The UK's respected Guardian newspaper has blasted Ugandan MP David Bahati for his Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009, which it says confirms the African country's status as "unjust and infamous." A prominent Swedish minister has suggested that aid funding could be cut to the country if the Bill is passed, an idea supported by The Guardian. The Bill, which is likely to be passed this month since it has the backing of many senior MPs, recommends the death penalty for men who have gay sex with disabled people, under-18s or when the accused is HIV-positive. "The proposed law is more a rant against homosexuality and the west than a workable piece of legislation intended for Uganda itself," notes the Guardian. "Much of it consists of a list of unfounded claims, starting with the statement that 'same sex attraction is not an innate and immutable characteristic'. "The bill may be amended during its passage through parliament to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment, but that change would be only a gesture to spare the blushes of Uganda's aid donors. If passed – which looks likely, since its sponsor is a member of Uganda's ruling party – the bill will continue to write hate into law." UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been vocal in his outrage against the Bill on the international stage. The Guardian concludes: "Some people may fear the imposition of western liberal values. The far greater prejudice would be to tolerate an injustice in Africa that would not be tolerated at home."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Sunday, 6th December 2009 - 11:11am