Uganda's President Signs Extreme Law That Has Led to Calls to Kill, Burn, and Beat Gays
Brushing aside protests from Western leaders and human rights organizations, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the country's draconian anti-gay bill into law Monday. The measure increases the penalty for homosexuality, which was already illegal, to life in prison in some cases. It also includes a raft of other harsh provisions, as Human Rights Watch explains:
The "attempt to commit homosexuality" incurs a penalty of seven years as does "aiding and abetting" homosexuality. A person who "keeps a house, room, set of rooms, or place of any kind for purposes of homosexuality" also faces seven years' imprisonment. Because
the law also criminalizes the "promotion" of homosexuality, there are far-reaching implications beyond the increase in punishments for same-sex sexual conduct…Public health promotion and prevention efforts targeting "at risk" groups might have to be curtailed, and health educators and healthcare providers could also face criminal sanction under the same provision.
During the signing ceremony at his official residence outside the capital, Kampala, Museveni blamed the rise of gay culture in Uganda on "arrogant and careless Western groups that are fond of coming into our schools and recruiting young children into homosexuality and lesbianism" and claimed that some were doing so for "mercenary reasons—to get money—in effect homosexual prostitutes."
Gay rights activists say the climate for gays in Uganda has already deteriorated drastically since the bill passed the Ugandan parliament in December. According to Frank Mugisha, the executive director of
Sexual Minorities Uganda, the nation's primary gay rights group, police are rounding up 30 to 40 suspected homosexuals each week. In some cases, simply being unmarried and spending time in the company of people of the same gender is enough to arouse police suspicion. Mugisha also says that the bill's passage has also brought a surge in anti-gay vigilantism and that religious leaders in the suburbs surrounding Kampala have been calling for gays to be killed or burned over the public address systems. "The situation is extremely worrying," Mugisha says. "We are living in fear."
Maria Burnett, a senior Africa researcher for Human Rights Watch, believes Uganda may see more anti-gay violence now that the bill is officially law. "When political leaders stir up hate," she says, "it can look like a tacit approval of this kind of mob violence." Burnett also stressed that the measure's passage was part of a "broader pattern of clawing back basic human rights, such as freedom of association and freedom of expression, in Uganda."
The White House sounded a similar note in a statement late Monday morning: "As President Obama has said, this law is more than an affront and a danger to the gay community in Uganda, it reflects poorly on the country's commitment to protecting the human rights of its people and will undermine public health, including efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. We will continue to urge the Ugandan government to repeal this abhorrent law and to advocate for the protection of the universal human rights of LGBT persons in Uganda and around the world."
L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky has been quoted saying he believes there is no need for an independent civilian review board to oversee the custody division of the brutal and bloody L.A. Sheriff's Department. Thousands of inmates, in the LA County Jails, have reported broken bones; bashed in faces; punctured lungs; knock out teeth; and loss of lives at the hands of savage behavior by sheriffs.
After many studies; an FBI investigation; lawsuits; and ongoing scandal, involving claims of massive violation of human rights of inmates, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors is considering independent oversight. A motion is being proposed by L.A. County Supervisors Mark-Ridley Thomas and Gloria Molina to move forward with an independent civilian review board, to hold the Department accountable. Unfortunately Supervisor Yaroslavsky has gone from being on the fence, to flat out saying he thinks there is sufficient oversight and an independent civilian review board is not necessary.
After many studies; an FBI investigation; lawsuits; and ongoing scandal, involving claims of massive violation of human rights of inmates, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors is considering independent oversight. A motion is being proposed by L.A. County Supervisors Mark-Ridley Thomas and Gloria Molina to move forward with an independent civilian review board, to hold the Department accountable. Unfortunately Supervisor Yaroslavsky has gone from being on the fence, to flat out saying he thinks there is sufficient oversight and an independent civilian review board is not necessary. Only one more vote is needed to make this proposal a reality. Make sure he hears from you. Join us in kicking off the campaign making a 1000 calls in January urging him to vote YES In two easy steps:
1. Call (213) 974-3333 and say:
“Hello, my name is _____________and I am an LA County Resident and would like to speak to Supervisor Yaroslavsky?
(you will most likely get a staff person)
I am calling to urge Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky to stand up for human rights and vote YES on the motion for a Civilian Review Board at the County Board of Supervisors.
2. Tell us how it went! Post on this facebook invite:
1. your full name
2. zip code and a
3. short comment on how your experience went. You can also post a selfie of you making the call.