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Uganda Gay marriage
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Gay activists protest at the Uganda High Commission London
In belief that Western lifestyle risks destroying family units, the Ugandan parliament has taken a tougher stance and passed a bill that punishes certain acts of homosexuality with life in prison. Under existing legislation, homosexual acts are punishable by 14 years to life in prison.
The bill was first introduced in 2009 by legislator, David Bahati, who noted that the bill was "needed in this country to protect the traditional family here in Africa, and also protect the future of our children."
The bill sparked worldwide condemnation for tough measures that included the death penalty. At the time, some European nations threatened to withdraw aid to Uganda, which relies on millions of dollars from the international community. It was briefly shelved amid the backlash.
The Parliament ammended the death penalty clause to life in prison for "aggravated homosexuality." It includes acts where one person is infected with HIV, "serial offenders" and sex with minors. In cases where one has HIV, the punishment applies even when the sex is consensual or protected.
The bill also proposes years in prison for anyone who counsels or reaches out to homosexuals, a provision that would ensnare rights groups and others providing services to lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people.
Amnesty International's Deputy Director for Africa - Aster van Kregten opined that: "The knock-on effect of passing this bill will reach far beyond gay and lesbian people in Uganda, impeding the legitimate work of civil society, public health professionals and community leaders."
Simon Lokodo - Uganda's Minister for Ethics and Integrity noted that, "What we are convinced and sure of is that nobody can in one's right conscience and consciousness choose to be homosexual. This must be under pressure or conditions, because we know that the natural tendency is always for a male to go for a female and vice versa."
The International HIV/AIDS Alliance said in a statement that the bill will have a "disastrous impact on the country's HIV response." Uganda is one of only two countries in Africa with a rising AIDS rate, after being hailed for its early success in fighting the epidemic in the 1990s.
The United States of America (USA) condemned the amended bill saying that it opposes "any legislation that undermines a person's enjoyment of his or her human rights, and for that reason we condemn legislation that criminalizes consensual sexual conduct between adults or criminalizes simply being of a particular sexual orientation or gender identity."
Emphasizing that the USA respects Uganda's sovereignty, it noted that some of Uganda's own government institutions have spoken out "against further criminalization of homosexuality."
British Entrepreneur and Chairman of the Virgin Group - Sir Richard Branson, tweeted that he "wouldn't do business in Uganda due to their dreadful anti-gay laws," urging others to follow suit.
Gay-rights activists in Uganda warned of mounting violence against homosexuals. "The witch hunt had already started, and now it has been legitimized by the parliament of Uganda, which is very scary," said Clare Byarugaba, Coordinator for the Ugandan Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law, an umbrella gay-rights group. "We don't know how brutal the police will be now that the bill has passed. With this legitimization, it's going to get worse."
Gay activists in Uganda are regularly detained, blackmailed and harassed in what they say has been an ongoing campaign led by religious and political leaders.
Gay activist and 2011 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award winner, Frank Mugisha, said that he has been verbally and physically attacked since the bill's passing and that many Ugandans think the bill has already become law.
65-year-old retired British man, Bernard Randall, is facing up to two years in prison over the possession of a gay sex video. The man says the images were stolen along with his laptop in a break-in at his home. Images from the video were later published in a local tabloid newspaper noted for outing gays.
His partner, Ugandan Albert Cheptoyek, was arrested and will stand trial alongside him, facing a more serious charge for "gross indecency," which carries a sentence of up to seven years.
Early this year, another British national, David Cecil, faced up to two years in prison for staging a play with a gay character without government permission. Though the charges against him were dropped for lack of evidence, he was deported from Uganda one month later. Cecil has since filed an appeal against his deportation at the High Court in Uganda, but those proceedings have also stalled.
Gay-rights activists have promised to challenge the bill in court on the basis that a quorum was not formed in parliament when the bill was passed.
For the bill to become law, President Yoweri Museveni needs to assent to it within 30 days of the passing of the bill.