‘Kill the Gays’ bill looms anew in Uganda

The “Kill the Gays” bill  popped back up to No. 2 on the list of Business to Follow after action on the parliamentary agenda of Feb. 26  is completed.

[The next day, Feb. 27, the bill appeared at No. 3 in Business to Follow, and moved to No. 5 on Feb. 28.]

For weeks, ever since Uganda’s parliament convened for its 2013 session, the Anti-Homosexuality Bill has been bouncing up and down near the top of “Business to Follow.”

LGBT rights activists in Uganda are braced for action, but unsure what to expect.

Frank Mugisha, executive director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), predicted that the bill would again drop to a lower-priority position.

Frank Kamya, secretary/administrator of the Youth for Rock Foundation, said that “parliament is fast moving through its ‘government’ or priority business and this seems to indicate that the AHB will be bumped onto the order paper officially soon.”

Here is the bill’s upward progress in the Notice of Business to Follow so far this year:

• No. 8 on Tuesday, Feb. 5.
• No. 8 on Wednesday, Feb. 6.
• No. 6 on Thursday, Feb. 7.
• No. 7 on Tuesday, Feb. 12.
• No. 4 on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
• No. 3 on Thursday, Feb. 14.
• No. 1 on Tuesday, Feb. 19.
• No. 5 on Wednesday, Feb. 20.
• No. 4 on Thursday, Feb. 21.
• No. 2 on Tuesday, Feb. 26.
• No. 3 on Wednesday, Feb. 27.
• No. 5 on Thursday, Feb. 28.

The bill in its original form called for execution of repeat offenders. It would also require people to report suspected homosexuals to police. Parents would be required to report potentially gay children to police; doctors would be required to report potentially gay patients; priests would be required to report potentially gay parishioners.

Organizations serving LGBT people, including groups fighting AIDS among sexual minorities, would be outlawed.

Among those is the Youth on Rock Foundation, which is already under investigation by police in Kampala. A fund drive to support the foundation and help it reopen an office for its anti-AIDS work is under way through a Fundrazr site organized by supporter Suzanne Zelei of Sweden.

Related articles

• Some clergy in Uganda join forces to protect LGBTI people (76crimes.com)
• ‘Kill the Gays’ bill looms; it’s time to prepare protests (76crimes.com)
• Ugandan LGBTI Community braces as Anti-Homosexuality Bill to be Debated in Parliament Tomorrow (dailyqueernews.wordpress.com)
• Ugandan archbishop hints that anti-gay bill goes too far (76crimes.com)
• ‘Kill the Gays’ bill has opponents in Uganda parliament (76crimes.com)