Ecosocialist reports that the Ugandan Parliament will debate the anti-homosexuality bill within the next three days. As it stands, it will bring in the death penalty for gays, lesbians and bi-sexuals, enshrining in law the reality of Church-led and inspired persecution of the LGBT community in the country. The law is the brain child of MP David Bahati, who was educated at the University of Wales up to 2003, leading to the unintentionally ironic claim of the former Bishop of St David's that, "Wales' influence often stretches further than we realise."
Gay people in Uganda have faced assault and murder for some years, while the authorities have turned a blind eye to the assailants. Lesbian women have faced so-called "corrective rape" by gangs of men and exorcism by Christian priests. Criticism of these practices and the planned law by among others President Obama have been rebuffed angrily by religious leaders and the legislators have ridden on a wave of bigotry to reach this week's debate.
Some religious groups, particularly the Anglicans, have been prominent in opposing the proposed law and welcomed a recent human rights award granted to a Ugandan gay activist. But populist politicians seem to have no scruples in pressing the law forward and so it is up to the international community to pressure President Museveni to not sign the act into law if and when it reaches the stage of Presidential ratification.
Please sign the petition on Ecosocialist's page to call on the President to say no to this appalling act of repression, or link by clicking HERE.
Gay people in Uganda have faced assault and murder for some years, while the authorities have turned a blind eye to the assailants. Lesbian women have faced so-called "corrective rape" by gangs of men and exorcism by Christian priests. Criticism of these practices and the planned law by among others President Obama have been rebuffed angrily by religious leaders and the legislators have ridden on a wave of bigotry to reach this week's debate.
Some religious groups, particularly the Anglicans, have been prominent in opposing the proposed law and welcomed a recent human rights award granted to a Ugandan gay activist. But populist politicians seem to have no scruples in pressing the law forward and so it is up to the international community to pressure President Museveni to not sign the act into law if and when it reaches the stage of Presidential ratification.
Please sign the petition on Ecosocialist's page to call on the President to say no to this appalling act of repression, or link by clicking HERE.
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| LGBT people face appalling persecution in Uganda even before the new law. |
Update: the Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament adjourned the session that was to debate the Anti-Homosexuality Bill without a debate or vote. The issue has not gone away, but there will now be a substantial delay, which would suggest that the Ugandan Government IS listening to the international outcry about the planned law.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/13/uganda-anti-gay-bill-shelved