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News & ArtsThursday, November 22, 2012
News / LGBTQITSLFA Uganda May Pass "Kill the Gays" Law Today
Posted by Dan Savage on Thu, Nov 22, 2012 at 3:03 PM
Yesterday, the Ugandan Parliament added a bill to its schedule that would sentence LGBT people in Uganda to death. According to reports from international news providers like Agence France-Press and LGBT news sites including Towleroad, the bill might be debated as early as today or over the next several weeks.
Rebecca Kadaga, speaker of the Ugandan Parliament, recently told the Associated Press that the anti-gay bill would be a "Christmas gift" to the population.
Sexual Minorities Uganda's Frank Mugisha, who has fearlessly worked to prevent the bill from becoming law, detailed the bill's draconian provisions in an email today: "Any person alleged to be homosexual would be at risk of life imprisonment or in some circumstances the death penalty. Any parent who does not denounce their lesbian daughter or gay son to the authorities would face fines of $2,650 or three years in prison. Any teacher who does not report a lesbian or gay pupil to the authorities within 24 hours would face the same penalties. And any landlord or landlady who happens to give housing to a suspected homosexual would risk 7 years of imprisonment."
The Uganda Parliament is poised to pass the Anti-Homosexuality Bill sometime between now and Christmas. Meanwhile, five European countries—Britain, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden—have already announced they were freezing aid payments to Uganda due to massive corruption.... Their announcements came before the Anti-Homosexuality Bill went onto Parliament’s agenda, although Sweden and Britain have previously stated that they would either cut foreign aid if the Anti-Homosexuality Bill becomes law. The US last year issued a directive stating, “Agencies involved with foreign aid, assistance, and development shall enhance their ongoing efforts to ensure regular Federal Government engagement with governments, citizens, civil society, and the private sector in order to build respect for the human rights of LGBT persons.”
But with so many reasons for the U.S. to cut aid to Uganda—or at least to have a serous sit-down with Ugandan authorities—US Ambassador to Uganda Scott H. DeLisi has made the rounds in Kampala to say that there are no plans to spend your tax dollars more effectively elsewhere: “'The U.S has decided to continue giving aid to Uganda despite the ongoing numerous investigations into the misuse of foreign aid.' Ambassador Scott H. DeLisi said."
Please sign All Out's petition and ask the U.S. to once again speak out against Uganda's proposed "kill the gays" law—and ask the U.S. to cut aid off if the law is passed—by writing the U.S. State Department on its Facebook page.
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@16: Homosexuality doesn't confer evolutionary advantage. It's not a heritable trait. Talking about in evolutionary terms, once these facts have been established, is ludicrous.
But not nearly as ludicrous as attributing human cultural xenophobia to evolutionary forcing. Homosexual activity is not only common but ubiquitous in bonobos, our closest extant relatives, and yet there is no "instinctive rejection" that you claim (without evidence) humans exhibit.
But not nearly as ludicrous as attributing human cultural xenophobia to evolutionary forcing. Homosexual activity is not only common but ubiquitous in bonobos, our closest extant relatives, and yet there is no "instinctive rejection" that you claim (without evidence) humans exhibit.
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Agreed.
The Troll advocates responsible behavior as a path to eradicating AIDS and other STDs. (speaking particularly of America)
What does Ken suggest?
Agreed.
The Troll advocates responsible behavior as a path to eradicating AIDS and other STDs. (speaking particularly of America)
What does Ken suggest?
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@29
Um, you know that HIV in Africa is a disease of straight people right? Straight married women often get it from their polygamous, non-condom using husbands. Gay male sex --> HIV is a western phenomenon.
Um, you know that HIV in Africa is a disease of straight people right? Straight married women often get it from their polygamous, non-condom using husbands. Gay male sex --> HIV is a western phenomenon.
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So if homosexuality is natural and conveys evolutionary advantage on the tribe why is revulsion and loathing of homosexuality ubiquitous in the species?The question of whether any given proclivity (or behavior arising from that proclivity) is natural is entirely separate from the question of whether it conveys evolutionary advantage, since, within the parameters of what science can observe, evolution isn't goal oriented, and neutral variations or adaptations are as likely to persist as advantageous ones.
That homosexuality could be called natural (to the degree that said word is even particularly useful) is illustrated by the remarkable consistency of rates at which homosexuality occurs in human cultures regardless of the level of acceptance, which reflects the consistency with which homosexual acts occur in other mammalian species.
As to why it's greeted with revulsion, most species will tend to shy away from deviations from the norm. Look at how most mammalian populations will react to an albino. Hell, look at how left-handedness was treated historically--across all races, cultures, and geographic locations.
It is almost as if humanity is hard wired with instinctive rejection of a deviant behavior that poses great danger to the health and survival of the species...You have yet to demonstrate that homosexuality poses great danger to the health and survival of the species.
So why do you think 'Anti-gay hysteria is prevalent in most places in the world' ?Aside from natural fear of otherness, the common thread I see in politicized fear of homosexuality, if you control for the pervasive global influence of religion (and hence take that off the table as a separate, but still valid, matter), can be traced to Lenin and Stalin's stated beliefs that sex for pleasure (as opposed to procreation) is a bourgeois indulgence, an attitude I've often seen reflected (or refracted) in the rhetoric of the working-class religious. I suspect that it is, at root, a procreative anxiety, though I think such anxiety is misplaced. After all, if acceptance or non-acceptance of homosexuality doesn't seem to have much effect on its incidence, then acceptance is not likely to have any notable effect on the number of breeding pairs.
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@23 "hate is not the answer", says the guy who spends his whole day here telling gay people how they deserve to suffer horrible torture and death. You sure do love the taste of hypocrisy...
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@27 Most African societies are extremely intolerant of homosexual behavior of any kind. Yet, Africa suffers from a far higher rate of HIV infection than any other continent. The former communist countries of eastern europe are far less tolerant of LGBT people than the nations of western europe. Yet, AIDS is a much bigger problem in the east then in the west. I don't think persecuting gay people is a very good strategy for stopping the AIDS epidemic.
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The bill is a travesty and should be strongly opposed. However, I do not believe in collective punishment. If there are Ugandans in poverty or suffering from AIDS, our government should continue to provide them with funding. As an Iraqi, I saw how many of my fellow countrymen unjustly suffered because of the sanctions meant to target Saddam Hussein (whose wealth protected him from any of the effects).
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Not"...worth anyone dying over."
Agreed.
The 'gay lifestyle' leads to 20% (so far) HIV rates (among sexually active homosexual men, according to the CDC)
How do you think deadly lifestyle choices should be treated by society?
Not"...worth anyone dying over."
Agreed.
The 'gay lifestyle' leads to 20% (so far) HIV rates (among sexually active homosexual men, according to the CDC)
How do you think deadly lifestyle choices should be treated by society?
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But why would humanity instinctively reject so violently an evolutionary development that was beneficial?
But why would humanity instinctively reject so violently an evolutionary development that was beneficial?
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Hey all you KONY2012 kids: Do you think giving American military aid to Uganda is such a good idea now?
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oh Chuck...hate is not the answer.
it only eats you up and leaves you a hollow bitter dried out husk.
Assuming everyone who disagrees with you is a 'christian' must make life easy and require, gosh, NO thinking whatsoever on your part.
Again, well played.
(and original. The Troll has never heard THAT one before either)
So why do you think 'Anti-gay hysteria is prevalent in most places in the world' ?
oh Chuck...hate is not the answer.
it only eats you up and leaves you a hollow bitter dried out husk.
Assuming everyone who disagrees with you is a 'christian' must make life easy and require, gosh, NO thinking whatsoever on your part.
Again, well played.
(and original. The Troll has never heard THAT one before either)
So why do you think 'Anti-gay hysteria is prevalent in most places in the world' ?
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@16. Because people hate things that are different as a general rule. Or instinct hasn't caught up with overpopulation. Or people confuse "gay sex grosses me out" with "gay sex is gross"(I think cheesecake is gross. Does that mean I should campaign to kill those icky cheesecake eaters?)
I can keep going all day but the long and short of it is that none of these reasons, or any other reason, is worth anyone dying over.
I can keep going all day but the long and short of it is that none of these reasons, or any other reason, is worth anyone dying over.
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Holy crud. They're not even letting non-homosexual Ugandans adopt a live-and-let-live attitude. This law also means that absolutely anyone can be arrested at absolutely any time if it can even be made to look like some person they barely know is gay.
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@19 "all gays are as likable and witty as you? "
Many, if not most, are, Christian Troglodyte.
Your Gay grandchildren hate you. Good.
Many, if not most, are, Christian Troglodyte.
Your Gay grandchildren hate you. Good.
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That's a very intelligent comment, Chuck.
Assuming everyone who disagrees with you is a repressed homosexual must make life easy and require, gosh, NO thinking whatsoever on your part.
Well played.
(and original. The Troll has NEVER heard that one before)
So why do you think (do you ever think?); as Confluence stated; 'Anti-gay hysteria is prevalent in most places in the world' ?
That's a very intelligent comment, Chuck.
Assuming everyone who disagrees with you is a repressed homosexual must make life easy and require, gosh, NO thinking whatsoever on your part.
Well played.
(and original. The Troll has NEVER heard that one before)
So why do you think (do you ever think?); as Confluence stated; 'Anti-gay hysteria is prevalent in most places in the world' ?
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re @ 16. You don't like having buttsex with guys?
I know it's hard for you to stop thinking about guy-buttsex, but if you just don't have any buttsex with guys, you win. Problem solved.
What? You can't stop thinking about homosex? Oh dear. Not MY problem....
I know it's hard for you to stop thinking about guy-buttsex, but if you just don't have any buttsex with guys, you win. Problem solved.
What? You can't stop thinking about homosex? Oh dear. Not MY problem....
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So if homosexuality is natural and conveys evolutionary advantage on the tribe why is revulsion and loathing of homosexuality ubiquitous in the species?
Across all races, cultures, geographic locations?
It is almost as if humanity is hard wired with instinctive rejection of a deviant behavior that poses great danger to the health and survival of the species.....
So if homosexuality is natural and conveys evolutionary advantage on the tribe why is revulsion and loathing of homosexuality ubiquitous in the species?
Across all races, cultures, geographic locations?
It is almost as if humanity is hard wired with instinctive rejection of a deviant behavior that poses great danger to the health and survival of the species.....
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@10 I won't stand idle and let my fellow bigot citizens deprive my fellow LGBT citizens of their rights.
So there are 70,000 Catholic bigots around Paris. Don't want to meet any of them.
Many French heterosexuals support "marriage for all". I hope we'll win this together, just like y'all did in Washington State. And if we don't win this time around, we'll win next time.
So there are 70,000 Catholic bigots around Paris. Don't want to meet any of them.
Many French heterosexuals support "marriage for all". I hope we'll win this together, just like y'all did in Washington State. And if we don't win this time around, we'll win next time.
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Thanks to all you shitheads who posted the "KONY 2012" posters around Capitol Hill, enabling Invisible Children to back this regime and the originators of this law. Thanks again.
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Even here in Canada, where I live, during the darker days, you'd hear stories of gay sailors serving on naval vessels, and the way in which they would "disappear" after a stormy deck shift on the watch. There is a tremendous amount of fear still about what consenting adults do with their lower halves- but people know very little of the oppressive policies of corrupt African governments- why should they be any more informed about this? It's the same ignorance that let Invisible Children put their revisionist propaganda out so effectively- no one knows a fucking thing about Africa because the mainstream media doesn't talk about it, except South Africa, where there are white people, or anywhere there's violence, and then only in a context of terrorism.
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@7
Anti-gay hysteria is prevalent in most places in the world actually. In Africa and the Middle East, they will kill you for it for the most part. In Asia & Eastern Europe, most people regard gay sex with utter disgust. So too in many parts of Latin America. Gay marriage is illegal in all of Mexico (minus Mexico City). It's western countries in western Europe & the U.S. that are the anomaly with "gay pride." If you exist only in the "western bubble" though, it may seem that most of "the world" is becoming accepting these days, but in actuality, most are not. Heck, even in liberal France, more than 70,000 people protested against gay marriage on the streets of *Paris* just the other day. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-2…
Anti-gay hysteria is prevalent in most places in the world actually. In Africa and the Middle East, they will kill you for it for the most part. In Asia & Eastern Europe, most people regard gay sex with utter disgust. So too in many parts of Latin America. Gay marriage is illegal in all of Mexico (minus Mexico City). It's western countries in western Europe & the U.S. that are the anomaly with "gay pride." If you exist only in the "western bubble" though, it may seem that most of "the world" is becoming accepting these days, but in actuality, most are not. Heck, even in liberal France, more than 70,000 people protested against gay marriage on the streets of *Paris* just the other day. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-2…
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Just as important, is there anything that can be done to get as many of the potential victims of this travesty out of Uganda as soon as humanly possible? Because once these monsters pass this thing, it's gonna be a bloodbath.
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Signed it. I cant even imagine what this would be like knowing that in a few weeks a witch hunt will ensue for anyone even suspected of being gay or with vengeful acquaintances ratting on people. Nightmarish.
Can anyone explain this anti-gay hysteria that is so particularly prevalent in African countries and Jamaica? Oh and fuck anyone who supports the deaths and loss of liberty for so many people, these are no Christians.
Can anyone explain this anti-gay hysteria that is so particularly prevalent in African countries and Jamaica? Oh and fuck anyone who supports the deaths and loss of liberty for so many people, these are no Christians.
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Don't forget to shine the spotlight on these American-based theocratic scumbags. They not only have ties to the Ugandan lawmakers, they're alleged to be the instigators of this measure, and are at any rate very cozy and supportive of them. The principal sponsor has been their guest at the annual Washington D.C. Prayer Breakfast.
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If it is passed the US should not only cut off all aid immediately, but they should recall our ambassador to Kampala, and expell their ambassador to Washington. It is time to back up that UN speech that HRC gave with some action.
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