Sunday, November 22, 2009

Uganda Proposes Death Penalty for Homosexuals


I am going to make this blog real simple, okay?

For the full news story, I give you a link to Gay City News at the end of this rant.

The leadership of the country of Uganda, home once of the infamous Idi Amin, has proposed the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality." It's just life for touching someone with " the intention of committing the act of homosexuality”.

In prohibiting the “promotion of homosexuality,” the bill would not only bar political activity on behalf of gay rights, but would also require anyone learning the identity of a sexually active gay person to report that information within 24 hours, or face a stiff fine or jail time. Sounds like the Briggs Amendment from 1978 in California. It is what gave life to Harvey Milk.

What are we supposed to say? 48 protestors gathered outside their mission in Manhattan, not far from the U.N. 30 in D.C. Maybe these myopic Neanderthals do us a favor. Maybe it forces the U.N. to engage in the unprecedented act of censuring a country for it practices and policies as it relates to sexual orientation. Maybe this goes from a terribly unjust law in an inconsequential African country to give life to a global gay rights protest.

Take the bad and make it better. But there are no maybes for the gay men of Uganda. There is only the prospect of brutal punishment. As long as those sanctions exist, as long as our brothers suffer, we are all Ugandans.

No comments:

Post a Comment