Ugandan LGBT Press Statement on the AHB recently passed.

We shall not abuse power like the Parliament but we shall overcome using our inherent rights to expression, life, dignity and respect amongst so many.

Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender persons remind Ugandan leaders of their duty to protect its citizens. Making citizens live in fear is against human Rights instruments i.e International, regional and the constitution of Uganda to which you are a signatory. We also want to remind Uganda that during the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva March 2012, you are on records of the Human Rights Council that you will protect the LGBT community. You will be held accountable should this Act become law. This Act is a threat to the economic and social development of this country. We want to inform all Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender tourists and all friends and allies coming to Uganda that this is now a no go area as the Parliament has made it very clear that you are not welcome here. It is unfortunate to see that we have to raise this alarm, instead of being part of the campaign to promote the Ugandan tourism industry. This is not our making however Ugandan law makers have decided to make Uganda unsafe. The same fate awaits expatriates who come to work or invest in Uganda! Where is the spirit of patriotism when our leaders want their own, sentenced to life in prisons? This act /law would take Uganda back 50 Years. Issues of cutting Donor AID have arisen.

We want to make this very clear. We don’t support AID cut because of the detrimental effects this will have on our national budget that supports all Ugandans.

However we cannot influence foreign policies of donor countries whose citizen’s demand that tax payer’s money not be sent to countries that don’t respect Human Rights in general.

 We are calling on all Civil Society, Members of Parliament and all Ugandans who respect Human rights to strongly oppose the passage of this draconian Act. This Act, if passed into law will and is already affecting our present and future generations. We have to bear in mind that the Act is not only affecting the LGBT community but a majority of Ugandans. We call for calm within our community and allies and everyone who might be affected in the wake of the passage of this bill by parliament, be very vigilant during this trying time but don’t lose hope. God will make a way. We want to take this opportunity to thank the world for standing with us all these years and the years to come. Your undying support and solidarity to this community keeps us strong. Please continue. Finally we want to assure you that despite this setback we are not broken AND never will, in fact we are stronger than before and we shall not leave any stone unturned to challenge this Act and parliament’s actions. This is our country and you SHALL not determine for consented adults who they should love. We refuse to be marginalized!

Some Ugandans are GAY, get over it.

Merry Xmas and a prosperous New Year

http://www.scribd.com/doc/193361058/13-12-23-Defiance-Lgbt-Statement 

Bad Day for LGBTI community as Ugandan parliament passes draconian anti-gay bill

Kampala — Uganda's parliament on Friday adopted an anti-homosexuality bill that will see repeat offenders jailed for life, with lawmakers hailing it as a victory against "evil" for the deeply religious nation.
Deputies voted overwhelmingly in favour of the text, which has been widely condemned by rights activists and Western leaders -- with US President Barack Obama describing it as "odious".
The lawmaker behind the bill, David Bahati, said a death penalty clause was dropped from the final version of the bill, which must now go to President Yoweri Museveni for approval.
"This is a victory for Uganda. I am glad the parliament has voted against evil," Bahati told AFP.
"Because we are a God-fearing nation, we value life in a holistic way. It is because of those values that members of parliament passed this bill regardless of what the outside world thinks," he said.
First proposed in 2009, the bill had been shelved following international condemnation, but parliamentary spokeswoman Hellen Kaweesa said the changes meant that it had secured "majority support" among MPs.
The initially proposed bill would have introduced the death sentence for anyone caught engaging in homosexual acts for a second time, as well as for gay sex where one partner is a minor or has HIV.
Homophobia is widespread in Uganda, where American-style evangelical Christianity is on the rise. Gay men and women in the country face frequent harassment and threats of violence. Rights activists have also reported cases of lesbians being subjected to "corrective" rapes.
In 2011, prominent Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato was bludgeoned to death at his home after a newspaper splashed photos, names and addresses of gays in Uganda on the front page along with a yellow banner reading "Hang Them".
While homosexuality was already illegal, the new bill stiffens penalties and also criminalises the public promotion of homosexuality -- including discussions by rights groups.
The bill sparked a strong reaction from activists.
"I am officially illegal," Ugandan gay activist Frank Mugisha said after the vote.
Leslie Lefkow of Human Rights Watch said that President Yoweri Museveni "should not sign the abhorrent anti-homosexuality law just passed".
The vote also comes a day after parliament passed an anti-pornography law that bans anything that "shows sexual parts of a person such as breasts, thighs, buttocks", according to the Monitor newspaper.
It also outlaws "any erotic behaviour intended to cause sexual excitement or any indecent act or behaviour tending to corrupt morals".
In 2008, former ethics and integrity minister James Nsaba Buturo tried to pass similar legislation claiming a woman wearing provocative clothing risked causing traffic accidents by distracting drivers.
President Museveni called an uproar in 2012 when he told female school students to "keep a padlock on your private parts until the time comes to open them when you have a husband".
In addition to outlawing "provocative" clothing, the anti-pornography bill will result in scantily dressed performers being banned from Ugandan television. It will also closely monitor what individuals watch on the Internet.http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hGIAcRFCWWsNpSD-g3tPc4yQ2Eqw?docId=6ba408e1-4adc-4408-a6fc-8ce5e0d92ce6