Britain and Canada Denounce Extreme Anti-Gay Ugandan Proposal

There is growing international backlash against the extreme, state-sanctioned, anti-gay hysteria in Uganda. The prime ministers of Britain and Canada have formally protested the proposal in parliament that would create the offense of "aggravated homosexuality" punishable by death, the Guardian reports.

Gordon Brown expressed Britain's concerns about the parliamentary bill when he met Yoweri Museveni, the veteran Ugandan president, at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Trinidad and Tobago. The suggested legislation would apply to sex between gay men or lesbian women in which one person has HIV. The bill also proposes the introduction of a three-year prison sentence for anyone who knows of the existence of a gay man or lesbian woman and fails to inform authorities in Uganda within 24 hours. The British prime minister's anger was echoed by his Canadian counterpart, Stephen Harper. Harper's spokesman, Dimitri Soudas, said: "If adopted, a bill further criminalising homosexuality would constitute a significant step backwards for the protection of human rights in Uganda."

Stephen Lewis, the well-regarded former UN envoy on AIDS in Africa, described the proposed legislation as putting at risk the "entire apparatus of AIDS treatment, prevention and care" in Uganda.

The proposed draconian anti-gay bill had its first reading in Parliament last month. Museveni, who only last week said "European homosexuals are recruiting in Africa", has not endorsed the bill. Uganda's rabidly anti-gay Ethics Minister James Nsaba Buturo supports the bill. In September 2007, Buturo publicly warned all gays to leave the East African nation.

Some Background ...
Uganda's Museveni: European Gays "Recruiting" in Africa
Uganda: Death Penalty for "Aggravated Homosexuality"
Anti-Gay Activists March on Parliament
Uganda Anti-Gay Conference Day Two
UG Anti-Gay Conference
Rare Court Victory for Uganda Gays
Uganda Launches Major Anti-Gay Offensive
Uganda' Muslim Cleric: Exile Gays
Uganda Ethics Minister Advises Gays to Leave

H/T: AMERICABlog Gay

Comments

[SouLKid]

Atrocious! Shouldn't it be illegal for these guys to propose such outrageous bills?

[Nathan James]

Another country I won't ever visit. I have nothing but the greatest sympathy for gays and lesbians who must attempt to survive there, while every day knowing they are at risk of life and limb...