Uganda’s “Kill The Gays” Bill reintroduced without death penalty

Uganda’s highly controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill has been reintroduced by its author, David Bahati, according to the BBC.

The original bill was introduced in 2009 and resulted in international media cry before being shelved in 2011.

Homosexual acts are already illegal in Uganda, but the bill aims to increase the penalty to life in prison.

Originally, the legislation proposed the death penalty for those who engage in gay sex where one participant is under the age of 18, disabled, or HIV-positive. The death penalty has been removed from the revised version of this bill.

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill is not only a threat to gays, but to anyone who is aware of individuals participating in homosexual acts and doesn’t report them to authorities.

Ever since the bill was introduced, gay people in Uganda are increasingly facing harassment and threats.

(Photo: AP)

Ugandan newspaper outs the country’s 100 “top homosexuals”

The names, addresses, and photos of 100 “top homosexuals” in Uganda were published in a front page story of a Ugandan tabloid, alongside a banner that read “Hang Them.”

AP reports:

In the days since it was published, at least four gay Ugandans on the list have been attacked and many others are in hiding, according to rights activist Julian Onziema. One person named in the story had stones thrown at his house by neighbors.

The report states that the paper’s managing editor claims that the article was “in the public interest.”

The international media attention around Uganda has spiked since the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill was introduced over a year ago. Gays in Uganda have been subject to increased harassment in the past year.

“Before the introduction of the bill in parliament most people did not mind about our activities. But since then, we are harassed by many people who hate homosexuality,” said Patrick Ndede, 27. “The publicity the bill got made many people come to know about us and they started mistreating us.”

Nelly Kabali, 31, describes his experience: “One time I was in a night club with a friend when someone who knew me pointed at me shouting ‘There is a gay!’ People wanted to beat me up but I was saved by a bouncer who led me out.”

Additional links:

• Sexual Minorities Uganda
• Equalitopia's Voices Against Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill Facebook page

(Photo: AP)

Ugandan MP to be banned from UK if his gay death penalty bill succeeds

The British government will ban a Ugandan MP from travelling to the UK if he is successful in passing a law that would impose the death penalty in Uganda for being gay, reports The Guardian.

Civil servants in the Foreign Office, the Department for International Development and the Borders Agency are drawing up plans to block the visa of born-again Christian MP David Bahati if he does not drop legislation that would see consenting adults who have gay sex imprisoned for life and impose the death penalty on those with HIV – which will be called “aggravated homosexuality”.

The bill also proposes the death penalty for those having gay sex with anyone under the age of 18, with someone disabled or what the legislation describes as “serial offenders”.

Gay sex is already illegal in Uganda but backbenchers there are pushing for more draconian punishment by preying on fears that homosexuals are “recruiting” children at schools.

Activists Deliver 450,000-Name Petition Against Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill has caused international controversy, with the leaders of many countries condemning the bill. The campaign group Avaaz has organized a petition and gained 450,000 signatures.

Around 400 activists presented the petition to Edward Ssekandi, a parliament speaker in Uganda. They argued that the bill violates Uganda’s constitution.

AFP reports:

“At the moment we cannot block the bill; it has to follow the procedure in the house,” Ssekandi told the group.

“As part of this procedure we welcome people with divergent views to submit them so that we take into account these concerns,” he added.

Change.org reports that President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, keeps saying that foreign leaders continue to call him, wanting to talk to him about homosexuality.

(Pictured: Kampala, Uganda by Pozitif)

Ugandans rally in support of the country's anti-homosexuality bill, calling out in response to Pastor Martin Ssempa.

(Photo: Current)

Uganda cleric shows gay porn in church

Pastor Martin Ssempa, an anti-gay clergyman in Uganda has showed a gay pornography in his church with about 300 people in attendance, in an attempt to gain support for proposed anti-homosexuality laws.

He told the BBC: “we have to educate ourselves about what homosexuals do.”

Uganda is currently pending an anti-homosexuality bill that will further criminalize homosexuality in the country. Over the past months, the bill has gained international attention and has been subject to much controversy.

iol.co.za quotes the pastor: “This one is eating another man’s penis.” He then went into even more graphic descriptions.

Equalitopia has a Facebook Page against Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill.

(Photo: BBC)

You don’t have be gay to be executed under Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill

A diagram by Waking Up Now showing that Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill targets not only gay people, but their straight friends who don’t rat them out for their homosexual activities.

Read the full article by Waking Up Now »

Feb. 4, 2010. Boston, MA. Boston LGBT activists gathered in front of the John F. Kennedy Federal Building to protest American fundamentalists’ homophobic ideology to Africa. The right-wing network so-called “The Family,” which sponsors this morning’s National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, is linked to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill pending in the Ugandan Parliament; a measure which would intensify existing persecution of LGBT people in the East African country.

(Photo: Marilyn Humphries)