Editor’s note: For the most up– to– date news on Uganda’s Kill The Gays bill,visit our Uganda section.
Uganda’s “Kill The Gays” bill, which would make life in prison or possibly death the penalty for being homosexual or having same-gender sex, is back on the table in the parliament of Uganda. A petition signed by a reported two million Ugandans was presented by anti-gay activists, led by a right-wing zealot, Pastor Martin Ssempa, to Speaker of the Uganda Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, on Wednesday. The “Anti-Homosexuality bill,” also known as the AHB, reportedly died an unexpected and sudden death exactly two weeks ago, when Uganda President Yoweri Museveni claimed the bill — which has been public since 2009 –is now “redundant.” MP David Bahati, who sponsored the bill and has been working on it for at least two years, at the time of the bill’s demise, did not appear to be willing to let the bill die.
Speaker Ssekandi said Wednesday, upon being presented with the petition, “even if the current Parliament doesn’t debate it, the new Parliament will do it,” leading some to believe the bill could find its way out of the Committee on Legal and Parliament Affairs and into Parliament, presumably at some point, for a vote.
“We as religious leaders and civil society are distressed that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill is being deliberately killed largely by the undemocratic threats of western nations,” Pastor Ssempa, leader of Uganda’s Inter-Religious Taskforce Against Homosexuality, said, adding, “These same nations who promote democracy don’t want our representative to discuss laws to protect our children from the human trafficking of recruiting our children into homosexuality,” according to a report by Voice of America News.
Read: “UN Gay Rights Vote Result Of Growing Global Support for LGBT Rights” and “UN Condemns Violence Against LGBT Persons Ahead Of Ugandan Anti-Gay Bill“
The Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill has received world-wide attention, especially for the portions that would make the death penalty the punishment for “aggravated homosexuality.” Some reports suggest the death penalty has been removed from the current text of the bill, but this has not been confirmed, and the bill’s text is fluid until voted upon. Uganda, which has a population of over 32 million, is one of 83 countries where homosexuality is already illegal, and seven other countries already make homosexuality punishable by death.
The “Kill The Gays” bill, which has also become known as the “Bahati bill,” is necessary, according to the team of Pastor Ssempa and David Bahati, because homosexuals are supposedly “recruiting children” in Uganda, and, the two claim, paying them large sums of money to have same-gender sex or to become homosexual. The petition delivered on Wednesday, came with a list of nineteen organizations that they claim are “promoting” homosexuality in Uganda.
Read: “Analysis: What Killed Uganda’s Kill The Gays Bill And Is It Really Dead?“
But no one has ever provided actual proof. Bahati, who has a Cardiff University MBA, has been repeatedly asked in this country by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow for any proof of these allegations. Bahati promised to provide it but never has.
Anti-gay activists and religious leaders have declared war on the LGBT population of Uganda. Ssempa and Bahati claim that college student recruitment is “rampant,” and students are paid monthly salaries to become gay.
No one, not even the dead, are safe. Ssempa has presented people he claims are ex-gays, one of whom claimed he was given alcohol and then raped by David Kato, the leader of Uganda’s LGBT community, and who was beaten to death in January after a local newspaper ran front page stories with his name, address, and photo, along with dozens of others, and the title, “Hang Them!”
No one has ever been brought to justice for the death of David Kato.
Bahati, who earlier had said of the “Kill the Gays” bill, “It is popular here,” also has made a name for himself internationally, amid reports he is connected to “The Family,” also known as “The Fellowship,” an American clandestine political and religious group based in the now-infamous “C Street House.” Bahati in 2009 said homosexuality “is a behaviour that is learned and it can be unlearned,” and, “Homosexuality it is not a human right. It is not in-born.”
Bahati also has ties to mega-church pastor Rick Warren, who in late 2009 finally (somewhat) came out against the “Kill the Gays” bill.
The “Kill the Gays” bill is widely-believed to be the brainchild, or at least created based on the teachings of American Evangelicals, including Scott Lively.
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{ 19 comments }
Two million signatures! I beg we need to verify that. They could be and certainly are from the bigotry factory of assumptions.
I'd like to verify it and I'd like to see the list of 19 organizations that claim people are recruiting kids into homosexuality. But Voice of America is reporting the 2 million figure and they are quite reputable. Uganda has 32 million people, so 2 million is only 6.25% of the population. It's possible. Or, it's possible Ssempa lied!
Why does the writer of this article say that no one has been brought to justice for David Kato's murder? According to news reports and an announcement by the police, a man was arrested, confessed and has been remanded in custody.
Most likely because no one in Uganda will actually make him pay for what he did… precisely because of these zealots. I could be wrong, but I'm probably not.
Very sadly.
Why is Ssempa so fixated on shit and the ass???? That is disgusting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bet in the end it will come out that he is gay and that young stud behind the bill will come out being gay in the end….it always happens….as far as recruiting…I had to laugh about that….damn were is my money…where is my new computer….my new home?????????????????? Those people that Ssempa up front of those people are most likely either really gay and told them if they did not lie (which religion is) they would be arrested and hung in the end….religion can NOT be trusted!!!!!!!!!!1
As a Black African-American I agree with the Unganda proposed law against this behavior. I wish outsiders, especially Europeans would stay out of the internal affairs of African Nations when they are wrestling with issues of morals based on their cultural practices.
So it's cool if I wanted to pass legislation that would make you being black punishable by death? Cause if this is what you're saying is ok, I'm all for killing simple minded punks like you. World would be better off without your bigotry anyway.
Fuck off, twat.
Vurban: I agree:)
'Morals'? Not only are you a hypocrite, Pianki, you are a very very sick person.
Pianki: Your comment comes as no surprise. Anti-gay attitudes are very common among African-American males who otherwise love wallowing in victimhood and love playing the minority (race)-card.
Yeah…..I agree totally with vurban! That is exactly what you're saying! Not to mention the fact that you've probably never been to Africa making you a black American….next.
As an outsider yourself – An American, please follow your own wishes and stay out of Uganda's internal affairs – and I'm sure for you that would also mean missionaries, military peacekeepers, relief workers and of course the very annoying and European Sally Struthers, who invaded those wonderful African Nations and whose cultural practice it is to allow their governments to starve their own people.
It used to be ok to kill black people in the south. They wanted outsiders to stay out. You want to tell me it's ok if someone decided to do the same just because they are gay? Hate is hate. It's never ok when anyone does it for any reason.
Hello? The only reason this bill was even proposed is because Westerners interfered in Ugandan society!! You think sub-Saharan Africans are just born Christian? Um, no! They were converted by freaks like "The Family", and now the "Christian" message has been twisted (as it so often has been) into hate, fear, and paranoia. Time to un-do some of the damage these evil misisonaries have caused.
Why do so many black Americans hate gays so much, anyway? Are you aware that the Civil Rights movement happened? Was it just "Civil Rights for Some"?
No one has he right to kill ANYONE for the simple fact of who they are. Anywhere.
Prejudice is thoughtless an un-Godly. So are your words.
If they are honestly trying to protect children, then it should be punishing ANY molestation/sexual assault of minors, not just "gay" rape. If I supported the death penalty I could see applying it to child molesters, since I consider them the most despicable criminals on the planet. Funny enough, though, I don't think that's going to happen since I think the "won't someone think of the children" angle is, as usual, a smokescreen.
As far as interfering with moral development in other countries, the U.S. already has a long history of doing that (for it's own selfish reasons, generally). If anything we need to be MORE involved this time because of the money/influence coming from the U.S. into Uganda for this issue.
God, you're SO wrong… and un-Christian.
http://binationalcouples.blogspot.com/2011/03/bib… But what does the Bible really say about homosexuality? Do you know there are only six verses that actually touch on it? Of course you didn't, you have never researched it, you are just regurgitating what you have heard. Here is good honest research on same sex relationships and what the Bible has to say about it.
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