Uganda Update

The Ugandan Government appears to be backtracking on the proposed law to execute gays and lesbians in their country. A massive campaign which led to tens of thousands of phone calls to the Ugandan Parliament and the delivery of a petition of 1.6 million signatures led to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill being withdrawn in spite of a last minute attempt by Christian groups to have it passed.

The struggle is not over, however - the Bill could return to Parliament in as short a time as eighteen months to be debated again, and gay people still face constant harassment and violence in the country, where homosexuality remains illegal under laws dating back to the days of British administration.

More here on The Ecosocialist's blog, which has followed this issue closely and supported strongly the campaign to block the Bill.

Urgent Uganda - 72 Hours to Stop Homosexuality becoming a Capital Crime

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.

LGBT people face appalling persecution in Uganda even before the new law.