PROPOSED ANTIGAY BILL WILL NOT BE PASSED-ACTIVISTS VOW

By Lesego Tlhwale (BTM Intern)

UGANDA – 14 July 2009: Ugandan gay rights activists have vowed to fight tooth and nail against tabling of a proposed anti-gay bill which will criminalise distribution of literature with homosexuality content, addressing press conferences by gay rights activists and bar even the mere pronouncement of homosexuality in the country.

Outraged activists say the proposed bill, if passed, will bring a severe blow to the fight against HIV and AIDS in Uganda as they [activists] will not be allowed to distribute materials on risky sexual behavior to their constituencies.

“The policies of Uganda do not recognise same sex sexual relationships, this [bill] will make us more vulnerable to HIV and AIDS and this will affect our campaigns on the disease and on sexual violence, amongst others”, Frank Mugisha, Chairperson of Sexual Minorities Uganda warned.

Mugisha added that gay rights activists in Uganda will not go silent if the proposed bill is considered.

Meanwhile Kasha Jacqueline, Director of Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG) a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) Human rights organisation in Uganda, feels that the government is wasting its energies on condemning LGBTI people instead of focusing on important issues rocking the country.

“People are dying in the Northen part of the country and Buturo has not said anything about it, but he gets time to intimidate LGBTI people” Jacqueline revealed.

She added that Uganda continues to stick with “draconian” laws that were introduced by colonialists.

“This bill will not be passed unless Buturo does not know the system. I think he should make time to find out why those colonialists who brought the laws in Uganda have already repealed them. It is really a shame and absurd that in this 21st century we still have people like him in our governments”, she said.

These Ugandan activists have vowed not to stop advocating for what they believe is right come hell or high waters.

“People call us names just because we are gay, but we also know that people who have caused change in this world are those who never gave up. Uganda is a very progressive country in terms of LGBT rights and we want to build on that credibility”, an LGBTI activist in Uganda who chose to remain anonymous said.

She added “with all due respect, Honorable Nsaba Buturo should be renamed Minister for Heterosexual Ethics and Integrity because I do not know what ethics and integrity is the minister upholding if he can’t defend the rights of minorities.”

The activists said that what needs to be done now is to keep up the pressure on responsible parties so that they can block this law from being passed.

“We have denounced the bill from day one and we continue to do that. Many people in this country have vowed to be on our side in this and some of them are not even gay. We want to petition parliament and we shall keep demanding our rights back at whatever cost because one of the obligations of the state is to protect its own people”, the activist said.

“If the new bill is passed, it may limit our work, but it will never change our sexual orientation”, Mugisha concluded.