Many of you will know about the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that has been proposed recently in Uganda (see a previous blog of mine. Whilst there is an existing penalty of life imprisonment for same-sex intercourse in Uganda, this Bill seeks to extend this to all other same-sex behaviour, including the mere touching of another person, and also to those that contract a same-sex marriage.

Most worryingly the Bill proposes the death penalty for some same-sex acts, including “serial homosexual acts”, meaning for persons who have repeated same-sex relations, affecting all gay couples in Uganda.

The Bill also criminalises “the promotion of homosexuality” and will be punishable by five to seven years jail.  This will include membership and funding of LGBT organisations and LGBT counselling and welfare services.  Any person in authority who fails to report “violators” to the police within 24 hours will be sentenced to three years behind bars.

Finally, the Bill will also apply to Ugandan citizens abroad, with the potential for them to be subjected to extradition, trial and punishment in Uganda.

You will be pleased to know that Harry Cohen (Labour MP for Leyton and Wanstead) has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM 575) condemning the Bill.  A copy of the EDM follows below.

EDM 575 - ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL IN UGANDA

That this House calls on the British Government and the European Union to press the government of Uganda not to proceed with its Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which violates the equality and non-discrimination provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter of Human and People's Rights; abhors that this Bill, currently before the Uganda parliament, proposes the death penalty for repeat homosexual acts, extends the existing penalty of life imprisonment for anal intercourse to all other same-sex behaviour, including the mere touching of another person with the intent to have homosexual relations and imposes life imprisonment for contracting a same-sex marriage; notes that under the provisions of the Bill membership of providing funding for gay organisations advocating gay human rights and providing condoms or safer sex advice to gay people will result in a sentence of between five and seven years for promoting homosexuality and that a person in authority who fails to report offenders to the police within 24 hours will incur a three year prison sentence; further notes that this monstrous proposed law contains extra-territorial jurisdiction so that it will apply to Ugandans who breach its provisions whilst living abroad, even in countries where such behaviour is not a criminal offence, and that such Ugandans living overseas could be subject to extradition, trial and punishment in Uganda; and demands that the Ugandan government uphold international humanitarian law by abandoning its Anti-Homosexuality Bill, decriminalising same-sex acts between consenting adults in private, and outlawing discrimination against gay people.

It is important that we, as LGBT students in the UK, stand in solidarity with all LGBT Ugandans and condemn this legislation.  20 MPs have signed the EDM already, but the more we get the better! (to see the current signatories, click here)

What you can do

1. Ask your MP to sign EDM 575.  You can use this website to find out who your MP is and to email them directly.  We’ve prepared a model letter for you to use. All you need to know is your postcode!  Remember to email your MP at your university/college address and home address (if they are different)

2. Forward the link to this blog onto your LGBT society and students’ union officers.

3. Let me know if you get a positive (or negative!) response from your MP. You can send me an email.

In Pride,

Daf

The Blogs on this site represent the individual views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or practices of the National Union of Students.

All links in blogs will open in a new browser window.

The permanent URL for this specific blog entry is: http://www.officeronline.co.uk/blogs/dafadley/277045.aspx