Harper to raise issue of Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill at Summit

by Rhonda J Mangus | November 26, 2009 at 04:30 pm

480 views | 39 Recommendations | 19 comments

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is going to raise the issue of Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which opens tomorrow in Port of Spain, the capitol of Trinidad and Tobago.

Raising the issue of Uganda's anti-gay bill has the potential to divide the Commonwealth leaders, who hold deeply polarized views on homosexuality. The controversy is growing because Uganda President Yoweri K. Museveni is also the chairman of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The law that proposes strict sanctions on gays and lesbians, including life imprisonment for homosexuals, is threatening to overshadow the bi-annual conference.

Transport Minister John Baird made the announcement today in Question Period in answer to demands by NDP MP Bill Siksay that the Prime Minister meet “face-to-face” with the Ugandan leader “to help stop this bill.”

“The current legislation before Parliament in Uganda is vile, it’s abhorrent. It’s offensive. It offends Canadian values. It offends decency. We strongly condemn that and the Prime Minister will make that strong condemnation as well,” Mr. Baird said.

Uganda is, of course, a member of the Commonwealth. The Ugandan President is expected to attend the meetings.

Previously on NowPublic by this Author:

US fundamentalist group at heart of Uganda's anti-gay law (November 26, 2009)
Uganda anti-gay bill has potential to divide Commonwealth leaders (November 25, 2009)
Museveni claims European gays are 'recruiting' Ugandan citizens (November 23, 2009)
Jefferson Awards winner recognizes genocide looming in Uganda (October 21, 2009)
Uganda's Daily Monitor raises its voice on behalf of defenseless (October 20, 2009)
Did Exodus conference in Uganda unleash anti-gay vigilantism? (October 19, 2009)
Human rights groups blast Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 (October 18, 2009)
Exodus International Holding Bryce Faulkner Hostage? (July 16, 2009)

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Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 16:34 on November 26th, 2009

Good on Stephen Harper, hopefully he gets support from most of the Commonwealth Nations.

ugg entry--classic,coved,mini.. (not verified)

at 22:29 on November 26th, 2009

I agree.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 17:15 on November 26th, 2009

Very good, albertacowpoke!:) Thank you for the "hat-tip"!

Uganda is clearly not in line with the goals of the Commonwealth (the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, social justice, fair trade, multi-lateralism, regional and global peace).

The idea that President Museveni is chairing this year's Summit is really egregious in the face of civil liberties and human rights violations in Uganda. Hopefully, the Commonwealth Nations will come together in supporting Prime Minister Harper who, I hope, will also recommend that Uganda be, at the very least, suspended if it does not put a stop to its human and civil rights abuses of its citizens.

Amy Judd

at 17:05 on November 26th, 2009

Good story Rhonda

Rhonda J Mangus

at 17:15 on November 26th, 2009

Thank you, Amy! I appreciate your reading and your recommendation, as well!

Uwe Paschen

at 17:36 on November 26th, 2009

I am some what surprised since he did have a strong anti LGBT stand in Canada and was only mellowed down by the fact that his government is a minority government. The Elections must be close.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 18:09 on November 26th, 2009

Paschen, Stephen Harper never had an issue with LBGT. His oppostion was to gay marriage, the same stand that President Obama voiced during his election campaign.

Gay Marriage was just as emotional in Canada as it is in the US from state to state now.

The gay marriage issue was resolved for us by the Supreme Court by measuring its legality against our Human Rights Act. The Supreme Court ruled that anything but gay marriage was discriminatory. By the way that happened before Harper became Prime Minister. So consequently gay marriage is the law of the land.

Once gay marriage was made legal, you don.t even hear it mentioned anymore, except maybe for some hardcore rednecks.

Regarding election, I don't think one will be called. He is not interested and neither are the opposition parties. He has been leading in the polls for some ten weeks and has recently won a seat in Quebec in a by-election.

His opponent, Michael Ignatieff, has not really lid he country on fire. I think he has been a big disappointment for the Liberals.

I hope that PM Harper is able to make an impact when he addresses this issue.

Uwe Paschen

at 18:34 on November 26th, 2009

ACP you need to dig up some of the speeches and letters as well as remarks he made wile he was still a member of the late Reform Party under P. Manning.

Harper was under great pressure and urged to shut up and he tried to keep his party in line not to raise the issue since it would have cost them the elections.

He is waiting until he has a clear majority and then be certain the issue will come up again.

So far it has been this sort of fears about Harper that keep him from getting a clear majority. He is a weasel and will play the game until he wins and once he does, you better wash out.

He also declared Canada to be Super power and he is an admirer of G.W. Bush. H does not like Obama...

I did study his profile and I saw him once at a convention. was running for the Green Party back then, that was just before the reform Party and the PC merged and made him the leader of the PC. I do no trust him what so ever.

And no not because he is conservative, I do not trust Michael Grant Ignatieff either, but for different reasons and he is a liberal.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 18:37 on November 26th, 2009

Paschen this is really not the place to have this discussion. This is a story about taking up an issue on behalf of gays. I gave you my explanation why there will not be an election. By the way sometimes people change their outlook on life.

Uwe Paschen

at 18:46 on November 26th, 2009

:) said the scorpion to the frog to help him cross the river.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 18:55 on November 26th, 2009

yep maybe:}

Rhonda J Mangus

at 17:47 on November 26th, 2009

Thanks, Paschen! ACP can probably speak better to elections:) I understand however that the Prime Minister is a "staunch social conservative". So, I would think then, that you are not the only one who is surprised!:)

Whatever the reason, I am glad Harper is taking a stand against Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 18:11 on November 26th, 2009

A staunch conservative would be almost a Lieberman in Canada.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 18:35 on November 26th, 2009

A Lieberman?:)

Rhonda J Mangus

at 18:34 on November 26th, 2009

And this is what I came up with, Roy:

It appears that Warren did not break ties with Ssempa in 2007. Consequently, I don't believe what he is saying in your highlight to hold any truth.

But since the Warren inauguration controversy erupted, the nature of work against AIDS in Africa has gone unexamined. Warren has not been particularly forthcoming to those who have attempted to look into it. His website contains scant information about the results of his program. However, an investigation into Warren’s involvement in Africa reveals a web of alliances with right-wing clergymen who have sidelined science-based approaches to combating AIDS in favor of abstinence-only education. More disturbingly, Warren’s allies have rolled back key elements of one of the continent’s most successful initiative, the so-called ABC program in Uganda. Stephen Lewis, the United Nations’ special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, told the New York Times their activism is “resulting in great damage and undoubtedly will cause significant numbers of infections which should never have occurred.”

Warren’s man in Uganda is a charismatic pastor named Martin Ssempa. The head of the Makerere Community Church, a rapidly growing congregation, Ssempe enjoys close ties to his country’s First Lady, Janet Museveni, and is a favorite of the Bush White House. In the capitol of Kampala, Ssempa is known for his boisterous crusading. Ssempa’s stunts have included burning condoms in the name of Jesus and arranging the publication of names of homosexuals in cooperative local newspapers while lobbying for criminal penalties to imprison them.

Source: maxblumenthal.com

Rhonda J Mangus

at 18:40 on November 26th, 2009

Exodus International is allegedly claiming the same thing as Rick Warren in opposition to Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 -- the question is, "Who is putting pressure on the 'fundies'?