Thanks to the good people of The Nation Magazine. If you've heard about this, check out the article. If you haven't heard about this, watch the video clip, count to ten, take a deep breath, count to ten again, and read the article.
"Although homosexuality is criminalized in 80 countries, the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 is the most egregious attempt to sanction homophobia and threaten the human rights of all its citizens. The bill, introduced by parliamentary member David Bahati and strongly influenced by US religious right, previously called for the death penalty for "any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex," now making homosexual conduct punishable by up to life imprisonment. Other features of the bill include extraterritorial jurisdiction to punish gay Ugandans living out of state and up to three years imprisonment for anyone who refuses to report the existence of any perceived LGBTI individuals to the police. "
Tonight, activists turned out in 20 degree blustery weather to protest the US involvement in the Ugandan anti-gay bill. Organized by Join the Impact-MA and the Anti-Violence Project of MA, the speakers included Rev. Kapya Kaoma of Political Research Associates (PRA), a progressive think tank and right-wing monitoring group. Rev. Kaoma recently published a study on the Ugandan situation and the US detailing the direct involvement in this and other African anti-gay actions of American's such as Rev. Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Orange County, CA.
President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both spoke out against religious-based discrimination against gay people — including a Uganda bill that calls for the imprisonment and execution of gay people — at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday morning.
