From The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
( New York — December 20, 2013 ) Uganda's Parliament passed a bill today criminalizing information and speech related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT ) rights, as well as any actions appearing to sanction LGBT lives, said the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission ( IGLHRC ). The bill was first introduced in 2009 and has been under intense criticism from human rights groups and defenders inside and outside of Uganda for violating basic rights. Homosexual relations are already punishable with life imprisonment.
"In a country where homosexuality is already criminalized and LGBT communities are already marginalized, this bill provides an additional excuse to exclude, abuse, and discriminate for no other reason than someone being perceived as gay" said Jessica Stern, Executive Director of IGLHRC. "But there is no legitimate excuse, ever, for violence and exclusion."
Uganda's Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi reportedly questioned the legality of the vote, as it may have happened without quorum. If the vote is declared valid, the bill will advance to President Yoweri Museveni for assent or veto.
"It is telling that this hotly contested bill was scheduled for a vote on the last day of the last week before the holidays when so many parliamentarians were absent," said Stern. "This smells of political opportunism and should be condemned as such. This vote must be declared invalid, but if it proceeds, President Museveni must veto the bill."
Leaders of donor countries, including US President Barrack Obama, have already spoken out strongly against earlier versions of the bill.
From Human Rights First
Washington, D.C. — Human Rights First today criticizes the Ugandan Parliament for passing an anti-gay bill which will have severely adverse consequences for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT ) people as well as other Ugandans. The bill, which must be signed by President Yoweri Museveni to become law, calls for life imprisonment for "aggravated homosexuality."
"We are discouraged by the action taken today by the Ugandan Parliament to pass this anti-gay legislation," said Shawn Gaylord of Human Rights First "We call on President Obama to immediately urge president Museveni to reject this bill. President Obama has demonstrated global leadership in advancing the human rights of LGBT people, illustrated just this week by his protest of Russia's anti-gay laws with the selection of the U.S. delegation to the Sochi Olympics which includes both openly-gay athletes and strong allies for human rights."
The bill defines "aggravated homosexuality" as a homosexual act where one of the partners is infected with HIV, sex with minors or the disabled, and as repeated sexual offenses among consenting adults. The bill also includes a provision which makes conducting a same-sex marriage ceremony punishable by seven years in prison.
Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill was first introduced in 2009, prompting a global outcry from those who condemned the legislation and affirmed the dignity and humanity of LGBT Ugandans. Homosexuality has long been criminalized in Uganda under a colonial-era law. Human rights violations are generally met with poor, if any, government response in Uganda, and the perpetrators often operate with relative impunity. Many Ugandan political and faith leaders and other public personalities have done a dangerous disservice to Ugandan society by justifying such abuses under the false guise of protecting children from being recruited into homosexuality.
Human Rights First reiterates its categorical opposition to this bill which threatens the rights of LGBT people and establishes a dangerous precedent for persecution and violence against minority groups in the country. Human Rights First calls on the United States to urge President Museveni to decriminalize homosexuality, monitor patterns of hate crime against LGBT people, and address impunity for violent acts.
"Human Rights First will continue to work with Ugandan leaders to understand what additional steps may be needed to support their efforts to prevent this bill from becoming law," stated Gaylord.
From All Out
NEW YORK, USA - The Ugandan Parliament has passed today a bill that appears to include life imprisonment for repeat offenders and prison sentence for people who do not to report gay people. If signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni, the bill would punish repeat offenders of 'homosexual acts' with life imprisonment and make it a crime not to report lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people (LGBT). Millions around the world have joined Ugandans in calling for the end of anti-gay laws in the country.
"President Museveni must immediately come out forcefully and publicly to reject this law and call for calm. This vote must not be seen as a free pass for a nation-wide anti-gay witch hunt in Uganda," said Andre Banks, Executive Director of All Out, the 1.9 million member movement fighting for love and equality. " Museveni must keep his promise to uphold Uganda's Constitution, and the human rights embodied within it, and not sign the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Life imprisonment is a sentence that should be reserved for only the worst crimes, not for living openly and loving who you choose."
When the original version of the bill was introduced in 2011, more than 500,000 people signed an All Out petition in just three days. "All Out members from all over the world have stood with Ugandans before - and we will do everything we can to keep this bill from being signed into law," said Andre Banks.
Together with All Out members and human rights defenders around the world, Ugandan human rights defenders have been fighting back against the so-called "Kill the Gays" bill since 2009 when David Bahati first introduced the bill, which then included the death penalty as a punishment for 'homosexual acts'.
The bill was shelved after Ugandans and the international community decried the legislation until Rebecca Kadaga resurfaced the bill when she became speaker in 2011. Every public moment in the life of this bill has been followed by violence and arrests of suspected LGBT people in Uganda.
It is now up to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to refuse to sign the bill into law. If he does, his decision could still be overturned by the Parliament.
About All Out:
In 76 countries it is a crime to be gay; in 10 it can cost you your life. All Out is mobilizing millions of people and their social networks to build a powerful global movement for love and equality. Our mission is to build a world where no person will have to sacrifice their family or freedom, safety or dignity, because of who they are or who they love.
