The Only Way to Stop Uganda’s Kill The Gays Bill? Make the President Understand It Will Be a Foreign Policy Disaster

Promising the saga of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill continues in earnest through next month, Pastor Martin Ssempa, who’s been one of the bill’s most vocal backers, is planning something of a million man march to rally public support. (Uganda’s population: 31.6 million.) Backed by his lunatic organization Uganda National Pastors Task Force Against Homosexuality, Ssempa’s goal is to show lawmakers the people support further criminalizing homosexuality — a necessary tactic, given President Yoweri Museveni is reportedly “distancing” himself from the bill.

Museveni never officially endorsed the bill, but his support for attacking gays was made clear as recently as November. There was word that he promised to veto the bill, but even that fail-safe approach might not be enough if enough legislators approve the measure.

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The Only Way to Stop Uganda’s Kill The Gays Bill? Make the President Understand It Will Be a Foreign Policy Disaster Promising the saga of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill continues in earnest through next month, Pastor Martin Ssempa, who’s been one of the bill’s most vocal backers, is planning something of a million man march to [...]

(Kampala, Uganda) A provision that would impose the death penalty for some gays is likely to be removed from the proposed legislation following opposition from Uganda’s president, the country’s ethics minister said Thursday.
President Yoweri Museveni has told colleagues he believes the bill is too harsh and has encouraged his ruling National Resistance Movement Party to overturn the death sentence provision, which would apply to sexually active gays living with HIV or in cases of same-sex rape.

The proposed bill, though, says anyone convicted of a homosexual act would face life imprisonment and it is unclear whether Museveni supports that provision or not.

Gay rights activists say the bill promotes hatred and could set back efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in the conservative East African country. Protests already have been held in London, New York and Washington.

“The death penalty is likely to be removed,” said James Nsaba Buturo, Uganda’s minister of state for ethics and integrity. “The president doesn’t believe in killing gays. I also don’t believe in it. I think gays can be counseled and they stop the bad habit.”

Ruling party spokeswoman Mary Karoro Okurut said she also agrees with the president that some punishments in the bill should be dropped. But she said she will still push for a modified version of the bill when it comes to parliament in late February or early March.

“Although the president is against some parts of the bill, the bill has to stay,” she said. “(Homosexuality) is not allowed in African culture. We have to protect the children in schools who are being recruited into homosexual activities.”

By The Associated Press (http://www.365gay.com)
01.07.2010 9:30am EST

Photo from http://blackstarnews.com

(Kampala, Uganda) A provision that would impose the death penalty for some gays is likely to be removed from the proposed legislation following opposition from Uganda’s president, the country’s ethics minister said Thursday. President Yoweri Museveni has told colleagues he believes the bill is too harsh and has encouraged his ruling National Resistance Movement Party [...]