Death Penalty for “Aggravated Homosexuality” in Uganda
Already “subject to persecution and arbitrary arrest in Uganda,” gays could see their freedoms even further curtailed if a new bill becomes law. Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, “includes a section that would introduce the death penalty for the offence of ‘aggravated homosexuality’“:
The bill proposes stricter penalties for homosexual acts, already illegal in the East African nation, and the death penalty for anyone who engages in same-sex relations with children under 18 and disabled people or who is HIV-positive while having gay sex.
Not just that, the bill would impose a seven-year jail sentence for the “promotion of homosexuality.”
Almost throughout human history, we’ve seen such laws. And as gay advocates abroad work for their repeal, let this also serve as a reminder of how singular have been the cultural changes in Western societies these past few decades, allowing us to express ourselves without fear of prosecution and to live freely and openly without censure or stigma.
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“…how singular have been the cultural changes in Western societies…”
Yes, thank goodness the forces of liberalism have been able to triumph over conservatism is this area, as well as other areas where the freedoms of minorities have been suppressed. Let us resolve never to forget who stands for freedom and equality, and who opposes it.
Comment by Tano — October 16, 2009 @ 4:14 pm - October 16, 2009
#1: “Let us resolve never to forget who stands for freedom and equality, and who opposes it.”
Yes, Tano. Let’s:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/10/06/us_cutoff_of_funding_to_iran_human_rights_cause_signals_shift/
Comment by Sean A — October 16, 2009 @ 4:28 pm - October 16, 2009
That would be the tyrant loving liberal left who keeps the minorities crushed under their heel. Freedom and equality my ass.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 16, 2009 @ 5:36 pm - October 16, 2009
We could, of course, make semantic jokes about aggravated homosexuals — but that would be to gloss over the real human rights tragedy here.
The reality is that even those who support DADT and oppose gay marriage and civil unions can look at this sort of stuff and forthrightly condemn it. I’d therefore argue that the best way to change hearts and minds is to focus on stuff like this and create supporters for elements of the gay rights political agenda in this country that way.
Comment by Rhymes With Right — October 16, 2009 @ 6:49 pm - October 16, 2009
WRONG, Rhymes. Absolutely wrong. It is well known that the violent flames of Ugandan homophobia have been fanned by U.S. Evangelical Christians, who are enabled by the very political party this blog supports! Shame on you, Dan!
(Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-10-16-voa5.cfm)
Comment by DavyJG — October 16, 2009 @ 7:22 pm - October 16, 2009
To our shame, this hate is also fueled by the Anglican Bishops in Unganda.
Comment by Ashpenaz — October 16, 2009 @ 8:16 pm - October 16, 2009
And I see DavyJG is ready for the challenge.
Please tell us whether or not these statements are antigay.
“God don’t like men coming to men with lust in their hearts like you should go to a female. If you think that the kingdom of God is going to be filled up with that kind of degenerate crap, you’re out of your damn mind.”
And:
“I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman”.
Also, since you state anything that is antigay is enabled by a person’s political party, would you also say that these statements, if antigay, indicate that the political party to which the person(s) making this statement belong is antigay as well?
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — October 16, 2009 @ 10:57 pm - October 16, 2009
#5: “It is well known that the violent flames of Ugandan homophobia have been fanned by U.S. Evangelical Christians, who are enabled by the very political party this blog supports!”
So, DavyJG, Africa was just like a giant, continent-sized Fire Island until the Republican Party “enabled” evangelical leaders to attend a conference in Uganda where they discussed reparative therapy for gays and that’s what compelled Uganda’s Parliament to propose legislation authorizing the execution of homosexuals? Hmmmmm. I think you may be onto something there. For example, the article reports that “In 12 Nigerian states that subscribe to Sharia law, homosexuality is punishable by death.” AH HA! The evangelical Christians must have gotten to them too! This is madness. When will our leaders stand up and demand that America stop exporting Christian hatred and homophobia to former gay sanctuaries like Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Somalia, Darfur, Iran, Libya, and Iraq?!
Comment by Sean A — October 16, 2009 @ 11:15 pm - October 16, 2009
If it’s “well known”, then you shouldn’t have any problems providing names, right?
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 17, 2009 @ 2:26 am - October 17, 2009
Yes, Farrakhan’s superstitious silliness is just as vile as as your average Ugandan Anglican Bishop’s.
Here’s three who have no problem with Uganda’s action. Rev. Rick Warren doesn’t seem to have much problem with what is going on there, either.
Comment by Jody — October 17, 2009 @ 3:10 am - October 17, 2009
But to reiterate Dan’s point, yes, it’s great we have the ability to speak out. To reiterate Tano’s, a lot of that is due to progressive and liberal efforts over the last 50 years. (A few Republican’s too.:-D)
Comment by Jody — October 17, 2009 @ 3:15 am - October 17, 2009
Oooh! Good idea, Jody. Pick an article by a bigoted moron who loves to talk about sadomasochism.
Brilliant.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 17, 2009 @ 5:27 am - October 17, 2009
I hate to break it to y’all, but the law looks like a mixed bag if you ask me… It’s a pity “homosexual acts” are necessarily involved, but I’m not sure I’m too exercised with the idea of them executing guys for raping children while they have HIV.
Comment by DoDoGuRu — October 17, 2009 @ 7:07 am - October 17, 2009
I don’t understand how Sean A can make such absurd leaps of logic and assumptions with my post. I said that the flames of Ugandan homophobia were fanned by U.S. Evangelicals. The flames were already there and burning dangerously high, the last thing Ugandan gays needed was a conference organised by U.S. Christian leaders who manipulated that homophobia and sought to (successfully) funnel the hatred and bigotry into pressurising politicians to enact more anti-gay legislation. That was my point. I never said that Africa was just find with the gays until America’s bigots showed up. We all know, I hope, that Africa is perhaps the most despicably homophobic continent in the world. But the simple fact is that U.S. Evangelicals have played their part in this violent homophobia and denying that just so you can feel less guilty about supporting the party is essentially turning into nothing more than an extension of that Evangelical movement is deplorable.
Also, please stop with the bullshit. It doesn’t matter how many homophobic statements you can dig up from supporters or members of the Democratic Party because it is clear for all to see (in the national platform, in state platforms, in the policies of the congressional leaders, in governors, in the president, the vice-president, the secretary of state) that the Democratic party is not homophobic. Yes, they’re slow on gay issues. Yes, they have a torrid history with gay rights. But the only states that have passed gay marriage legislatively have done so as the result of the Democrats fighting against Republicans on the issue. So cut the bullshit, please. Republicans are much, much, much worse than Democrats on gay issues – there is no argument here.
Comment by DavyJG — October 17, 2009 @ 9:51 am - October 17, 2009
Yes, Farrakhan’s superstitious silliness is just as vile as as your average Ugandan Anglican Bishop’s.
And yet, amazingly, Jody, you support and endorse Farrakhan as part of your Obama Party while you criticize the Ugandans.
People realize that gays like yourself, Jody, use “homophobic” the same way that Al Sharpton uses “racist”; it has nothing to do with either homophobia or racism, and is merely the attempt to berate and bully someone who you don’t like.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — October 17, 2009 @ 6:43 pm - October 17, 2009
It doesn’t matter how many homophobic statements you can dig up from supporters or members of the Democratic Party
Actually, it does; your blabbering and spinning and screaming only demonstrates to a greater and greater degree the abject hypocrisy that liberals like yourself practice. You insist that statements you deem “homophobic” prove that all Republicans and conservatives are, but then you blabber that identical statements and worse made by Obama Party members mean nothing. That is the “logic” typical of a bigot.
Now, state for all of us whether or not this statement is antigay.
I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian … it’s also a sacred union. You know, God’s in the mix.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — October 17, 2009 @ 6:52 pm - October 17, 2009
-EVERY- Republican congressperson opposes meaningful gay rights. The problem with ridding the army of DADT isn’t that there are too many homophobic Democrats, it’s that there are too many Republicans full stop. And you know that the Democratic platform calls for greater rights for gay people while the Republican national platform calls for the rescinding of certain pre-existing gay rights and the platform of the Texas GOP wants to criminalise homosexuality for crying out loud. I don’t just base my assertion that the GOP is a homophobic organisation on the fact that many of it’s high ranking members have made abjectly anti-gay statements in the past, I base it on the votes made by GOP Senators and Reps. and on the actual party platforms. Get a grip.
Comment by DavyJG — October 17, 2009 @ 8:44 pm - October 17, 2009
Please list for me these ‘pre-existing rights’ that you claim are being rescended?
Comment by The_Livewire — October 18, 2009 @ 12:03 am - October 18, 2009
-EVERY- Republican congressperson opposes meaningful gay rights.
But of course, this doesn’t include opposing gay marriage, making statements calling gays filth, or employment discrimination against gays, because you FULLY endorse and support Obama Party members who do all of the above.
And by the way, since you insist that every single Obama Party member is in full compliance with their party platform, that means the Obama Party supports bans on gay marriage, calling gays filth, and discriminating against gays.
You are a bigot. Worse, you’re a coward who tries to hide and justify his prejudice, hatred, and bigotry as being a natural part of his sexual orientation, and denigrates and degrades all gays in the process.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — October 18, 2009 @ 2:24 am - October 18, 2009
With a minority in the House and minority in the Senate and a liberal in the WH, could you explain to me exactly how in the hell Republicans can stop the repeal of DADT????
If liberals actually gave a rat’s ass, you’d think such stalwarts as Clinton and Chairman Obama might have lifted a finger while they were in the Senate. They didn’t. That tells me that they either A) don’t really give a shit or 2) they don’t think it’s just that important.
Further, doesn’t Chairman Obama surrounding himself with racists and homophobes tell you something? How about Howard Dean firing the guy from the DNC because his partner didn’t tow the party line?
How many times do you have to get kicked in the teeth to realize that they just don’t like you? While you’re furiously masturbating to the liberal platforms, has it ever occurred to you that it’s there by design to sucker ignorant proles into handing over your freedom and cash? Everything else they do is calculated to rake in the most money and consolidate power, why not “gay rights”?
Talk about bullshit, Davy. You’re rolling in it and trying to convince everybody else how wonderful it is.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 18, 2009 @ 2:49 am - October 18, 2009
Why won’t answer my question: Do you really believe the Democrats are worse for gay rights than the Republicans are? Really?
Comment by DavyJG — October 18, 2009 @ 9:57 am - October 18, 2009
Why won’t answer my question: Do you really believe the Democrats are worse for gay rights than the Republicans are? Really?
Perhaps the blubbering bigot needs a reminder of the three questions he’s dodging.
Now, state for all of us whether or not this statement is antigay.
Please list for me these ‘pre-existing rights’ that you claim are being rescended?
With a minority in the House and minority in the Senate and a liberal in the WH, could you explain to me exactly how in the hell Republicans can stop the repeal of DADT????
No surprise; the hypocrite and bigot doesn’t want to explain why he supports and endorses his Obama Party doing things that he shrieks and screams about Republicans doing. Instead, the coward hides behind his sexual orientation, even as he tries to hide behind his “race” to explain why it’s OK for him to support his Nazi-esque beliefs.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — October 18, 2009 @ 12:54 pm - October 18, 2009
NDT, by now you’ve realized davyjg has no intention of answering your questions. He is simply displaying the fundamental lack of moral integrity and intellectual honesty necessary in pursuit of the liberal agenda. If it serves “the greater good,” such defects of character are almost admirable.
Comment by Eric Olsen — October 19, 2009 @ 8:36 am - October 19, 2009
I do? ND, you do realize there’s a difference between your imagination and reality, right?
I don’t particularly care for Farakhan, Warren, or the Ugandan or American priests I linked to, most prominently because of their superstitious driven homophobia. So my dislike does get wrapped up with their rank silliness.
Sharpton I can take or leave. He’s been nutty since Tawana Brawley lo’ those years ago, though he has spoken out against homophobia in the black community, so he gets props for that.
None of which changes the fact that, yes, the statements you quoted were anti-gay, and that yes, it’s not that difficult to point to Evangelicals / Pentecostals fanning the flames of gay hate in the Third World.
Comment by Jody — October 19, 2009 @ 3:05 pm - October 19, 2009