Uganda Wants to Kill and Imprison Gay People

Someone might want to tell Uganda that when it comes to homosexuality, pursuing the death penalty is not only reminiscent of the middle ages, it's also a violation of basically every international human rights standard.

The country is currently debating a bill in Parliament that would essentially create death panels for LGBT people in the country. But don't let the Sarah Palin reference fool you -- this isn't something to take lightly.

If this bill passes Parliament, here's what life will look like for LGBT people in Uganda:

• If you promote homosexuality in any form -- whether it's allowing LGBT people to meet in your space, if you give an LGBT person $2.00 for lunch, or you print a pamphlet that depicts LGBT people in a positive light -- you could get up to seven years in prison;
• If someone fails to report the "promotion of homosexuality" within a 24-hour window, that person could be subject to up to three years in prison;
• If you are HIV-positive and you have sex with someone of the same gender, you will be sentenced to death and killed;
• If you decide to hold an LGBT rights rally or publicly speak in any capacity on behalf of LGBT rights, you could be thrown in jail for up to five years;
• Allows Uganda to go after people living abroad who are LGBT or who support LGBT rights.

If your mouth hasn't fallen to the floor yet, perhaps it's also worth noting that American anti-gay religious groups like Exodus International, Abiding Truth Ministry, and the International Healing Foundation are a big reason that this law is moving forward. They held an "ex-gay" conference in Kampala, Uganda earlier this year where authorities said they would go so far as to "wipe out" homosexuals from the country through whatever means necessary.

It looks like they've found the means to do just this, and it's through this gross legislation in Uganda's Parliament. These supposed Christian ministries should condemn this law -- if not because of its disastrous implications for public health and HIV prevention, then for the fact that IT WILL RESULT IN VIOLENCE toward LGBT people. LGBT people will be murdered and imprisoned because of this law. No ministry should be in the business of supporting murder with impunity or unjust imprisonment.

Amnesty International's expert on sexual rights, Katie Sheill, said it best when she said that provisions in this bill are not only illegal, they're immoral.

"They criminalize a sector of society for being who they are, when what the government should be doing instead is protecting them from discrimination and abuse," Sheill writes.

This legislation needs to be stopped. Here at change.org, we have an action petition that allows you to send a letter to Uganda's Ambassador to the U.S., Uganda's Deputy Chief for their Embassy in the U.S., and Uganda's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. These folks need to see that the international community not only disagrees with this legislation, but that if this legislation is passed, Uganda will cement itself as one of the worst human rights violators in the world.

Please consider signing, and sending a loud and clear message in opposition to this horrific bill.

(Photo courtesy of brdavids' photostream on Flickr.)