Deputies voted overwhelmingly in favour of the text, which has been widely condemned by rights activists and world leaders -- with US President Barack Obama describing it as "odious" and Nobel Peace laureate archbishop Desmond Tutu comparing it to apartheid. The private member's bill originally proposed the death penalty for some offences, such as if a minor was involved or the perpetrator was HIV-positive, but this has been replaced with life in prison. The approved text must now be given the green light by President Yoweri Museveni, himself a devout evangelical Christian. Miniskirt ban 
 
 The MP behind the bill, David Bahati, told the AFP news agency: "This is victory for Uganda. I am glad the parliament has voted against evil David Bahati, MP 
 
 The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga in Kampala says the government knows there will be an international outcry, which could see some countries suspend aid to the country. "Because we are a God-fearing nation, we value life in a holistic way. It is because of those values that members of parliament passed this bill regardless of what the outside world thinks," he said. First proposed in 2009, the bill had been shelved following international condemnation, but parliamentary spokeswoman Hellen Kaweesa said the changes meant that it had secured "majority support" among MPs. An early version of the bill would have introduced the death sentence for anyone caught engaging in homosexual acts for a second time, as well as for gay sex where one partner is a minor or has HIV. In 2011, prominent Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato was bludgeoned to death at his home after a newspaper splashed photos, names and addresses of gays in Uganda on the front page along with a yellow banner reading "Hang Them". Anti-pornography bill 
 
 While homosexuality was already illegal, the new bill stiffens penalties and also criminalises the public promotion of homosexuality -- including discussions by rights groups. After the vote, Ugandan gay activist Frank Mugisha declared himself "officially illegal" and also "outraged and disappointed". Human rights activists say the bill highlights the intolerance and discrimination the gay community faces in Uganda. Uganda is a socially conservative country and on Thursday passed an Anti-Pornography Bill, which bans miniskirts and sexually suggestive material such as some music videos. A British man, Bernard Randall, is currently facing trial in Uganda and a possible two-year sentence if convicted for "trafficking obscene publications" after police found pictures of him having gay sex.
– Ugandan lawmakers today overwhelmingly approved what would be one of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world. Homosexual acts were already illegal in Uganda, but now anyone caught committing this crime twice will be imprisoned for life, the AFP reports. The first draft of the law called for the death penalty in such cases, but it was shelved for years amidst international outrage. The bill also makes not reporting homosexuals a crime you could go to jail for, the BBC reports. It essentially outlaws gay rights groups as well, making it illegal to promote homosexuality. (Though many groups were already specifically banned.) The bill passed despite opposition from the prime minister, who said not enough lawmakers were present. "This is a victory for Uganda," the lawmaker behind the bill said. "I am glad the parliament has voted against evil." Activists are naturally despairing. "I am officially illegal," one said following the vote. The bill still needs to be signed by President Yoweri Museveni.