KAMPALA — Uganda’s speaker of parliament has promised that the controversial anti-homosexuality bill, dubbed the “Kill the Gays Bill,” will pass by the end of the year, calling it a “Christmas gift” to the nation.
“Ugandans want that law as a Christmas gift. They have asked for it and we’ll give them that gift,” parliament speaker Rebecca Kadaga told Reuters on Tuesday.
The bill, originally introduced in 2009 by MP David Bahati, proposes jail terms for homosexual acts, including a life sentence in certain circumstances.
While existing laws in Uganda already outlaws gay sex, the propose bill also prohibits any “promotion” of gay rights and calls for the punishment of anyone who “funds or sponsors homosexuality” or “abets homosexuality”.
A clause which called for the death penalty against people found guilty of “aggravated homosexuality” — defined as when one of the participants is a minor, HIV-positive, disabled or a “serial offender” — has reportedly been stripped from the legislation and replaced with shorter prison sentences.
James Nsaba Buturo, the former ethics minister and a coalition leader, says the measure’s widespread popularity will speed its approval.
“I can tell you it has 99 percent chance. It will pass. No question about it,” Buturo said. “If there was any leader in this country who sympathizes with homosexuality, he will not say it in public. Because he knows that Ugandans, by and large, do not support that way of life.”
President Barack Obama has called the legislation “odious” and some international donors threaten to cut off aid if the bill is signed into law, leaving Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni struggling to balance the demands of the evangelical church on one side and aid donors on the other.
Homosexuality is illegal in 37 countries on the African continent, including Uganda, and activists say few Africans are openly gay, fearing imprisonment, violence and loss of jobs.
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Gross.
HIDEOUS and so old school
…That’s just wrong -_-
… That’s the most anti-Christ statement, ever.
Stop all foreign aid to Uganda, immediately.
fuck you uganda
I think Uganda needs a wake up call, its called no more foreign aid
Why isn’t there a HATE button on Facebook? This is a crime! Does nobody else know that this is a crime?
@Danny Arseneau
No True Scotsman, aye?
I have a friend form neighboring Kenya and she is terrified because in Kenya its illegal but not death penalty illegal. I will be brutally honest it scares the hell out of me.
Looking from a “world” perspective, this “balances” what occurred in the United States in Nov 2012. In any movement, there will be “fits and starts” and this one is no different. We gracefully take our successes and continue to fight in the face of defeat. It has worked before and will again. Uganda is but a “blip in time” in the larger picture. Change – positive change – happens.
And this is many reasons why Africa is such an underdeveloped place.
OMG
a christmas gift to uganda could be the stop of all humanitarian and economic aids because that bill is against to UN convention
*raspberry* Bad gift.
seem quite anti chritian
Never give them aid again, and stop helping them NOW! Such hate was shown to the Jewish people, the Witches, and countless other groups through out history and those that hated, hunted, and killed were turned on as the case must be here too. Human Rights are just that they are not Straight Rights. They blame AIDS on gays only, *#$% stop sharing needles and wear condoms yourselfs AIDS is a human virus and not just a Gay one.
The Ugandan legislator who wrote this bill, and any government officials in Uganda who back this bill should all be put to death in the most painful, most grievous way possible!
awful
HORRIBLE!!
thats a good gift
shades of the past, that mad guy Idi Amin etc :(
nobody should be blaming (only) Africans for this. the idea was started and promoted by US “christian” missionaries. sure, they were capitalizing on and inciting local homophobia, but this was NOT an African idea.
I suppose the country has no coal reserves, which would be a better gift for Christmas than a very unChirst-like bill
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/remove-all-foreign-aid-uganda-and-impose-sanctions-if-kill-gays-bill-passed-legislature/6MNsrwM5
What better way for Uganda to say to its LGBT citizens, “You’re fu*ked!” Uganda: don’t go backward. Forward is so much better.
Evil, cruel minds. No respect for life…
what do you want??? they are still monkey’s who swing in TREES!! Get with the times savages!!!
Dylan – Are you shitting me?
Africa is underdevloped because first world countries swung in and took their resources.
They are one of the richest countries in terms of resources, but because of first world countries, they remain a third world country.
Totally because of their thinking, though…right.
While this is disgusting, it is not why they are a third world country.
I say if they institute this atrociously evil law its time for regime change.
Fuck you, Uganda.
@ jennifer goodley….you are a hateful bitch. Try to wrap your pea-sized bigoted brain around this: just because you (and far too many others) don’t approve of homosexuality, that doesn’t make it right to throw gays/lesbians in jail or kill them! People have been doing horrific things to each other in the name of God for thousands of years. It’s the ultimate hypocracy. And God will judge people like you much more harshly than gay people.
@ andrew drew dworcowyi…..In the process of condemning homophobia, you display your racism. Nice job….NOT!!!
No more economics ties and no more humanitarian help anyway all this money go into extremists Christians organizations!!!!!
WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/grant-refugee-status-lgbtqia-people-and-cut-foreign-aid-until-repeal-kill-gays-bill-uganda/LXXHQG8P
Grant refugee status for LGBTQIA people and cut foreign aid until repeal of “Kill the Gays” Bill in Uganda!
@ Rachel Krenek… Not being racist one bit honey just stateing facts babe… cheers..x
an injustice anywhere is a threat against justice everywhere -Dr Martin Luther King
WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/remove-all-foreign-aid-uganda-and-impose-sanctions-if-kill-gays-bill-passed-legislature/6MNsrwM5
Remove all foreign aid to Uganda and impose sanctions if the “Kill the Gays” bill is passed by the legislature.
Why no petitions to have Obama do anything about the horrific Homophobia in one of his two homelands, Kenya? Being gay is illegal there… A Crime worthy of long term prison and, if “Caught” multiple times, can get you killed… http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8512928.stm
Just sad.
@Andrew: That is not fact that is a judgement that is culturally and racially insensitive. Have you ever been to Uganda? Talked to the people? Then you should not comment on the entire country, when they have been tainted and manipulated by colonialist forces in Europe.
*sad face* :(
You are Invitated to donate used cell phones to Uganda – climate is even more dicey for our brothers & sisters while these changes come into effect due to backlash…give a gift of access to call for help; your used cell phone can help save lives!
Uganda is about to pass a bill to kill Gay’s in that Country. Please sign my petition to tell Congress to take action against Uganda if they pass this bill. All the hatred towards Gays in that Country has come from a few American Christian Terrorist. I also have a petition for Congress to stop allowing hate groups to have a 501c charity status. https://www.facebook.com/AmericansFightingIntolerance
Fuck africa
burn it down
It seems to simply go into effect, because of homophobia. It is absolutely a travesty, and a deliberate attack on homosexuals in that country. It is unforgivable.
i never forgave straight people in my own country to begin with
They would never do this without coverage from “Christian Charities” here in the United States. Since they can not get their hateful agenda past the American Electorate, they seek to reinforce their hate by having Homosexuality Criminalized elsewhere. We need to know WHO those organizations are, and where they are based, and what is their cover here. Perhaps we should find out who wrapped this Christmas present for Uganda?
Uganda just passed a sentence of genocide down on the homosexual community. Please sign this petition to cut all aid and impose sanctions for this devastating Human Rights Violation.
Please pass this to all of your friends and contacts, with 20k more signatures, the white house will be forced to respond.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/remove-all-foreign-aid-uganda-and-impose-sanctions-if-kill-gays-bill-passed-legislature/6MNsrwM5
There are over a million of you that “Like” gay rights! This is a chance to actively do something, with an action as simple as a click away. If even a FRACTION of this community shows its support, this will potentially save the lives of hundreds of thousands upwards of a million lgbtq men and women.
Not surprising coming from a backwards Gov.
santion the crap outta them,, next time they need help after a natural disaster or food,, they should get a big F U
monstrous violation of human rights. We will NOT have another genocide. Merry fucking Christmas Uganda, we WILL fight for your citizens even if you won’t.
worse than coal in one’s stocking, hate for Christmas.
Makes sense, celebrate Jesus’ birth with the crucifixion if love!
well that’s just sick.
Uganda, YOU SUCK!!!!!!!!!!
and the USA should end all aid to Uganda and impose trade restrictions until they support human rights.
Uganda has a large share of schools that can barely afford to give its students supplies. Uganda has large shares of people who are illiterate, without access to clean water, proper sewage systems, or adequate healthcare. And anti-gay laws are the Christmas gift the Uganda people want?
Not gonna happen as long as Uganda continues to want U.S., U.N, and U.K aid
genocide is a gift??? time for US t osay..NO AID…period