The Associated Press reports: Official: Uganda’s anti-gay bill to be passed by end of year despite criticism abroad.
Also published in the Washington Post.
Uganda’s anti-gay bill will be passed before the end of 2012 despite international criticism of the draft legislation, the speaker of the country’s parliament said Monday, insisting it is what most Ugandans want.
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga told The Associated Press that the bill, which originally mandated death for some gay acts, will become law this year.
Ugandans “are demanding it,” she said, reiterating a promise she made before a meeting on Friday of anti-gay activists who spoke of “the serious threat” posed by homosexuals to Uganda’s children. Some Christian clerics at the meeting in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, asked the speaker to pass the law as “a Christmas gift.”
See this video from NTV Uganda via Allafrica.com: Anti-Gay Bill: Speaker Kadaga Promises to Speed Up Law in Uganda.
This is a disgrace and it is disgraceful that ‘Christians’ in Uganda, no doubt egged on by their supporters in the US and elsewhere, regard this as a ‘Christmas gift’. How much further can these people get out from what Christ and Christmas are supposed to represent. There can be no compromise over such a debasement of Christianity; neither history nor culture can make any allowance for this act of persecution. Such a pity that some African Christians seem to be intent on perpetuating the reputation of their homeland as the ‘Dark Continent’. Dark indeed and a dark day for… Read more »
John 11:35 — and still does.
This is appaling.It is another reason too why we should reject the Covenant which was meant to please people like the Nigerians and punish the American Episcopal Church, which is a beacon of hope to many gay and lesbian people.
Listening to the video and hearing the sentiments expressed saddens me. Archbishop Williams has given credibility to these views by his willingness to accommodate them. I hope, for his sake and for the sake of many gay men & women, that we will be able to offer support and security to those who will be put at risk by this law. Every sentence of imprisonment or of death should weigh heavily upon the consciences of both the Archbishops of the Church of England and upon every member of the House of Bishops. For who among them has dared to speak… Read more »
Small wonder that Christianity is in rapid decline in the USA, especially when we consider this legislation inspired (and maybe even authored) by American far right evangelicals like Scott Lively.
Christianity is fast becoming synonymous with superstition and bigotry even in the church-going USA.
Wrong, wrong, wrong!
The title, primarily.
I don’t know who requested the bill, or what they are, but I know they are *not* Christians.
Dear Lord, Forgive our foolish ways. What sad reading this makes to the heart of all sincere Christian believers, and to call it a ‘Christmas Gift’ to the nation. Why has the rest of the Anglican Communion remained silent, even nothing from the Primates meeing, or the secretary of the Anglican Communion.
Surely it is not too late to again voice our disgust both to Archbishop Rowan, and the Ugandan Church.
Nigeria Lawmakers move ahead on anti-gay bill and who will deny that they don’t have the blessings of the Anglican Church?
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/11/lawmakers-move-ahead-on-anti-gay-bill/
And now Changing Attitude reports that Nigeria is in the process of legislating against gay marriage, a country where there are already strong ‘anti-gay laws. This legislation would make gay organisations illegal. http://changingattitude.org.uk/archives/6599 Nigeria is suffering from corruption, an Islamist insurgency, poverty, pollution, racial and religious division and many other serious problems. And their legislators are concerend about ‘Gay Marriage’. Who or what is behind this? Are the legislators of Nigeria and their leading church people so susceptible to the siren songs or the cash of the US religious right fighting their culture wars abroad? If so would the withdrawl… Read more »
The prospect of this legislation being passed is truly appalling (although, as the article above the line hints, it could have been even worse).
However, I presume that, in Uganda as elsewhere, there are Christian denominations that respect human diversity, as well as the violently homophobic denominations. I think it would be particularly useful to know more about which ones are which (in which the phrase “Some Christian clerics” in the Washington Post article is rather unhelpful), so that we can seek to support (and to be in communion with) the respectful denominations rather than the homophobic ones.
I wonder what the reaction of good Christian people around the world would be if the proposed laws in Uganda and Nigeria were altered with only one word, if the word “homosexual” was replaced with the word “Jew?”
Have we heard anything from the Ugandan and Nigerian Anglicans on this one yet? And when we do, and if they support these moves, I wonder how long we will have to wait before the ABC or any other representative of the Communion responds?
Do I recall that the ABC never spoke out on the murder of David Kato? His discussions were said to be on the QT.
Another nail in the coffin of any expectation of an Anglican Covenant with such as this crowd.
I suppose this is one good reason why Uganda did not front up to the recent meeting of ACC15. Embarrassment, perhaps? I think not.
Is there some way in which one can register a protest about this, both with the Ugandan government and the Ugandan church? I have e-mailed the Ugandan High Commission with a protest, Is there anything else that can be done?
It is a pity that some Africans cannot see that their countries are still in thrall to colonial ideas. Homophobia was exported from Europe wholesale with the colonisation of their countries but now that the West has started to make amends for the harm it has perpetrated on a minority down the centuries it is a pity that people in Uganda and Nigeria can’t get over their induced prejudice. Under the surface they probably want to punish the colonial powers for history but hanging onto the uglier bits of colonial legislation – and making it even uglier – is hardly… Read more »
Reading the comments made here- I am convinced that no amount of pontification, paternal rhetoric or thinly veiled racism will convince those opposed to gay rights in Africa in particular or the world in general- to make them reconsider their convictions. Let’s not in our comments, throw out the proverbial baby with the bath water…after all in South Africa, FULL gay marriage is allowed by the state (as opposed to ‘Civil Partnership’ in the UK) and what is more, gay people have special protection in law in South Africa by means of the ‘Human Rights Commission’ and the ‘Equality Court’.… Read more »
Should this bill pass all aid to Uganda should stop straight away.
Mike Homfray,
Great, Britain has already withheld aid. http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2012/nov/16/uk-suspends-aid-uganda-misuse . After that, what are going to do?
Let me tell you, all your aid is pretty useless, anyway – it gets stolen by corrupt bureaucrats. So what are you going to achieve by “withholding aid”? Nothing, zero, zilch. You’ll just make Chinese FDI more attractive.
I haven’t seen an educated African in private business who thinks foreign aid is a good idea.
Many charitable organisations and other NGOs are operating in Nigeria and Uganda. They are raising money from people who have no idea of the filthy actions of the legislatures in these countries and apparently have no intention of telling them. It is unforgiveable to take money from people who would be imprisoned or killed in the countries where that money is being spent and it has to stop. Charities and NGOs have to come clean about this, and everyone thinking about giving to charity should ask where their money will be spent and refuse to give it if it is… Read more »