LGBT News Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signs anti-gay bill

... So, so many words, but most of them would require a 'censored' smiley.

I can't say I'm surprised. I'm not. But I'd be lying if I said I hadn't hoped this would work out differently. I'm disappointed, and scared for the people living there.

 

And the sonofabitch has pinned the blame on us.

Must be him preparing for his inevitable trial.

 

This is going to end in such a horrific way. This is exactly how things began in Nazi Germany when Section 175 became law in 1935. This law in Uganda is actually worse.

Here is the law from Nazi Germany:

Understand just how broad the Ugandan law is, and understand that it doesn't just criminalize being gay. It will criminalize anyone who knows of a gay person, and doesn't report them to the police. If parents suspect that their child might be gay, and don't turn them into the police the parents will go to jail in addition to the child. Go to the doctor for a gay related issue? He has to report you. Confess to a Priest? He has to report you.

Simply the mere act of stating that you are gay will count as promoting homosexuality, and will land you in prison - even if you've never had gay sex and have every intention to be celibate your entire life. (For example, a Catholic Priest who came out as a gay man, who had taken vows of celibacy would still be arrested under the law for merely being gay.)

The law applies equally to women as to men.

If at any point you admit to or it is suspected that you are in a same sex marriage (which could count, potentially, as simply a same sex relationship) you will go to prison for life.

If you attempt to flee Uganda and it becomes known that you are gay, they will demand that you be sent back to Uganda to stand trial.

It makes it illegal for any outside groups to offer help to LGBT people in Uganda.

...and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I expect that Uganda will start rounding up LGBT people soon, just like they did in Nigeria. Once they find one gay person, they will torture them, demand that they give up names of other gay people, and so forth and so on. Pretty much no LGBT person in Uganda is safe right now. The only question that is left to ask is how likely is it that an LGBT person sent to prison will make it out alive? My hunch is few if any.

 

Good luck getting anyone outside of Africa, Russia and the Middle East to send people back Uganda.

EDIT: And how are the authorities going to enforce this law. I'd like to think doctors value their Hippocratic oath and I'd like to think priests are aware of how much brown stuff they'd be in if they violated the sanctity of confession. So are the police just going to use wild guesses, tabloid witch hunts and the occasional lynch mob?

EDIT2: I've just read some of Museveni's remarks. I refuse to believe anyone could be so stupid as to believe some of the remarks that came out of his mouth, so I can only assume he was drunk, high or both.

And I reiterate my demand for the US evangelicals who went over there to be arrested.

 

Usually, it works something along these lines. Someone who is suspected of being gay is arrested. They are threatened, and depending on the country usually also tortured. They are forced to give a list of names of other gay people, and who "corrupted them" by making them gay.

This law in particular, and most laws like it has a section which allows someone to be named a "victim of homosexuality". (That's the exact phrasing used in the law.) This means that the authorities can offer someone a way out of prison (or a lighter sentence) if they start giving up names. They will then usually be required to testify in court against those they accuse, and a similar offer may be offered to others named as well.

This allows prosecutors to create a case against gay people without actually catching gay people having sex. They only need someone who is willing to testify that they did indeed have sex with said gay person, and that said gay person somehow tricked them, manipulated them, or used some other method to "turn them gay". They can then cry about how they've seen the light, and have been cured by God. To a religious jury that's all they really need, and of course it makes the gay person on trial look even worse.

End result? Lots of people go to prison. This is how it almost always works.

 

President Obama stated in a conference this law being signed in by Museveni will make the U.S. & U.N. Rethink relations with Uganda & possible sanctions towards Museveni

 

Which he'll then exploit to win more brownie points in Uganda.

As evil as he (and others) is, you have to admire just how tightly he has the populace and his party wrapped around his little finger.

 

It is beyond belief ...

 

Am really very sad today because that's where I come from and fled for for same reason ! Persecution . In my bed crying for those individuals who are home hiding and scared for there dear lives! It was bad before the law. Now it's even worse. It's hard enough to hide our sexuality , be called evil, paverts . All sorts of deamining things and can't be who we really are! Can't stop crying !

 

This makes me sick.

Also "Ugandan Independence" they can go and feck right off, give the west all the aid money they have gotten, also wasn't this inspired by people like Scott Lively, you know American FundiFasicists???

Personally what I would like to happen is sanctions, blocking of any military or governmental aid to Uganda (NGO Charities only), the closing of the Ugandan embassy in London, suspension from the commonwealth. Treat them like Zimbabwe or Iran they are as bad.

Fact is the stuff we and my boyfirend do together, completely consensual, protected not going to hurt anyone would have us both facing a life sentence if we were Ugandan. Someone put the Nazi punishments, this is far far far worse, I could imagine a life sentence in a Ugandan prison would be a death sentence (You hear nightmares about the prisons in these countries, disease, rape (yes rape), AIDs are everywhere in them)

 

Thankfully Obama is reviewing our relationship with Uganda and may he end all foriegn aid to them. As someone on LGBTQ Nation commented, why should we as LGBTQIA+ citizens be forced to send money to them that's only going to hurt their own LGBTQIA+ community? Fuck that noise.

And hey, Museventi. While we're at it with hurting the queer community, why don't you start imprisoning people are divorced? People that plant two different crops in the same field? Women who have a place of power or authority in the Church? People who associate with women on their periods?

Don't fucking cherry pick your religion. Either you abide by ALL of Biblical law, or none of it all together and you join progressive society like the rest of us. I know I should shut up about the culture and possibly class thing, but this is fucking bullshit. This is 2014, not 2000 BC. It's time to get with the motherfucking program already.

 

At least you got out to Sweden (&&&). I know most western countries will offer asylum to LGBT people from these countries.

There is a documentary by a UK radio DJ called Scott Mills, he is gay and when he let it slip to the MP behind this they had to flee the country since the MP immediately got on the phone when they left and they were worried he was going to arrested over there. I remember the interview it was full of lies, the guy is deluded beyond belief.

There was also this thing with Stephen Fry over there, it was the most insane interview I have ever seen, this Uganda Pastor was going on about anal sex and when Stephen Fry said he didnt do it (he actually spoke about his sex life on TV!!) the pastor went insane and couldn't answer.

I hate calling these people pastors, they are not, they don't speak for Christians, I got so much acceptance when I came out from other Christians in the UK

 

Worth looking at if you're in the "cut the aid and ties dammit!" camp - WARNING: U.S. LGBTQ Organizations Falling Into Uganda

Also the Scott Mills docu is called 'The World's Worst Place to be Gay' and the Fry one is 'Out There' if you're looking for them on YouTube. Well worth watching both and that's something I'd never thought I'd say about a documentary fronted by Scott Mills.

 

Aid to the government should be cut, since it end up in these leaders bank accounts. 3 Million Euro disappeared from an Irish grant. Hence why I said that NGO aid should be maintained

 

Most countries that I know of give direct to NGOs rather than the Ugandan government anyway, because of the thievery.

Even if we were giving dosh to the government if we were to cut it we'd play right into their hands, the general populace will go after LGBTI folk with renewed vigour and the government will get money from sources more willing to turn a blind eye to human rights violations (Russia, China etc).

Dunno how you'd go about bringing about change in the country without causing problems on the ground.

 

Ironically they harp on about independence then they should get it. Thats my view anyway. Especially when this is imported from the US Evangelicals

 

I'm shaking... I don't have words to say how wrong this is and how bad I feel for those in Uganda right now.
Gosh, when did it stopped being the 21st century?

 

About the time the religious right got the capitol to fund their agenda.

Personally, I don't think we should pull out our ambassadors - we need them their, the LGBT+ people in Uganda need them there as a place to run. Do I think funding should be cut? Yes, because I don't believe a first wold country should feel that it can in good conscience provide aid to a nation that would pass this law. Mostly, I think the US, UK, Netherlands, everyone, should be working on getting those people out and give them asylum. If they can get to an embassy, then we can get them to another country, somewhere safe, and grant them asylum.

That seems like the best thing that can be done right now, and hopefully international pressure will work at getting the law revoked. Because as has been pointed out, this law scarily parallels Nazi Germany, and even goes beyond their laws about homosexuality. I'm not a politician, I haven't the foggiest what the best thing to do would be if it escalates from here, but for now... I think the focus should be on getting people to safety. It's well and good to advocate for them, but if we can't keep them alive, there's nobody to advocate for, and the bigots will win because all the gay people they hate? Will be dead, just like they want them to be.