November 25, 2012 | Sex & Society

Uganda promising passage of anti-gay bill

Uganda's parliament is still hell bent on pushing through its anti-gay bill, with Speaker Rebecca Kadaga (pictured) promising to have it on the books before the end of 2012 as a Christmas gift to her people.

The bill, if passed in its original state, would make homosexuality punishable with a lengthy prison sentence; in some special cases, though, the penalty would be death. However, the death penalty is likely to be removed before the bill is debated in parliament next month.

Ugandans "are demanding it," Kadaga said, arguing that gays posed a "serious threat" to the country's children.

"Speaker, we cannot sit back while such (a) destructive phenomenon is taking place in our nation," anti-gay activists said in a petition. "We therefore, as responsible citizens, feel duty-bound to bring this matter to your attention as the leader of Parliament ... so that lawmakers can do something to quickly address the deteriorating situation in our nation."

Of course, homosexuality is already a crimninal act in Uganda. However, in 2009 the ruling party decided it needed to take an even stronger stand against gays. Parliamentarian David Bahati initiated the legislation and demanded that gays be put to death.

Looks like Ugandan politicians can expect a whole lot of coal this Christmas!

Uganda to pass anti-gay law as 'Christmas gift'? [News-Leader]