Submitted By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
The nation’s top constitutional court invalidated the Uganda’s highly controversial anti-homosexuality law, citing improper parliamentary procedures. The opinion cites that the Speaker of the House acted illegally when she allowed the original bill to be voted for passage by MPs despite the lack of a quorum in the chamber. Afterward, President Museveni signed the legislation into law.
Activists held the decision as a significant victory in for civil rights in Uganda, but will this be only a temporary legal reprieve?
Under the legislation, individuals can be imprisoned for engaging in homosexual acts or “promoting homosexuality.” Additionally, failure to report acts of homosexuality by witnesses can also lead to prosecution and imprisonment.
Yet a worse situation arises in that the law provides for life imprisonment as the maximum penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.” This category of offenses is defined as repeated gay sex between consenting adults and acts involving minors, a disabled person, or where one partner is infected with HIV.
Amnesty International stated the law was a first step in reversing the government persecution of citizens of Uganda. The group cited having proof of numerous examples of arbitrary arrest, extortion and police abuse of lesbian, gay, and transgendered individuals.
“Even though Uganda’s abominable Anti-Homosexuality Act was scrapped on the basis of a technicality, it is a significant victory for the Ugandan activists who have campaigned against this law.”
Yet there still remains to be seen how willing politicians are to move forward in recognizing the privacy and speech rights of citizens.
Deutsche Welle reports David Bahati, the Ugandan parliamentary deputy who introduced the bill, which initially proposed the death penalty for homosexuality, said the government would appeal the ruling. He said he was confident the law would remain in force.
Critics have said Museveni signed the bill into law to win domestic support ahead of a presidential election scheduled for 2016.
Externally, a multitude of sanctions imposed by Western Nations possibly influenced the decision by the court and in the background the government. US Secretary of State John Kerry likened the law to anti-Semitic legislation in Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
It remains to be seen how committed Uganda is toward equality in its society.
By Darren Smith
Sources:
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Paul, who are you trying to convince? I don’t think I’m arguing for promiscuous sex, do you? Or is that your straw man?
And I should add from woman to man in unprotected sex.
What bad things happen Squeeky? A lightening bolt from a Biblical God? Do you know anal sex has been in existence for thousands of years, yet humanity has not ceased to exist? Why are you so concerned about where someone puts his penis? Do you really deeply care about their health? You do know that AIDS was passed from man to woman in vaginal sex throughout Africa, don’t you?
Annie – you do know how AIDS actually travelled in Africa don’t you. From man camps to the home front.
@annie
We may have the luxury of worrying about other things. In other countries, not so much maybe. Plenty of vancomycin here. Uganda? Who knows. We can afford the cost of sick gays. Uganda? Again, who knows. I’m not jumping on the “homophobe” wagon every time some country tries to exercise some common sense.. You’re free to, to your hearts delight!
As far as where some guys puts his little thingy, when he puts it in somebody’s rear end, bad things can happen to both of them. That’s science, BTW.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
My dear Squeekers, do you think that a woman’s vagina is a pristine sanctified orifice? There are all manner of creepy crawlies that could find a nice home there under the right conditions. We won’t even mention the mouth and the disgusting bacteria that reproduce in obscene numbers there, ewww. Seriously Squeeky, how old are you? I suspect old enough to realize that there are people who love each over who engage in very personal intimate ways that are NONE of your concern. Absolutely none. Aren’t here much more pressing problems in the world to solve, like world hunger rather than where some guy puts his penis?
Annie – anyone who keeps up to date on the number and recurrence of STDs knows what kind of creeepy crawlies could be inside a vagina. That is why monogamous sex is the best option for staying sexually healthy.
rafflaw
Remind me why we were supporting a government that proposed the killing of homosexuals?
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One angle …
@bobk
It ‘s a dirty job, but somebody had to do it. Somewhere in the midst of the Western worlds celebration of gay sex, the scrungy reality of what ‘s being celebrated had been forgotton. My goodness, 20% of MSM in this country have HIV AIDS and you never hear it mentioned in all the “We ‘re sooo prooouuud!” claptrap when some dude comes out of the closet. There is a reason federal law requires sewage treatment plants.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky,
You’ve really surpassed your former record, in terms of classy, sophisticated, enlightened comments. Congratulations!
Your last comment is exemplary for Christians, everywhere!
And no, Paul, that’s not ad hominem.
Zarathustra, a comment has been deleted for profanity under our civility rule.
So they found the wizard…..
@annie
I would characterize it more as “understanding of the jailing and lashing. . .” Some countries don ‘t think the universe revolves around somebody ‘s alleged right to place their body parts into unsanitary places.
Plus, the folks in Africa have enough problems with bacteria without some creeps scooping some more nasty bacteria out of numerous back ends to spread around. Try to get past your anti -Christian bias long enough to figure out why the practice was treated so seriously thousands of years ago.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
rafflaw, here’s the reminder…….
The flip side of this, is that the US uses Uganda as a sledge hammer to combat
Islamic terrorists like Al-Shabaab Islamist group. US boots are on the ground.
July 2014: US warns of terror threat at Ugandan airport, nearly 4 decades after deadly hijacking. That would be Entebbe Airport.
In 1976, Israel launched a successful recue mission, killing all the terrorists and Ugandan military sympathizers.
And….. We’re serving Barbecued Christian for dinner tonight!
Remind me why we were supporting a government that proposed the killing of homosexuals?
Bad news for you Squeekers, in light of your recent joy over the jailing and lashing of a gay man in Saudi Arabia. Take heart, there will always be more countries that persecute gays and don’t care about US funding.
Unexpected.
It’s about the international aid money. A change of heart you might say. U.S. cuts aid to Uganda, cancels military exercise over anti-gay law.
The White House said in a statement the measures were intended to “reinforce our support for human rights of all Ugandans regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The United States will halt $2.4 million in funding for a Ugandan community policing program in light of a police raid on a U.S.-funded health program at Makerere University
and reports of people detained and abused while in police custody.
Is Uganda a Pirate Territory or not? It is not as bad as Nigeria or Somalia.
Yep! Unless some wealthy gays are paying off the politicians.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
10-1 they re-institute the law.