Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill one year later

On October 14, 2009, David Bahati tabled the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda’s Parliament. As of now, it remains in committee awaiting a second reading. On this ocassion, LGBT groups in Uganda have issued a press release, which follows:

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KAMPALA – UGANDA

One Year since the introduction of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill – 2009

On October 14, 2009 the draft Anti Homosexuality Bill was introduced to the Parliament of Uganda by Ndoorwa West MP David Bahati. Mr Bahati’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill stipulates the death penalty for repeated same-sex relations and life imprisonment for all other homosexual acts. A person in authority who fails to report an offender to the police within 24 hours will face 3 years in jail. Likewise, the promotion of homosexuality carries a sentence of 5 to 7 years in jail.

This Bill is an expression of prejudice, intolerance, discrimination and violence. The bill abuses the dignity, privacy and equality of people with a different sexual orientation and identity other than heterosexual. If passed into law, it will further legitimize public and private violence, harassment and torture.

It has promoted hate-speech in churches, schools and the media. It has led to defamation, blackmail, evictions, intimidation, arbitrary arrests and unlawful detention, physical assault, emotional and mental assault of LGBT activists, our families and allies.

The bill has further led to increased violence incited by local media, particularly The Red Pepper tabloid and recently launched Rolling Stone newspaper. The headline of the Rolling Stone viciously screamed “100 pictures of Ugandan’s top homos leak- Hang them” in their Vol. 1 No. 05 October 02-09, 2010. They published pictures, names, residences and other details of LGBT activists and allies.

“When my neighbors saw my picture in the paper, they were furious. They threw stones at me while I was in my house. I was so terrified somehow I managed to flee my home to safety.” said Stosh [Programme Coordinator- Kulhas Uganda]

The sad truth is that most evil in Uganda is done by people who end up never being held accountable for their deeds. The Rolling Stone publication has incited violence against a group of minorities making them seem like less of HUMAN BEINGS” Gerald [Admin – SMUG].

The bill constitutes a violation of the right to freedom of privacy, association, assembly and security of the person as enshrined in Constitution of Uganda’s and International Human Rights Law.

The impact of such legal and social exclusion is being felt in the lives of LGBTI Ugandans. Sexual Minorities Uganda strongly condemns such laws and media witch-hunt of homosexuals.

We would like to acknowledge Human Rights institutions and activists, local, regional and international Civil Society, Development partners and friends around the world for the  enormous support to the Uganda LGBTI community and request for your continued call to African governments to repeal the ‘sodomy laws’.

Contacts:

Frank Mugisha                                                Pepe Julian Onziema

[email protected]        [email protected]

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8 thoughts on “Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill one year later”

  1. The bill constitutes a violation of the right to freedom of privacy, association, assembly and security of the person as enshrined in Constitution of Uganda’s and International Human Rights Law.

    The constitution of Uganda does not recognize sodomy as a human right. Promoting the sex crime of sodomy is not a human right in Uganda and in nearly 80 nations worldwide. The UN Declaration on Human Rights of 1948 does not recognize anything called “gay rights” so Uganda is not violating any international agreement it has ratified as far as sodomy is concerned.

    The impact of such legal and social exclusion is being felt in the lives of LGBTI Ugandans. Sexual Minorities Uganda strongly condemns such laws and media witch-hunt of homosexuals.

    A clever attempt to equate deviant sexual behaviour with racial/ethnic identity. Sorry chaps, gayism is not recognized as an identity in Uganda and in nearly 80 nations worldwide. The 2008 UN Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity has been rejected by majority of the 192 nations of the world, including Uganda. Inter-sex people are natural and okay and should never be insulted by lumping them with the so-called LGBT. Gay sex practitioners who are not happy with the Sex Offenders Act are free to emigrate to USA where they will be free to—-engage in aberrant same-sex activity, perform gay marriage/civil unions, celebrate “National Coming Out Day” and hold Gay Pride Marches. The Ugandan people will not agree to legal enshrinement of hedonistic lifestyles valued by western gay lobbyists and other foreign NGOs.

    We would like to acknowledge Human Rights institutions and activists, local, regional and international Civil Society, Development partners and friends around the world for the enormous support to the Uganda LGBTI community and request for your continued call to African governments to repeal the ‘sodomy laws’.

    Well you will of course thank the foreign groups who bankroll your activities. On the issue of legalizing gayism, I think you should simply forget it. Better to emigrate to the Western world where gayism is seen as cool and a great lifestyle.

  2. Bill should be thrown out and those preaching bad against minority people should be punished by human rights bodies.

  3. So are all forms of heterosexual sodomy are also outlawed in Uganda and the constitutional protections of privacy are useless in regards them also?

  4. Doesn’t Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, who introduced an anti gay bill earlier this year, have other things to deal with like child soldiers, poverty, election tampering, democratic reform? But they’d rather persecute a sexual minority than help fix the evils in their society? Funny how this happens! Also, the UN strikes sexual orientation off the record as a reason for condemnation if there are mass executions of homosexuals?

    This is a heinous miscarriage of the power of government to protect its citizens! The government must protect ALL its citizens not just the majority. In that case, blacks would be in chains, women wouldn’t be able to vote and we would all be denied due process. That’s why we have the three branches of the government to make sure that when rights are being trampled on, we can fight for them and a legal resolution can be reached–and laws can be considered unconstitutional as well…That’s a great thing about America

  5. Doesn’t Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, who introduced an anti gay bill earlier this year, have other things to deal with like child soldiers, poverty, election tampering, democratic reform? But they’d rather persecute a sexual minority than help fix the evils in their society? Funny how this happens! Also, the UN strikes sexual orientation off the record as a reason for condemnation if there are mass executions of homosexuals?

    This is a heinous miscarriage of the power of government to protect its citizens! The government must protect ALL its citizens not just the majority. In that case, blacks would be in chains, women wouldn’t be able to vote and we would all be denied due process. That’s why we have the three branches of the government to make sure that when rights are being trampled on, we can fight for them and a legal resolution can be reached–and laws can be considered unconstitutional as well…That’s a great thing about America

  6. So are all forms of heterosexual sodomy are also outlawed in Uganda and the constitutional protections of privacy are useless in regards them also?

  7. The bill constitutes a violation of the right to freedom of privacy, association, assembly and security of the person as enshrined in Constitution of Uganda’s and International Human Rights Law.

    The constitution of Uganda does not recognize sodomy as a human right. Promoting the sex crime of sodomy is not a human right in Uganda and in nearly 80 nations worldwide. The UN Declaration on Human Rights of 1948 does not recognize anything called “gay rights” so Uganda is not violating any international agreement it has ratified as far as sodomy is concerned.

    The impact of such legal and social exclusion is being felt in the lives of LGBTI Ugandans. Sexual Minorities Uganda strongly condemns such laws and media witch-hunt of homosexuals.

    A clever attempt to equate deviant sexual behaviour with racial/ethnic identity. Sorry chaps, gayism is not recognized as an identity in Uganda and in nearly 80 nations worldwide. The 2008 UN Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity has been rejected by majority of the 192 nations of the world, including Uganda. Inter-sex people are natural and okay and should never be insulted by lumping them with the so-called LGBT. Gay sex practitioners who are not happy with the Sex Offenders Act are free to emigrate to USA where they will be free to—-engage in aberrant same-sex activity, perform gay marriage/civil unions, celebrate “National Coming Out Day” and hold Gay Pride Marches. The Ugandan people will not agree to legal enshrinement of hedonistic lifestyles valued by western gay lobbyists and other foreign NGOs.

    We would like to acknowledge Human Rights institutions and activists, local, regional and international Civil Society, Development partners and friends around the world for the enormous support to the Uganda LGBTI community and request for your continued call to African governments to repeal the ‘sodomy laws’.

    Well you will of course thank the foreign groups who bankroll your activities. On the issue of legalizing gayism, I think you should simply forget it. Better to emigrate to the Western world where gayism is seen as cool and a great lifestyle.

  8. Bill should be thrown out and those preaching bad against minority people should be punished by human rights bodies.

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