A Congolese legislator has proposed a bill to criminalize homosexuality in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a former Belgian colony that is home to 99 million people, where gay sex has never been criminalized. Constant Mutamba, an opposition member of the Dynamique Progressiste Révolutionnaire (DYPRO) party, put forward the bill, noting that homosexuality is socially frowned upon in Congo. Mutamba ran for president in the December 2023 elections, placing sixth with approximately 0.2% of the vote. The bill aims to criminalize “persons of the same sex who engage in sexual intercourse or sexual activity, even in a private circle.” It stipulates that such persons “will be punished by penal servitude of 5 to 10 years and a fine ranging from 7.5 million to 15 million Congolese francs” (between USD $2,600 and $5,300). The average salary in the Democratic Republic of Congo is estimated at $49 per month.