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Author of Uganda’s ‘Kill the Gays’ bill willing to ‘concede’ on death penalty

Author of Uganda’s ‘Kill the Gays’ bill willing to ‘concede’ on death penalty

The parliamentarian behind Uganda’s infamous anti-homosexuality bill that attracted worldwide condemnation, has said the most controversial part of the legislation — the death penalty provision — is likely to be dropped from the bill.

David Bahati

The measure, euphemistically referred to as the “Kill The Gays” bill, was proposed 18 months ago by MP David Bahati. Although the bill has languished in committee ever since, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee chair Stephen Tashobya indicated the bill will be debated in the committee before parliament’s session ends May 12, reported the Washington Post.

David Bahati said if the parliament committee the bill currently sits before recommends that the death penalty provision be removed, “I would concede.”

“The death penalty is something we have moved away from,” Bahati told The Associated Press in an interview.

Under the proposed legislation, gays could be punished with life imprisonment or the death penalty for certain homosexual behavior. The bill could also lead to the imprisonment for up to three years of anyone, including heterosexual people, who fail to report within 24 hours the identities of anyone they know who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, or who supports the human rights of people who are.

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