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| The elusive majority of a population, maybe? (S) |
America voted to reinstate Barack Obama this month, despite the almost universal belief that the polls were running (however slightly) in Mitt Romney’s favour. A lot of people believed that the right wing’s views on certain sensitive subjects actually made up the majority of the country. Now we can see that what we thought they wanted, they don’t.
So how sure can you be when you say “the majority of the population want this”?
According to Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, you can be entirely certain.
That’s why, when activists pushed her into speaking on the topic they wanted, she promised that the most important bill in her country’s history of QUILTBAG bills would be passed before the end of the year. Celebrating might be a bit optimistic, however. She’s the speaker for the parliament of Uganda, and she’s promising to pass the so-called “Kill the Gays” bill.
As you will probably remember, it received sudden and worldwide attention in 2009, when it first passed through Parliament. The Ugandan and worldwide QUILTBAG communities and allies reacted poorly to this, but thankfully enough awareness was raised that politicians didn’t think it was a good plan to pass it.
Well guess what? In the wake of everyone busy sighing a breath of relief that Romney wasn’t behind the controls of the US, the bill is back in the spotlight of the Ugandan government. If your memory is a bit rusty, I’ll give you a reminder of the finer points of the bill:
- A 7 year jail sentence for consenting adults who have LGBT sex
- A life sentence for people in same-sex marriages.
- Extradition and prosecution of LGBT Ugandans living abroad.
- The death penalty for adults who have LGBT sex with minors or who communicate HIV via LGBT sex, regardless of condom usage.
- Jail for anyone who doesn't report suspected LGBT activity within 24 hours rusty, or you didn’t notice it the first time around, I’ll give you a run-down of the bill.
Assuming that it has not been changed significantly since the bill in 2009, and I can't find anywhere with specific details against that theory, you can read the entire original petition for the bill here.
Away from that, it’s a little hypocritical that the speaker promised the bill would be passed by the end of the year, especially when considering in June 2012 the Ugandan government released a statement that said:
"No government official is (supposed) to harass any section of the community and everybody in Uganda enjoys the freedom to lawfully assemble and associate freely with others"
Well done there, guys. It took you just four months to backtrack on that.
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| A fair portion of Uganda want Rebecca Kadaga to be the next president (S) |
Whether Kadaga actually means to pass the bill before 2012 is out remains to be seen – it would have to be rushed through pretty fast, considering that there’s only just over six weeks until 2013 arrives. It’s not impossible, however, and that is where this gets worrying. In less than two months, the QUILTBAG Ugandans – Ugandans that may have participated in the first ever Gay Pride in the country, despite the fact that homosexuality is illegal – could be in very serious danger.
Occasionally at this point when I talk to people about this bill, I hear an interesting argument: “but it’s their culture! We can’t just walk in and tell them how to run their country.”
It, much like what I talked about my post a few weeks ago about the choice between the American political platforms, comes down to a simple decision in the end. In one corner we have human rights, LGBT rights, the ability to love without fearing for your life, and the chance to identify as the gender you are. In the other corner, we have political autonomy, and the reluctance to step into the affairs of another country.
I hate to step on the toes of anyone in the second corner, but I think political interference is preferable in this case.
In 2009, President Obama voiced his opposition to the bill, and multiple countries in Europe stated that if the bill passed they would stop supplying aid to Uganda. That, probably more than the (extensive) petitions against it, was what stopped the bill from moving through parliament the first time. Considering that no political views in those countries have changed (if anything, looking at Hollande replacing Sarkozy in France, Obama and his administration coming out in favour of gay marriage, and (for practically the first time in history) all three main political parties in the UK agree that marriage equality is overdue), it’s very likely that passive interference will postpone the bill again.
Likely, but not certain. The bill hasn't yet got a date to be voted on, just a deadline, so we can't be certain if this was an empty promise to stave off angry activists, or a legitimate promise. Unfortunately, now we can only wait.
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