Yesterday, I posted three sources which reported that religious leaders were calling for the consideration of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill before the end of Uganda’s 8th session of Parliament in May. In what may signal a more serious intent to move forward, the website of Uganda’s Parliament reported on the petition, confirming 2 million signatures had been presented to the lawmakers.
Anti homosexuality crusaders have petitioned Parliament calling for urgent consideration of the anti-homosexuality bill that is before Parliament.
The crusaders led by Dr.Pastor Martin Sempa have expressed concern that recruitment of youths into homosexuality is ongoing and children need protection from this type of trafficking.
In a petition to Parliament signed by over two million crusaders May 6, Pastor Sempa urged Members of Parliament to shun pressure and threats from countries of the Western world as they consider the bill.
They told the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Edward Ssekandi that many Ugandans are worried that the bill may not be considered by the Eighth Parliament whose term elapses in May.
Bishop Julius Oyet one of the key petitioners decried homosexuality arguing that it proves a threat to culture and civilization. He re-echoed the need to protect the institution of marriage that has served as a social contract for many civilizations.
The petitioners also named nineteen non-governmental organizations accused of promoting homosexuality in Uganda through several fora.
Speaker of Parliament Rt.Hon.Edward Ssekandi says Parliament will consider the bill once the legal and parliamentary affairs committee of parliament tables its report.
Ssekandi could be relying on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee to stall the situation. He may know that there are too many bills to consider and that he will never see the report which he told the petitioners would trigger a vote in parliament. However, note that he did not reject the bill or say it was shelved.
What gets me is they’ve been talking about this bill for 2 years now, saying that it has flaws, and they’ve done nothing about those flaws. And I guess Ssempa, who has even point out some flaws (those even his points about flaws were flawed!) wants to see the bill passed as is.
If this is how Uganda enacts laws, then their parliament is a laughing-stock.
Though even his points about flaws were flawed….
Hey, I stayed up all night working on my family’s genealogy. Gimme a break.
Lynn,
I suspect the Parliament didn’t expect the international reaction to the bill. However, they have realized that any attempt to fix it will probably further hurt Uganda’s international image, on they other hand they don’t want to seem as if they are folding to that pressure, so they say they are “fixing” it while in reality they are hoping to just have it quietly die.
If US Congress enactment of the Hague Invasion Act was not subject of an international laughing stock, I doubt the Bahati Bill (even in its original atavistic state) would be subject of such attention from the world beyond a narrow band of nosy western nations.