Urgent Action Needed in Uganda
November 9, 2009 • By Anna Young, The Breeze
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Two weeks ago, President Obama made a monumental stride for those of the lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual community by signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This act effectually includes bias-motivated violence toward someone based on gender, sexual orientation or gender identity as a hate crime, according to the Human Rights Campaign’s Web site.
Across the Atlantic Ocean, there is a grave juxtaposition to the Obama administration’s advances toward increasing human rights for those of varying sexual orientations and gender identities.
The parliament of Uganda recently drafted the Bahati Bill, also called the “Anti-Homosexuality Bill,” which is inches away from becoming a law. This bill seeks to condemn homosexuals to life in prison and in some cases, to the death penalty. The bill would also criminalize those who simply associate with homosexuals, threatening up to 14 years of imprisonment for not immediately surrendering names of homosexual acquaintances.
Not only does this bill criminalize those who identify as homosexual or associate with homosexuals, but it will punish any person who “promotes” homosexuality. This would impede the efforts of many human rights organizations and even organizations striving for HIV/AIDS prevention in Uganda. If Uganda successfully implements institutionalized prejudice against this marginalized group, it will not only endorse and legalize the wanton victimization of homosexuals but also victimize those who have fought tirelessly for homosexuals’ rights and safety.
A Pink Scare has been occurring in Uganda for a long time, with religious organizations, the media and police lashing out on homosexuals with physical violence, death threats and torture, as people are arbitrarily detained upon the suspicion of their homosexuality. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill will make this violence and hatred excusable by law by systematically criminalizing people based on identity.
A bill having the potential for so much damage, not only to Uganda’s “democracy” but to homosexuals and heterosexuals alike, is unthinkable to us in the Western world. That such a degree of institutionalized hate could exist today seems unfathomable. This bill essentially calls for genocide of a group already enduring so much public hatred and political discrimination.
Four members of Congress recently sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, stating, “This egregious bill represents one of the most extreme anti-equality measures ever proposed in any country and would create a legal pretext for depriving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Ugandans of their liberty, and even their lives.” Many have also urged the Obama administration to reconsider providing financial aid to Uganda if this bill is passed.
Even in the fact of such condemnation of this bill, Ugandan Ethics Minister James Nsaba Buturo told the American Free Press that although there is diplomatic discussion of the bill, Uganda is telling international protestors “to mind their own business,” because Uganda is tired of the phrase ‘human rights’ being “abused.”
The real abuse, however, is how any government, which has the fundamental duty of upholding citizens’ human rights and protecting them from discrimination and abuse, would condone such blatant acts tantamount to a new-age apartheid based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
In the face of such inexcusable and irresponsible behavior by Uganda’s government, I urge members of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, including student organizations such as Amnesty International, to take direct action and contact the Ugandan Embassy (information located below).
If you want to hit closer to home, contact your congressional representatives and urge them to insist on the Obama administration’s withdrawal of funds from Uganda as well as official condemnation and diplomatic reproach of Uganda’s actions.
Identity based on sexual orientation or gender should not be punished, particularly by any governmental measures. Regardless of how one feels about homosexuality, we all should recognize that death or imprisonment based on identity is morally wrong. It is imperative that America show the utmost intolerance for Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, so the Uganda government may realize that sexual orientation and gender identity is not a criminal offense.
His Excellency Professor Perezi K. Kamunanwire
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
202-726-4758
pkamunanwire@ugandaembassyus.org
Anna Young is a senior sociology and media arts & design major.
Contact Anna Young at youngam@jmu.edu
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5 Responses to “Urgent Action Needed in Uganda”
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There is a Facebook group above that people can join to speak out against Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill as well.
This is a terrible situation, and Ms. Young has done a very fine job explaining it and urging a response.
The sentiment is fine but you need a better understanding of Uganda, it’s people, and the situation there before you start making such recommendations. Even if you were successful in convincing the U.S. to stop funding it would do absolutely nothing to change this situation, besides the fact that it would mean the end of a lot of really good work going on in the country. This is the mindset of almost every Ugandan I know, having lived there for 2 years, it is prolific in the truest sense of that word. You would only serve to unite, motivate, and worse, justify these attitudes by making it an us vs. them issue. The people of this nation have already succeeded from the Anglican Communion over these issues, don’t think that they will deny their beliefs to get our money. If you want to change this we have to change the hearts and minds of the people, which is much, much harder.
This policy recommendations of this article amount to nothing more than cultural imperialism. This article is absent of any analysis of Ugandan cultural and political sentiment, and advocates imposing western values upon a non-western nation.
Thank you for drawing the attention of the international community to Uganda’s anti-Homosexuality Bill. I urge you to pay closer attention to the political intent of the Bill referred to at this blog:
http://mbu-nugu.blogspot.com/2009/11/political-purpose-of-anti-homosexuality_19.html