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Uganda Anti-Gay Bill Stalled After Global Outcry
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by NowPublic Staff | May 11, 2011 at 11:21 am
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Uganda Anti-Gay Bill Delayed in Debate
Uganda's parliament has delayed voting on a bill that would bring severe penalties against gays and lesbians, including capital punishment in some cases.
Aside from prompting a walkout from female members of Parliament, the anti-gay bill has prompted worldwide opposition.
The Uganda Anti-Gay Bill Is Not Dead
However, debate on the anti-gay bill will continue on May 13. Apparently the death-penalty clause has been dropped from the bill, which was authored by David Bahati in 2009. The new version of the bill was not made public.
The version of the bill which prompted the vote delay would carry prison terms for those "aiding and abetting" homosexuals, i.e. friends and family members who don't turn loved ones over to the police within 24 hours of finding out that they are gay.
If its parliament passes this bill, Uganda would join over 30 African countries to actively criminalize homosexuality. Uganda is predominantly conservative Christian, whose highest-profile preachers have ties with US-based fundamentalist churches. The US is also Uganda's largest source of foreign aid.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (3)
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Zam Wesle (not verified)at 04:56 on May 13th, 2011
What is honestly the matter with some people?? Being gay is not a choice!! I'm sick of all this ignorace, this just makes the rest of the world view a beautiful place like Uganda as a bloody backward country!! What next.. Harry Potter book burning?? Imbeciles!!! Regards Zam
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amber8 (not verified)at 16:43 on May 14th, 2011
Easy for comfortable Americans to preach to Africa their views of the way people should live. Be nicer if they realized poverty reduction, education and health initiatives need to be prioritized in Uganda alongside human rights for all. But when you're sitting at your polished granite breakfast bar with your not fair trade cup of coffee about to drive through your landscaped middle class neighbourhood to a comfortable, secure job in middle class America you can be blinded by your own myoptics.
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KarenW88 (not verified)at 04:26 on May 16th, 2011
What is wrong with you? Not everyone reading and following this issue is American. Plus, you seriously overestimate that everyone in America has a secure job and money to waste. Severely mistaken. Almost 50% of Americans are below the poverty line. Are you against gays? Do you honestly believe that they are "less human" and deserve to be thrown on a back-burner in terms of priorities? We are all human! What if you were prosecuted for being a woman? Would human rights be any different!? Gays don't CHOOSE to be gay! It is their birthright. Just as being a woman is yours.