Britain must act to stop homophobic Ugandan death laws

By Paul Halsall

Everyone needs to try to raise the alarm over the Uganda effort to enact the death penalty for homosexuality. As Xan Rice in The Guardian explains:

“Life imprisonment is the minimum punishment for anyone convicted of having gay sex, under an anti-homosexuality bill currently before Uganda’s Parliament. If the accused person is HIV positive or a serial offender, or a “person of authority” over the other partner, or if the “victim” is under 18, a conviction will result in the death penalty. Members of the public are obliged to report any homosexual activity to police with 24 hours or risk up to three years in jail – a scenario that human rights campaigners say will result in a witchhunt. Ugandans breaking the new law abroad will be subject to extradition requests.”

After the Prime Minister’s meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Trinidad and Tobago last week, campaigning activity and awareness are increasing: Ruth Gledhill in the Times reports of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s “intensive” lobbying; one Ugandan gay blogger’s post today is heart rending.

This is a former colony, with a UK political system not dissimilar to ours, but where homosexuality is illegal as a result of our imperial legacy.

So what can we do?

We need to pressure the Ugandan government. First, the UK gay movement needs to gear up for this fight now, and show its solidarity.

Second, one third of Uganda’s budget comes from foreign aid; while that is still the case, our politicians hold influence. Sweden has already said it will cut aid. Our leaders should all – Labour, Liberal Demoocrat, Tory, SNP, Plyd, UKIP – be able to unite in protest and to officially oppose this unimaginable law. The issue must come into focus now, and the UK must act.

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