Sunday, November 18, 2012

Uganda Parliament Speaker Demands Anti-Gay Bill Be Brought to Vote

By almost any measure, the country of Uganda is one of the armpits of the world despite many natural resources and spectacular natural beauty.  Here are a few facts via Wikipedia on the state of Uganda:

Corruption Uganda is rated among countries perceived as very corrupt by Transparency International. It is rated at 2.4 on a scale from 0 (perceived as most corrupt) to 10 (perceived as clean).

Economy For decades, Uganda's economy suffered from devastating economic policies and instability, leaving Uganda as one of the world's poorest countries.

Child Labor Child labor is common in Uganda. Many child workers are active in agriculture. Children who work on tobacco farms in Uganda are exposed to health hazards. Child domestic servants in Uganda risk sexual abuse. Trafficking of children occurs.

Poverty Uganda is one of the poorest nations in the world, with 37.7 percent of the population living on less than $1.25 a day.

Education  Illiteracy is common in Uganda, particularly amongst females.

As I said, the country is a veritable hell hole albeit in scenic surroundings.  So what are many in the government obsessed over?  Gays, of course.  Largely due to the efforts of American Christofascists who have worked diligently to export their poisonous version of Christianity to Africa.  Now, there is a renewed push to pass anti-gay legislation that would in some cases carry the death penalty.   Box Turtle Bulletin has a detailed analysis of the proposed bill here.  A more general overview is also provided and here are some excerpts:

Daily Monitor, Uganda’s largest independent newspaper, today reports that Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has demanded that Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee bring Anti-Homosexuality Bill to the House floor for debate and a vote by next Tuesday:
The committee chairperson, Mr Stephen Tashobya, passed on Ms Rebecca Kadaga’s directive to committee members yesterday as he summoned them to attend next week’s session in person “to have the Bill concluded”.
In her November 13 letter, the Speaker advised Mr Tashobya to be mindful of what she said was the high demand by the public to address homosexuality.

“I write to reiterate my earlier instruction to your committee to expeditiously handle the review of the report on the Bill. As you are aware, there is high demand by the population to address the escalating problem of promoting and recruiting minors into homosexuality,” the letter reads in part.

On Monday, Kadaga called for the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which still includes a death penalty for gay people under certain circumstances, to be brought to a vote and passed within two weeks. 

Utterly corrupt and opportunistic politicians and hate filled Christofascists are the moving force behind this anti-gay witch hunt.  I hate to say it, but Uganda may well have better far better off as a British colony than it is under the rule of the corrupt, ignorant and deranged people now in charge.  If anyone deserves the death penalty, it is more likely much of the current political leadership like Rebecca Kadaga (pictured above) which continues to rape and pillage the country.


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