Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill Includes Death Penalty

This news reveals a level of homophobia which borders on the paranoid and hysterical: there is proposed legislation in the Uganda Parliament which seeks to ban homosexuality and includes the death penalty as a punishment!

From the actual text of the bill courtesy GayUganda:

PART II: PROHIBITION OF HOMOSEXUALITY AND RELATED PRACTICES

3. Prohibition of homosexuality

(1) Homosexuality is prohibited.

(2) Any person who engages in homosexuality contrary to sub-section (1) commits an offense and on conviction is liable to a fine not exceeding 500 currency points or imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or both.

4. Aggravated homosexuality

(1) Any person who commits the offense mentioned in section 3 above with another person who is below the age of 18 years in any of the circumstances specified in sub-section (2) of this section commits the offense and on conviction is liable to suffer death.

(2) The circumstances referred to in sub-section (1) are as follows: -
(a) Where the person against whom the offense is committed is below the age of 14;
(b) Where the offender is infected with HIV;
(c) Where the offender is a parent or guardian or a person in authority over, the person against whom the offense is committed;
(d) Where the victim of the offense is a person with disability; or
(e) Where the offender is a serial offender.

(3) Any person who attempts to commit the offense of homosexuality with another person below 18 years in any of the circumstances specifies in sub-section (2), commits an offense and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for life.
(4) Where a person is charged with the offense under this section, that person shall undergo a medical examination to ascertain his or her HIV status.
(5) Any person who without the consent of an adult victim being under their authority or not commits the offense mentioned in this section

The bill is proposed by Ndorwa West MP David Bahati (NRM) and appears to face limited opposition in Parliament, according to press reports.

In the comments at Box Turtle Bulletin there is contact information for ways people outside of Uganda can attempt to put diplomatic pressure on the country:

In the US the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda can be reached at:

5911 16th Street, NW,
Washington DC 20011
Tel: (202) 726-7100
Fax: (202) 726-1727

A complete list of contacts (including email addresses) is here.

In the UK the Ugandan High Commission can be reached at:

Uganda House
58-59 Trafalgar Square
London WC2N 5DX
Tel : (207) 839-5783
Fax: (207) 839-8925
info@ugandahighcommission.co.uk

The US Ambassador to Uganda can be reached here:

Steven A. Browning
P.O. Box 7007,
Kampala
Uganda
Tel: +256 414 25 97 91
Fax: +256 414 259 794

A list of Ugandan Embassies and Consulates in other countries can be found here.

This story puts the situation of LGBT rights in the United States in stark perspective, doesn't it?