Uganda's government is on the defensive following swift international criticism over the reintroduction of the "kill the gays" bill, which is back, but without the death penalty. The Anti-Homosexual Bill still has a punishment of life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of "aggravated homosexuality", which is when one of the participants in gay sex is a minor, HIV-positive, disabled or a "serial offender". Anyone failing to report to the authorities a person they knew to be gay would also be liable to prosecution. A BBC correspondent reported MPs laughed, clapped and cried out "our bill, our bill," when its architect David Bahati reintroduced the draft legislation on Tuesday. Now Uganda's Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity Lokodo Smith has released a statement saying the bill was introduced by a back bencher and does not form part of the government's legislative programme, nor does not enjoy the support of the Prime Minister or the Cabinet. "However as Uganda is a constitutional democracy, it is appropriate that if a private members bill is presented to parliament it be debated," Smith says. "Cultural attitudes in Africa are very different to elsewhere in world, 2/3 of African countries outlaw homosexual activity and 80 per cent of east African countries criminalize it. Whilst on a global level more than 80 countries outlaw homosexual acts." Smith says many international governments and politicians, who have criticised Uganda for debating this private members bill, remain mute in the face of far graver and far more draconian legislation relating to homosexuality in other countries. "One might ask for example, if Uganda enjoyed as close a relationship with the US and European countries as Saudi Arabia (which sentences homosexuals to corporal and capital punishment) would we have attracted the same opprobrium as a result of allowing this parliamentary debate." He continues by claiming no one in Uganda has ever been charged with the criminal offence of homosexuality. "Moreover the main provisions of this bill were designed to stem the issue of defilement and rape which in the minds of Ugandan's is a more pressing and urgent matter that needs to be addressed. "As a parliamentary democracy this process of debate will continue. Whilst the government of Uganda does not support this bill, it is required under our constitution to facilitate this debate. The facilitation of this debate should not be confused for the governments support for this bill." In January 2011, gay rights activist David Kato was killed after his name and picture were released in a local newspaper which called for gay Ugandans to be hanged. Supporters believed the killing was a hate crime, but police maintained it was part of a robbery. At Kato's funeral the priest went on an anti-gay tirade.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 10th February 2012 - 2:52pm