Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has asked legislators to make clear in proposed anti-homosexuality law that it is not criminal to merely identify as gay, as part of an attempt to tone down a bill that has drawn international condemnation.

Last month, legislators in the East African country overwhelmingly passed the proposed legislation, potentially one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ laws, and sent it to the president for approval.

The planned law criminalises a broad range of homosexual activity including promoting or abetting the lifestyle and imposes stiff penalties including death for so-called aggravated homosexuality.

The law has been widely criticised by human rights defenders, Western governments and corporations.

Thomas Tayebwa, parliament’s deputy speaker, read to legislators a letter Museveni had written to the parliament’s speaker on Tuesday in which he outlined his reasons for returning the bill and what changes he wanted.

In the letter, Museveni said it needed to be clear and distinguish between someone who professes a homosexual lifestyle and someone who actually commits homosexual acts.