. Sex with someone of the same gender is punishable by life imprisonment. If that person is HIV positive, the death penalty applies. The law has led many Western countries to cut off financial aid to Uganda.
