Uganda considers tougher anti-gay laws

Uganda considers tougher anti-gay laws

Homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda, but Parliament is considering tougher laws Photo: ITV News

Uganda may be one of the worst places in the world to be gay. But it can always get even worse.
Any day now, its Parliament will consider a bill to make the country’s tough anti-gay laws tougher still.
Rebecca Kadaga, the Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, promised the bill as a “Christmas gift” to the nation. She says that Ugandans are “demanding” the law. The proposals do seem to have considerable support.
The precise details are not clear - homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda. But activists fear that the bill will include proposals for the death sentence to be brought against "repeat offenders".

Uganda is a conservative country where influential people from the Church and the state have combined to lead popular support.
And in doing so, many have been able to re-shape the public debate into one about the right of post-colonial African nations to decide for themselves what is "right" and what is "wrong".
One lawmaker summed it up to me earlier, “We are not a colony anymore - what is natural in your country may not be natural in my country”.
The world has responded, however. Foreign donors have threatened to cut off aid; Canada’s Foreign Minister publicly rowed with Speaker Kadaga about gay rights; US President Barack Obama described the bill’s contents as "odious"; British ministers have been raised their concerns too.
A further, ferocious international response seems certain if the bill is passed, in whatever form.
But that may be welcomed by the bill’s proponents, who will define themselves as defenders of Uganda’s morals, and its right to make those morals.

Anti homosexuality bill endorsed by Parliament Committe

Anti homosexuality bill: Legal committee endorses bill.
The Legal and Parliamentary committee has today 22 November 2012 endorsed a report prescribing life imprisonment to the offence of aggravated homosexuality in the controversial bill.
The controversial Anti homosexuality bill 2009 was introduced by Ndorwa East Mp David Bahati as a private members bill.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/105637716812979809891/posts/1BpdmQeDssT 

TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRACE

---

Each year on November 20th, we come together with our communities in the U.S. and around the globe for Transgender Day of Remembrance to remember those who have been murdered because of transphobia and hatred and to celebrate their courage and resilience. Internationally, October 20th is also honored as the International Day of Action Against Trans Depathologization.

Transgender Day of Remembrance has its roots in memorializing Rita Hester, a trans woman of color who was killed in 1998 in Massachusetts. Across the U.S. and internationally, communities gather on November 20th for candlelight vigils, reading the names of those lost to transphobia and hatred in the prior year, and to hold events to raise awareness and bring attention to ongoing violence against transgender people and communities. The Transgender Day of Remembrance allows us all an opportunity to honor those lost, and to show love and respect for our sisters and brothers.

While the Transgender Day of Remembrance is honored both in the U.S. and around the globe, since 2007, October 20th has been recognized as the International Day of Action Against Trans Depathologization. This year, activists in over 50 cities held simultaneous demonstrations and events to demand “No state or psychiatric intervention, I am the only one who rules my body!” Our grantee partners Organization of Transsexuals for the Dignity of Diversity (OTD) in Chile, Aireana in Paraguay, and Colombia Diversa in Colombia were amongst the 80 organizations worldwide commemorating the International Day of Action Against Trans Depathologization.

In concert with the theme of Trans Depathologization, OTD also organized the 5th annual  Trans and Intersex Human Rights and Health Rights seminar on October 16th, bringing together ministry of health representatives, the public health sector, and members of the LGBTQI community. The seminar included a talk by a doctor and trans ally on the latest procedures used in Chile and Latin America, a photography exhibit, and a personal presentation of an OTD member. Dr. Luis Castillo Fuenzalida was honored for his advocacy and commitment to providing respectful and dignified health standards to the trans community. As a result of OTD’s work and almost 2 years of direct advocacy, a new medical protocol was approved this past November 11th, 2012 that was designed taking into account the demands of the trans community. Under this medical protocol, trans people who want to legally change their names or legal markers will no longer have to undergo humiliating, transphobic, and discriminatory physical examinations in Chile.

To find Transgender Day of Remembrance events in your community, visit the International Transgender Day of Remembrance website .

If you are in New York, join our grantee partner Audre Lorde Project for their Transgender Day of Remembrance Ceremony:

Audre Lorde Project - TransJustice Transgender Day of Remembrance Ceremony
Tuesday, November 20th, 6:30 to 9:30 pm
Audre Lorde Project Office
147 West 24th Street, 3rd Floor

To learn more about International Day of Action Against Trans Depathologization, visit Stop Trans Pathologization.

Uganda Parliament | Anti- Homosexuality Bill Watch

No Anti-Homosexuality Bill today | bracing for next week
Melanie Nathan, November 20 2012
I am happy to report that for today, Uganda ‘s Parliament seems to have a lot more important business to attend to than the vicious and redundant Anit-homosexuality Bill which Speaker Rebecca Kadaga promised to have passed  in time for Christmas as a gift to the Ugandan people.
Today is Tuesday Nov 20, 2012 and it is the day we were led to believe would be the time by which  Speaker Kadaga would have the required second reading of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
Below is the agenda for Uganda’s Parliament for November 20, 2012 and there was no second reading of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.    We will continue to keep an eye. In the meantime the world is aghast that this Bill may be a reality and we have heard that there is a chance it will be up for a second reading next week.

Ugandan LGBTI activists have urged that the international public approach their protests and activism with caution at this time. See Ugandan LGBT Coalition urges extreme caution when foriegners advocate against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Here is the Order paper for Nov 20 2012.

12^TH SITTING OF THE 2^ND MEETING OF THE 2^ND SESSION OF THE 9^TH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA:  TUESDAY 20^TH  NOVEMBER 2012 – TIME OF COMMENCEMENT 10.00 A.M.

1. PRAYERS

1. COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR

1. BILLS SECOND READING

THE PETROLEUM (EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION) BILL, 2012
(Hon.  Minister of Energy and Mineral Development)
(A)      I)          BILLS COMMITTEE STAGE
THE PETROLEUM (EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION) BILL, 2012
(Hon.  Minister of Energy and Mineral Development)
II)         MOTION FOR THE HOUSE TO RESUME
(Hon.  Minister of Energy and Mineral Development)
III)        REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE
(Hon.  Minister of Energy and Mineral Development)
IV)       MOTION FOR ADOPTION OF THE REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE
(Hon.  Minister of Energy and Mineral Development)
(B)       BILLS THIRD READING
THE PETROLEUM (EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION) BILL, 2012
(Hon.  Minister of Energy and Mineral Development)
4.         BILLS SECOND READING
THE PETROLEUM (REFINING, GAS PROCESSING AND CONVERSION, TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE) BILL, 2012
(Hon.  Minister of Energy and Mineral Development)
(A)      I)          BILLS COMMITTEE STAGE
THE PETROLEUM (REFINING, GAS PROCESSING AND CONVERSION, TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE) BILL, 2012
(Hon.  Minister of Energy and Mineral Development)
II)         MOTION FOR THE HOUSE TO RESUME
(Hon.  Minister of Energy and Mineral Development)
III)        REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE
(Hon.  Minister of Energy and Mineral Development)
IV)       MOTION FOR ADOPTION OF THE REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE
(Hon.  Minister of Energy and Mineral Development)
B)        BILLS THIRD READING
THE PETROLEUM (REFINING, GAS PROCESSING AND CONVERSION, TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE) BILL, 2012
(Hon.  Minister of Energy and Mineral Development)
5.         BILLS SECOND READING
THE ACCOUNTANTS BILL, 2012
(Hon.  Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development)
(A)      I)          BILLS COMMITTEE STAGE
THE ACCOUNTANTS BILL, 2012
(Hon. Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development)
II)         MOTION FOR THE HOUSE TO RESUME
(Hon. Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development)
III)        REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE
(Hon. Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development)
IV)       MOTION FOR ADOPTION OF THE REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE
(Hon. Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development)
B)        BILLS THIRD READING
THE ACCOUNTANTS BILL, 2012
(Hon.  Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development)
6.         ADJOURNMENT
NOTICE OF BUSINESS TO FOLLOW

1. STATEMENT BY MINISTER ON THE COUNTERFEIT TELEPHONE HANDSETS

(Hon. Minister of Information and Communication Technology)

1. MOTION SEEKING LEAVE OF PARLIAMENT TO INTRODUCE A PRIVATE MEMBER’S BILL (IMMUNISATION BILL, 2012)

(Hon.  Oleru Huda, Woman Representative Yumbe District)

1. MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT TO URGE GOVERNMENT TO BAIL OUT SEMBULE STEEL MILLS LTD FROM THE INTENDED SALE OF ITS PROPERTIES
2. MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT ON ROAD SAFETY AND OTHER RELATED MATTERS

5.         PRESENTATION, CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF THE REPORT ON THE ADHOC COMMITTEE INVESTIGATING THE ENERGY SECTOR
6.         THE PUBLIC ORDER MANAGEMENT BILL, 2012
7.         REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ON THE STATUS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
8.         REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ON THE AFRICAN SPACE RESEARCH PROGRAM (ASRP)
9.         REPORT OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY COMMITTEE ON A REQUEST BY GOVERNMENT TO BORROW SDR 87.1 MILLION (USD 135.0M) FROM THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (IDA) OF THE WORLD BANK GROUP FOR FINANCING OF THE WATER MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (WMDP)
10.      REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL ECONOMY ON THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY
11.      PETITION AGAINST THE OFFICIAL RECEIVER OF UGANDA ELECTRICITY BOARD (UEB) AND UEB (IN LIQUIDATION) FOR NON-PAYMENT OF GRATUITY
KAMPALA
20^TH NOVEMBER 2012

Related articles

• Uganda Coalition of Leaders Promote Kill the Gays with Lies (oblogdeeoblogda.me)
• Ugandan Speaker Taunts World vowing to revive Kill the Gays Bill (oblogdeeoblogda.me)
• Ugandan LGBT Coalition urges extreme caution when foriegners advocate against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill (oblogdeeoblogda.me)

Ugandan Speaker taunts world vowing to revive Kill the Gays Bill

The Kill the Gay’s Bill may be back as  the Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, has indicated her intention to revive it.
The Speaker, who was addressing a cross section of religious leaders upon her return from Canada where she attended the 127th Inter Parliamentary Union Assembly, said she would not be intimidated by any western power about her position on homosexuality.
This is the report as it appears on the website of Uganda’s Parliament:

“I will instruct the Chair of the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to bring the report on the Anti Homosexuality Bill, so that we can consider it,” she said, Monday night. The Anti Homosexuality Bill, a private Members draft law was moved by MP David Bahati during the Eighth Parliament.
The biased anti-gay Parliamentary report notes:
“It seeks to establish a comprehensive legislation to protect the traditional family by prohibiting any form of sexual relations between people of the same sex; and the promotion or recognition of such sexual relations in public institutions as healthy, normal or an acceptable lifestyle, including in the public schools, through or with the support of any government entity in Uganda or any non- governmental organization inside or outside the country.
During the IPU Assembly held in Quebec, Canada, Hon. Kadaga protested assertions by the Canadian Foreign Minister that Uganda was intolerant to homosexuals.
“If homosexuality is a value for the people of Canada, they should not seek to force Uganda to embrace it. We are not a colony or a protectorate of Canada,” she said while in Canada.
Upon her return, the Speaker said that delegates from several other countries were happy with her statement but were afraid to speak out.
“I did not realize I was speaking for the entire world; Africa, the Arab world, Latin America and western countries; delegates told me ‘you were speaking for all of us.’ They had no courage to respond to (the Canadian Foreign Minister),” she said.
She added, “I will not accept to be intimidated or directed by any government in the world. If the price of aid is accepting homosexuality, we can reject the aid.”
The welcome ceremony included Parliament Commissioners, MPs, the former Minister of Ethics, Dr. James Nsaba Buturo, advocates against homosexuality and several students, who carried placards in support of the Speaker’s position and urging Parliament to urgently approve the Anti Homosexuality Bill.”

The Anti-homosexuality Bill  has languished in Uganda’s parliamentary system for years and has failed to reach a vote. It is said that because it is a private member Bill, that President Museveni does not have the power to veto the bill if passed.
The legislation, if passed in whatever form, will legitimate the already existing persecution against Uganda’s LGBTI community. It outlaws so called “promotion of homosexuality,” establishes the death penalty for so called “repeat offenders” and includes severe terms of imprisonment for any person caught having a relationship with a member of the same sex.  It further call for harsh penalties for those who fail to report gays and lesbians.  That could include a parent, a teacher, a doctor or member of the clergy.
President Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton have called for the demise of criminalization of homosexuality in Africa, with special reference to this legislation as  human rights infraction. However the Ugandans who promote the bill have stood firmly behind the notion that their sovereignty excuses them from adherence to international standards of human rights.
The UK government has threatened to cut AID to Uganda if the bill passes.
In truth what will happen is the inability of US and other western corporate interests to continue to function normally in Uganda if the bill passes. This will be a result of the diversity policies that some companies adhere to, where they openly employ LGBT people through diversity programs that foster full inclusion. Such employers would be considered accessories under Ugandan law and it would mean they could be subjecting staff to long terms in prison, for not outing fellow gay staff members.
I shudder to think about the future of American help for Uganda’s gay community if Romney were President of the U.S.A.  He has given no indication as to what a Romney/ Ryan administration would do if the Kill the Gays law were to pass. Would they provide the support of an Obama administration?  Given his bigoted rhetoric and his stance against LGBT Americans, it is highly unlikely that Romney would help persecuted gay Ugandans.

READ ABOUT THE LEVEL OF HOMOPHOBIA IN UGANDA

Statement  by Coalition of Religious leaders, Civil Society Organizations, Parents, Children & Citizens of Uganda:

[Delivered at Public Meeting  with Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alitwala Rebecca Kadaga at the CHOGM Gardens next to the Parliament of Uganda on November 9, 2012]

The Rt. Hon Speaker of Parliament, Members of Parliament

Religious Leaders Civil Society Leaders Parents

Students

Ladles & Gentlemen

All protocol observed

Rt. Hon. Speaker, we thank you for making the time in your busy schedule to come and meet us as a coalition of religious leaders, civil society leaders, parents, and students who are here representing the citizens of Uganda.

Many of our people who came to welcome you at the airport last week were not able to see you and were not able to properly  welcome you back in our warm Ugandan sty/e. For that matter, we now wish to welcome you properly  back to Uganda after doing such a wonderful job of standing for our values and culture in Canada. We thank you for accepting our request for this meeting.

We also wish to now thank you officially  as Ugandans for the brave and firm way that you defended the sovereignty of our nation. You did not allow yourself to be bullied or .intimidated by Canada and other powerful Western nations that are fond of arm-twisting developing nations to force them to adopt Western culture some of which is perversion such as homosexuality.

We thank you as a nation and honor you for following the example of the President in making a historic stand in the face of such arrogance as was being displayed at the IPU meeting.

Indeed this brave stand you made as one of the delegates turned out to be the GIANT STAND that represented the position of all the right thinking nations of the world.  We have heard of how delegates from African, Arab, Asian and South

America gave you a standing ovation  after your prolific  defense of our culture and morals.  We say BRAVO to you Hon. Speaker. We as Ugandans are proud of you and you have made us proud.

Rt. Hon. Speaker, we are gathered here this morning very troubled by what we consider as a serious threat  to our children, marriages, families, culture, convictions and our very way of life.

Rt. Hon Speaker, allow me to refresh your memory.

In the  early  months  of  2009, information came to  light  that  our  children  were being molested  and recruited into  gay activities  (homosexuality and lesbianism). This was being carried  out by well-organized and well trained  homosexual groups operating  in  our  schools  and  institutions of  higher  learning  with  funding  and backing from some Western governments and international organizations.

The whole nation  was outraged  and on April 23, 2009 a petition was delivered to Parliament with  signatures  from  all over the nation  asking Parliament  to urgently take measures to safeguard our children and nation from the onslaught of this destructive vice of homosexuality.

Rt. Hon Speaker, the petition was received by none other than yourself when you were the Deputy Speaker. Subsequently, on October 14, 2009, Hon. David Bahati the MP for Ndorwa  West tabled the Anti-Homosexuality Bill [AHB] in Parliament.

The  AHB  raised  unprecedented international  reactions   and  response  mainly coming from  international gay activists, international organizations  and Western nations that have come under the influence  of the gay agenda. While the spirit of the AHB was mainly to provide  protection to the innocent children  of Uganda, the gay activists using the  powerful Western  media  which  they  control, deliberately distorted the facts about  the bill and misled the world  into  thinking that the AHB was a “hunt gays and kill gays” bill. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Uganda as a nation  was then  put  under  pressure to block the  AHB. To this end, government   officials,   MPs  and  the   President   were   pressurized   using  every possible means and in every possible  international forum  to  drop  the  AHB. The international gay machinery  and Western  governments then  poured  millions  of United States Dollars in Uganda to support the gay agenda in Uganda.

Some of the things that this money was used for include: training  and building the capacity of Ugandan gay activist groups, recruiting and training  lawyers to defend homosexuals   in  court,  directly   offering money  to  people  in  key  positions  to oppose the  AHB and threatening them  with  denial  of visas and other  threats  if they   don’t    agree.   They   also  sponsored    programs   in  the   media   that   are sympathetic  to  the  gay agenda, offering money  and favors to  lure  weak, needy and poor  Ugandan  youth  into  homosexuality/lesbianism. They further embarked on strategic  activities in  our  institutions of  higher  learning  where  students  are directly  and deliberately indoctrinated with  gay-biased information in the lecture rooms right  from  first  year. It is deplorable and indeed  sad to note  that  students who refuse to accept the gay philosophy are deliberately failed.

In the  early  months  of  last year, some  sections  of the  international gay activist groups began celebrating their  success in managing  to  ”kill” the  AHB. However, the  bill  has  managed  to  stay  alive  and  has successfully  crossed  from  the 8th Parliament to the 9th  Parliament.

Rt. Hon  Speaker, we  are  grieved  as Ugandans  to  watch  this  drama  of  events happen  before  our  very  eyes as the  vice of  homosexuality  takes its toll  on our children  and  nation. Parents  mourn   quietly   as their   sons  and  daughters  are molested in schools by homosexuals  and they have nowhere  to turn for help.

Young boys  are  constantly  sexually  abused  with  impunity by  powerful personalities and their  cries fall on deaf ears as their  abusers threaten them  and boast  of  being  ”untouchable” in  our  very  nation,  where  according  to  the  law books  homosexuality  is  still  a crime.   As though   that  is  not  enough,  there  is rampant  availability of pornography. Also numerous  movies and soap operas that are broadcast  in the  nation  contain  homosexual content.  This is all a deliberate strategy by the gay agenda to desensitize our children  and reprogram their  minds and attitudes to accept homosexuality as a viable and equal alternative  to heterosexuality.

Rt. Hon. Speaker, we cannot sit back while  such destructive phenomenon is taking place in our nation. We therefore as responsible citizens feel duty bound to bring this  matter  to  your  attention as the  leader  of  Parliament  so that  you our  law makers can do  something to  quickly  address this  deteriorating situation  in our nation.

We  therefore  stand   united   as  Ugandans  on  this   matter  of   homosexuality regardless of our tribes, ethnicities, political affiliations, social and religious backgrounds and wish to state as follows:-

i.        That  we  support  the  stand  that  His Excellency the  President, you Rt.Hon. Speaker and the government have taken on homosexuality  stating that it is a vice and as such is not an acceptable behavior  in our nation.

ii.       That  we  will  stand  behind  the  government  and  all  our  leaders  and encourage  them  to stand firmly  and defend  our position as a nation on homosexuality  in   all   fora,   whether    local  or   international.  We  as Ugandans are ready to pay the price of maintaining our values, cultural and  societal  norms  whatever  the  cost might  be. We categorically  say that we will not sell our national  birthright in exchange for a few dollars to softening on the vice of homosexuality.

iii.       We encourage  all leaders at all levels to emulate  your good example Rt.

Hon  Speaker  and  that  of  the  President  to  accurately  represent  our position as a nation on homosexuality.

We now request you Rt. Han Speaker to use your good offices to:-

i.            Urgently  have the  Parliament  debate  and pass the  Anti-Homosexuality Bill without any further delay. Nothing  would  make us happier  than a dully passed anti-homosexuality bill as a Christmas gift this year.

ii.        Institute a parliamentary committee to  investigate  the  extent  of  the recruitment of our  children  into  homosexuality· and the  impact  of this vice in our schools, institutions of higher learning and any other relevant areas of our society.

iii.       Establish a safe mechanism  whereby  our  sons and daughters who are molested  by homosexuals can be protected from  harm by the homosexual abusers and their machinery.

iv.       Maintain homosexual  behavior as a crime in our law books.

v.            Explore  ways  of  collaborating or  working together with  the  religious groups,  civil  society  groups,  other  stakeholders  such  as schools and universities to find viable interventions to mitigate the damage that has been   wrecked    in   our   society   by  the   gay  agenda   that   has  been operational in our nation for some time now.

In closing, we are aware that some of our youth have been misled by gay activists and  have  been   led   into   the   vice  of   homosexuality  using  inducement   and enticement. We  are  also aware  that  there  are  those  whose  surroundings  and other  factors  leads them  to  same sex attractions. For such people, we extend a hand  of  love  and  understanding and give  them  the  good  news  that  change is possible through  counseling, guidance and spiritual  and professional help.

To this end, no Ugandan  should sentence themselves  to a life of misery because of the false gay propaganda  that  change is impossible.  Many  homosexual  people have been successfully restored  to heterosexuality over the centuries.  Change is possible  and  our   religious   leaders  and  civil  society   organizations   with   the appropriate competencies will  spearhead the move to· bring  restoration to those Ugandans who need it.

Uganda can’t afford the Kill The Gays bill

Ugandan James Kityo says the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga doesn’t talk for everyone as she pledges to push the anti-homosexuality bill through parliament

05 November 2012 | By James Kityo

Just when one thinks that Uganda is growing up by leaving people who are LGBTI alone, something else emerges that shocks the bold hearted into action.
At the 127th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly held in Quebec recently a fierce show-down on homosexuality erupted. When John Baird, Canada’s Foreign Minister, reprimanded Uganda for violating the human rights of sexual minorities, Ugandan Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga retorted that Uganda was ‘neither a colony nor protectorate of Canada and as such her sovereignty, societal and cultural norms were to be respected’. She told those gathered that she was not aware the assembly had been summoned to promote gay rights.
Kadaga may have been right about Uganda's sovreignty. But telling people about their human rights violations does not equate to colonising them but rather deals with human rights violations. I am sure that Canada is not really interested in colonising Uganda. This was a digressionary tactic and it worked. It always works when applied to sensitive Western countries.
Having lived and worked with several same-sex loving Ugandans, I do not understand how anyone who knows the diversity of Ugandan realities can claim that homosexuality is foreign to our culture. For instance, does telling Ugandans about their need to respect the rights of gay persons equate to having them colonised? Perhaps the speaker could have made her point without insinuating that Canada wished to colonise Uganda.
She is not alone. Those who oppose homosexual practices make constant reference to LGBTI life and people being a foreign culture imposed on Africans. But in reality there is evidence that homosexuality existed in Africa long before colonialism.
Uganda is now a hotbed for debate on the matter of homosexuality. Everything has not been rosy for the gay rights activists. There was the arrest of David Cecil Edwards, director of The River and the Mountain. The play, written by Beau Hopkins, was banned from showing at Uganda’s National Theater because it tackles the theme of homosexuality. It also tackles religion and politics and the Uganda Communications Commission would have none of it.
The line-up of people welcoming the Ugandan Speaker of Parliament on her return from Canada was not surprising. These were David Bahati, Member of Parliament for Ndorwa West and mover of the anti-homosexuality bill; Nsaba Buturo, former Minister of Ethics and a very strong critic of LGBTI practice; Revivalist church pastors Martin Ssempa and Pastor Solomon Male, who have both served their time for defaming another church pastor after they accused him of homosexual related practices; Pastor Michael Were, a strong anti-homosexual lobby leader, and of course numerous Ugandans carrying posters that read ‘Revive the anti- homosexuality bill’, ‘Ban homosexuals’, ‘Uganda is not a colony of Canada’ and ‘You [Kadaga] are our saviour, we want the bill now’.
Conspicuously absent was the Uganda Minister of Ethics, Father Simon Lokodo, who has had a rough ride with human rights activists and the LGBTI community after being dragged to court for disbanding gay conferences.
The unfortunate thing about the Canada-Uganda homosexual debacle is the anger that has emanated out of the whole saga. The Ugandan Speaker seems to have been so angered that on her arrival at Entebbe Airport she told her admirers, who were congratulating her for bravely facing off a Canadian minister, that she was now going to expedite the anti-homosexuality bill.
Bad enough is also the fact that Jovah Kamateka, another member in the Ugandan parliament, is calling for a referendum to decide the fate of LGBTI people in Uganda. It is not hard to guest how Ugandans would vote in such a matter.
Every top Ugandan politician that supports the anti-homosexuality bill says we do not need donor money (watch the clip below). But of course Uganda needs the money and Uganda will listen to whatever the donors tell it. The money is used by such institutions as parliament, the police, the army, the judiciary and many more. Surely, the speaker and all the other politicians are not speaking for the Uganda treasury when they say ‘to hell with donor money’?
James Kityo is a member of the Key Correspondents team (KCs), a global network of community-based writers from around 50 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean supported by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. A large number of KCs are people living with or affected by HIV. All are volunteers and include those working in advocacy, media, health and development.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/uganda-can%E2%80%99t-afford-kill-gays-bill051112

FALSE PROPAGANDA BY BAHATI AGAIN

Homos Targeting Kindergartens, Says Bahati

 

Ndorwa West MP David Bahati (right),  Bill Clinton posing for a picture with Gay Right’s Activist Frank Mugisha (center) at a party.

Known for his homophobia, Ndorwa West MP David Bahati has now warned parents to take extreme precautions as homosexuals are busy targeting new recruits in kindergartens. Bahati delivered the message on Sunday while presiding over Kampala Kindergarten Association end of year concert held at Didi’s World – Kasanga in Kampala.
When he took to the podium, Bahati said that the theme of the day ‘motivation leads to independence’,  was rich because of its relevance to the children gathered who without doubt are the future leaders. At this point he expressed his discontent with the impunity gays are propping up to recruit toddlers in nursery schools.
“We now have a problem with homosexuals who are targeting nursery kids. We must fight them seriously and bring it to an end. As teachers, be on the look out to protect the moral fabric of the nation as we in Government find way of fighting this depravity,” he said.
His remarks come at a time when MPs in Parliament have intensified immense pressure on passing of Anti-gay bill. Speaking to press yesterday, Bahati again reiterated that the bill is before the Parliamentary Legal and Affairs committee. But he vouched that he will ‘energize’ to see the bill passed before the year ends. “Right now the bill is before the committee we shall debate it in this session and before end of 2012 we shall come up with a resolution,” he said.
Bahati insisted that he is firm and not even Sandy Storm that hit America recently could move him to change his mind. He is remembered to have shaken the world when he advocated for the death of homos by hanging.
Barely a fortnight ago, Ugandan Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga blasted Canada Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird for attacking Uganda on homosexuality.
“If homosexuality is a value for the Canadian people, that is not a problem for us, that is its issue, but one should not force Ugandans to accept homosexuality because we’re not Canadian citizens,” Kadaga said to thunderous applause from the floor.http://www.redpepper.co.ug/?p=1628#comment-5875