Anti-gay bill stalls in Uganda

Good stuff! The horrible Anti-gay Ugandan bill is stalling in parliamentary committee and it possibly could fail in the next session (let's hope so)

Here's the scoop:

Almost 10 months later, the bill remains with the Ugandan Parliament's Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, never having made it to a vote.

The bill, if passed, calls for the death penalty in certain circumstances including, having same-sex relations while being HIV positive and engaging in gay sex with a minor.

Intense international lobbying urged a “softening” of the penalties within the bill and the Swedish government warned it would reduce its financial aid to Uganda if the bill were passed.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni distanced himself from the Anti-Homosexual Bill in January 2010. Subsequently, he created a government commission to investigate passage of the anti-gay bill.

In May, the commission advised that the bill be withdrawn from parliament.

I'm sending positive vibes their way.

The Uganda HIV/AIDS Control Bill seeks to use the Death Penalty

I have some of the Uganda HIV/AIDS Control Bill and it's not cute at all. Please check out this piece here:

This provision appears similar to one of the death-penalty clauses in the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. That portion of the bill reads as follows:

3. Aggravated homosexuality.

(1) A person commits the offense of aggravated homosexuality where the

(a) person against whom the offence is committed is below the age of 18 years;

(b) offender is a person living with HIV;

(c) offender is a parent or guardian of the person against whom the offence is committed;

(d) offender is a person in authority over the person against whom the offence is committed;

(e) victim of the offence is a person with disability;

(f) offender is a serial offender, or

(g) offender applies, administers or causes to be used by any man or woman any drug, matter or thing with intent to stupefy overpower him or her so as to there by enable any person to have unlawful carnal connection with any person of the same sex,

(2) A person who commits the offence of aggravated homosexuality shall be liable on conviction to suffer death.
(3) Where a person is charged with the offence under this section, that person shall undergo a medical examination to ascertain his or her HIV status.

Clause 3. (1) (b) was often cited to support the claim that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill would impose the death penalty for the “deliberate” spread of HIV, but it is important to note that the bill contains no requirement that the intent be deliberate at all. In fact, the third subclause would suggest that the death penalty would apply upon receiving a positive serostatus result from an HIV test, which might very well be the first time the charged individual would know he or she was HIV-positive. Alternately, if the accused already knew he was HIV-positive, the proposed bill provides no acknowledgment that the accused’s partner may have known about it and entered into a consensual relationship.

Health care professionals worry that the effect of the entire provision would be to discourage people from learning their HIV status.

A few weeks ago, the Monitor, Uganda’s largest independent newspaper, reported that a Cabinet subcommittee tasked to examine the Anti-Homosexuality Bill recommended that portions of the bill be passed as amendments to other pieces of legislation. Until now, speculation mainly centered around Clause 13 of the bill which would criminalize the “promotion” of homosexuality, which the subcommittee decided should be passed. It is unclear what recommendations the subcommittee offered with regard to the death penalty for people with HIV.

The Human Right Watch group see this as dangerous:

“The bill contains measures that have been proven ineffective against the AIDS epidemic and that violate the rights of people living with HIV,” said Joe Amon, Health and Human Rights director at Human Rights Watch. “The HIV epidemic in Uganda is getting worse, and this bill is another example of misguided, ideological approaches and lack of leadership.”

The bill as currently written codifies discredited approaches to the AIDS epidemic and contains dangerously vague criminal provisions. Contrary to international best practices, the bill would criminalize HIV transmission and behavior that might result in transmission by those who know their HIV status.

The bill would discourage voluntary HIV testing, while making testing mandatory for pregnant women, their partners, suspected perpetrators and victims of sexual offenses, drug users, and prostitutes, in violation of fundamental principles of consent. The bill also allows medical practitioners to disclose a patient’s HIV status to others, breaching confidentiality standards.

These provisions could potentially endanger those who are infected by exposing them to stigma, discrimination, and physical violence.

This is so out of control. I can't wrap my head around this. I mean, the children and the people feeling lost and in fear from anyone. It's a lot to take in if this passes.

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Senate passes resolution against anti-gay Uganda bill

Great news! Our Senate passed a resolution condemning the Ugandan anti-gay bill.

DC Agenda reports:

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), chair of Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on african affairs, introduced the resolution in February. Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) were original co-sponsors.

Homosexual acts are already illegal in Uganda, but the African nation’s pending legislation would, among other things, institute the death penalty in some cases for LGBT people and require citizens to report LGBT people to the police.

In a statement, Feingold praised “so many political, religious and civic leaders in Uganda and around the world” for speaking out against the Uganda legislation.

“Sadly, this legislation is just one example of actions taken around the world to restrict the rights of people just because of their gender or sexual orientation,” he said. ”We need to speak out consistently against all such discrimination. The Senate’s passage of this resolution begins to move us in that direction, and I will continue working with my colleagues and the administration to continue to address this issue.”

In addition the comdemnding the Uganda bill, the Senate resolution calls for repeal of the criminalization of homosexuality in other countries and urges the State Department to closely monitor human rights abuses against LGBT people abroad.

We were sending a strong message here.

Uganda's Evil Pastor plans a "Million Man" anti-gay march

Martin Ssempa, the Uganda pastor known for pushing the 'kill the gays' bill, said he will have a “million man” march to support that damn hateful bill.

He also said this:

"We want to give a postcard that (Museveni) can send to his friend (U.S. President) Barack Obama, "Africans Unite Against Sodomy" and "Barack Obama Back Off".

He should be careful with his threats, considering the much bigger threats coming from the UN.


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Listen to the foolishness of Scott Lively, the anti-gay evangelical involved in Uganda

Scott is one of the 3 American Evangelical men responsible for the development of the Uganda Anti-gay bill.

While Scott believes he has done no harm, here's proof of his mess

Rachel Maddow talks More about the Ugandan Drama

MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell and Rachel Maddow Discuss Uganda Drama with the gays

Are these folks Responsible for the Ugandan Anti-gay Bill?

Don Schmierer, Scott Lively and Caleb Lee Brundidge may be the inspiration for Uganda's Kill the Bill.

These guys were in Uganda in March, spreading the word about against homosexuality. In fact, they talked about curing folks of the 'gay disease' at a conference there.

The theme of the event, according to Stephen Langa, its Ugandan organizer, was “the gay agenda — that whole hidden and dark agenda” — and the threat homosexuals posed to Bible-based values and the traditional African family.

For three days, according to participants and audio recordings, thousands of Ugandans, including police officers, teachers and national politicians, listened raptly to the Americans, who were presented as experts on homosexuality. The visitors discussed how to make gay people straight, how gay men often sodomized teenage boys and how “the gay movement is an evil institution” whose goal is “to defeat the marriage-based society and replace it with a culture of sexual promiscuity.”

After they left... The Bill was formed!

One month after the conference, a previously unknown Ugandan politician, who boasts of having evangelical friends in the American government, introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, which threatens to hang homosexuals, and, as a result, has put Uganda on a collision course with Western nations.

Interesting, very interesting. However, these men are upset that folks are blaming them. They don't understand why we are pointing fingers.

Well, let's look at their 'expertise'.

Don is staunch board member of Exodus International, who sole purpose is addressing gay issues, then you have Scott Lively who has written several books and articles against us; and finally, Caleb Lee Brundidge, an ex-gay man who claims he can heal the homosexual sickness. He also a part of a group led by Richard Cohen (Rachel Maddow mopped the floor with him recently, see here)

With these kind of backgrounds, why wouldn't we see some connections?

We need to monitor their steps, no telling what else they have set up.

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What is in the Uganda Anti-Gay Bill?

Many folks have heard about the anti-gay bill in Uganda, but may not have an idea about what's really in it.

So, I've found this mini-list that will easily explain what's in the bill.

* A 7 year jail sentence for consenting adults who have LGBT sex
* A life sentence for people in same-sex marriages
* Extradition and prosecution of LGBT Ugandans living abroad
* The death penalty for adults who have LGBT sex with minors or who communicate HIV via LGBT sex, regardless of condom usage

* Jail for anyone who doesn't report suspected LGBT activity within 24 hours

The bill also endangers HIV/AIDS programs, and may be exploited by those wanting to abolish these programs.

There it is.

Ricky Warren Finally Denounces 'Kill Gays" Bill