Ugandan Politicians Celebrate Passing of Anti-Gay Laws

[ola.]

(From the Guardian - Monday 24 February 2014):

President Museveni's supporters revel in new anti-gay laws passed despite pressure from US, EU, western donors and rights groups

Uganda's president has signed a controversial law allowing those convicted of homosexuality to be imprisoned for life, defying international disapproval from western donor nations.

At a public ceremony in a packed room at the State House in Entebbe, Yoweri Museveni formally initialled the anti-homosexuality act, which also outlaws the promotion of homosexuality and requires citizens to denounce to the police anyone suspected of being gay. "No study has shown you can be homosexual by nature. That's why I have agreed to sign the bill," Museveni said in a speech at the presidential palace near the capital, Kampala.

"Outsiders cannot dictate to us. This is our country. I advise friends from the west not to make this an issue, because if they make it an issue the more they will lose. If the west does not want to work with us because of homosexuals, then we have enough space to ourselves here."

Supporters clapped during the press conference. One MP sitting at a white table in the front row, said: "I hope the Obamas are receiving it live, Desmond Tutu, Cameron … [Museveni] has resisted them." The ethics and integrity minister, Simon Lokodo, said: "I feel very fulfilled, very elated, because at last my head of state has pronounced it on behalf of the entire nation, Uganda, that this is a bill that was worth putting in place."

David Bahati, the MP who introduced the bill, added: "This is a victory for the family of Uganda, a victory for the future of our children…"

The US announced on Monday night that it would begin an internal review of its relationship with Uganda's government, including assistance programmes. Barack Obama had warned Museveni that ties between Kampala and Washington would be damaged if the bill was passed.

The British foreign secretary, William Hague, said: "I am deeply saddened and disappointed that the anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda has been signed into law. The UK strongly opposes all discrimination on any grounds. "We question the [law's] compatibility with Uganda's constitution and international treaty obligations. There can be no doubt that [it] will increase persecution and discrimination of Ugandans, as well as damage Uganda's reputation internationally.We ask the government of Uganda to protect all its citizens and encourage tolerance, equality and respect."

Museveni, a key African ally of the US and the EU, had already come under fire from western donors for alleged corruption and had been under increasing pressure to block the legislation.

The anti-homosexuality bill passed through parliament in December after its architects agreed to drop a death penalty clause. The legislation requires those found guilty of repeat homosexuality to be jailed for life.

The South African Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu said at the weekend that the law recalled attempts by the Nazi and apartheid regimes to "legislate against love". Amnesty International called the bill a "horrific expansion of state-sanctioned homophobia".

Homophobia, supported by many US-funded evangelical Christians, has become more virulent in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In 2011, a prominent Ugandan gay rights campaigner, David Kato, was bludgeoned to death at his home after a newspaper splashed photos, names and addresses of gay people in Uganda on its front page along with a yellow banner reading "Hang Them".

This month Museveni, a devout evangelical Christian, also signed into law dress code legislation that outlaws "provocative" clothing, bans scantily-clad performers from appearing on Ugandan television and closely monitors what individuals view on the internet.

A coalition of UK gay rights groups and charities has written to the Foreign Office calling on Britain to withdraw its high commissioner in Kampala.

Jonathan Cooper, chief executive of the Human Dignity Trust and one of those who signed the letter, said: "[This] law promises to tyrannise the lives of the Ugandan lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. This is a huge blow for anyone who values basic human rights. This bleak situation will have an immediate effect on countries like the UK, the rest of the EU, Canada and US, as people flee and seek sanctuary."

Comments?

[The Intransigent Faction]

The only comment I can think of at the moment is: Obviously I agree this is absolutely terrible. It's also just more ammunition for the Westerners who argue that we need to "liberate" backward societies from themselves, which is also bad...but the main thing is, this law is fucking terrible.

[Danielle Ni Dhighe]

Comments?

Fuck Uganda. Fuck evangelical Christians.

[Sea]

Fuck Uganda. Fuck evangelical Christians.

Why "fuck Uganda"? What do you mean by this?


Much of the rhetoric is exactly the same as in the USA:

1. Reducing an entire sexual orientation to "sodomy"
2. Unfounded accusations
3. Cherrypicking, bigtime
4. Blaming Obama for the evil gay menace (2:06)
5. Perverting the already-stupid concept of human rights (2:12)
6. Showing gay scat porn in church (honestly I though that was an exclusively American thing)
7. Trying to link homosexuality and drug use (0:56)

+ YouTube Video

[Danielle Ni Dhighe]

Why "fuck Uganda"? What do you mean by this?

Fuck the Ugandan state would be more accurate.

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

So fucking sad

[Atsumari]

Why "fuck Uganda"? What do you mean by this?


Much of the rhetoric is exactly the same as in the USA:

1. Reducing an entire sexual orientation to "sodomy"
2. Unfounded accusations
3. Cherrypicking, bigtime
4. Blaming Obama for the evil gay menace (2:06)
5. Perverting the already-stupid concept of human rights (2:12)
6. Showing gay scat porn in church (honestly I though that was an exclusively American thing)
7. Trying to link homosexuality and drug use (0:56)

+ YouTube Video

8. Using anti-imperialist rhetoric by saying that they will not take shit from the West anymore.

It is sad how anti-imperialism seems to be evolving from national autonomy to looking an excuse for the violation of human rights.

[bricolage]

The only comment I can think of at the moment is: Obviously I agree this is absolutely terrible. It's also just more ammunition for the Westerners who argue that we need to "liberate" backward societies from themselves, which is also bad...but the main thing is, this law is fucking terrible.

backwards societies with bigotry that originates in british laws and is backed up by american christians. it's homophobia thats western imperialism, not homosexuality.

[sosolo]

Western nations can whine and moan about this all they want, but if they continue to have economic ties with Uganda (which I'm sure will continue), they don't have a leg to stand on. Funding homophobia while complaining about it is a pointless distraction at best.

--sosolo

[The Intransigent Faction]

backwards societies with bigotry that originates in british laws and is backed up by american christians. it's homophobia thats western imperialism, not homosexuality.

Yeah, I never said that homosexuality was imperialist. A lot of racism is rooted in British imperialist practices, too...doesn't mean they won't try to exploit its current existence to justify their imperialism.

[Sea]

8. Using anti-imperialist rhetoric by saying that they will not take shit from the West anymore.

It is sad how anti-imperialism seems to be evolving from national autonomy to looking an excuse for the violation of human rights.

Are you trying to say that you accept eating poopoo? In any event, that's not part of American homophobic rhetoric.

[Criminalize Heterosexuality]

The only comment I can think of at the moment is: Obviously I agree this is absolutely terrible. It's also just more ammunition for the Westerners who argue that we need to "liberate" backward societies from themselves, which is also bad...but the main thing is, this law is fucking terrible.

Do you know the number of countries that have threatened to intervene in Uganda due to this law? It happens to be zero, the same number as the number of times a country has been invaded due to LGBT rights. Yet whenever gay rights in a "Third World" country are mentioned, people have to qualify their disagreement with "Third World" homophobia by raising the specter of imperialism. It's disingenuous, and quite frankly probably reflective of deep homophobic prejudice.

[tachosomoza]

The only comment I can think of at the moment is: Obviously I agree this is absolutely terrible. It's also just more ammunition for the Westerners who argue that we need to "liberate" backward societies from themselves, which is also bad...but the main thing is, this law is fucking terrible.

The funny thing is that Western (especially American) missionary and evangelical groups are stirring up the sentiments that are responsible for these atrocious laws in the first place.

If Uganda had petroleum, we'd have another Iraq on our hands right now, under the pretense that we have to" liberate the LGBT community". Liberals would be pissing themselves with ecstasy.

[goalkeeper]

you know ugandans can decide whether or not to be homophobic all by themselves just as much as Americans, regardless of some involvement of evangelical groups from the west or decades old colonial anti-gay laws...

[Psycho P and the Freight Train]

Obviously Christian missionaries from the West are severely responsible for the rise of homophobia. But many of you also act like Ugandans cannot think for themselves. Why can't we condemn these people while also condemning the West? It is utterly unacceptable for these people to have these homophobic beliefs, and it's not just the Ugandan state. These policies have a ton of popular support. So, therefore, fuck Uganda as a whole.

[Kim Il-sung]

Swag but does anyone know if anti-gay laws like supposed in Russia can actually help a countries demographics?

[Sperm-Doll Setsuna]

Swag but does anyone know if anti-gay laws like supposed in Russia can actually help a countries demographics?

The influence of that sort of legality on the decision to have children are so insignificant compared to other concerns such as the economic conditions and overall societal state and support, so... why are you even asking that? Do elaborate.

[Sinister Intents]

Swag but does anyone know if anti-gay laws like supposed in Russia can actually help a countries demographics?

From your previous post I'm suspecting you're a troll, are you a homophobe? That's the only reason I can think you'd ask a question like this.

[tachosomoza]

Swag but does anyone know if anti-gay laws like supposed in Russia can actually help a countries demographics?

It doesn't matter if they did, they still should be vigorously opposed.

[NoXiOuScRaSh]

The only thing I can really say is this type of attack on personal liberties is appalling. There is no reason to go beyond that fact it just terrible and oppressive.