Uganda has been in the news over the past year because of an anti-gay law that passed in February. Many around the world, but particularly those in the West, have condemned the law and now have voiced their disgust at the election of a controversial figure within the government as president of the global organization.

Sam Kutesa has served as Uganda's Foreign Minister since 2005, but now he will relinquish that position and serve as the president of the U.N. General Assembly. According to BBC News, Kutesa, 65, was Africa's unanimous pick for the position, which is now Africa's turn to fill. Yet, his election has been plagued by controversy surrounding him and his home country

Uganda's severe anti-gay legislation allows for sentences of up to life in prison for having gay sex. A petition signed by more than 9,000 people asked the U.N. and Secretary of State John Kerry to block his nomination, but it went unanswered.

On Wednesday, Kutesa gave his acceptance speech in spite of attempts to prevent him from attending and advocated for the U.N. to focus on fighting poverty, climate change and advancing gender equality.

"The scale and reach of most of the challenges we face, coupled with the limited capacity of many of those worst affected, requires that we address them collectively," he said. "The U.N. exists to find solutions through our combined efforts."

However, opponents to his presidency had started a petition to prevent him from entering the U.S. The Los Angeles Times reported that a Ugandan journalist based in New York named Milton Allimandi began circulating the online petition mentioned above that asks the U.S. government to revoke Kutesa's visa, preventing him from entering the country and taking part in his inauguration.

The newspaper reported that Allimandi accuses Kutesa in the petition of committing crimes under the Museveni administration and claimed Kutesa is part of crimes that include "domestic repression in Uganda and multiple invasions of neighboring countries," like Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.

Kutesa has also supported and defended the infamous anti-gay legislation despite international opposition to it. U.S. senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have also expressed their concern with the decision and have called on the U.N. to "review Kutesa's participation."

"It would be disturbing to see the foreign minister of a country that passed an unjust, harsh and discriminatory law based on sexual orientation preside over the U.N. General Assembly," Gillibrand said.