01.07.2010 9:30am EST
(Kampala, Uganda) A provision that would impose the death penalty for
some gays is likely to be removed from the proposed legislation following
opposition from Uganda’s president, the country’s ethics minister said
Thursday.
President
Yoweri Museveni has told colleagues he believes the bill is too harsh and has
encouraged his ruling National Resistance Movement Party to overturn the death
sentence provision, which would apply to sexually active gays living with HIV
or in cases of same-sex rape.
The proposed bill, though, says anyone convicted of a homosexual act
would face life imprisonment and it is unclear whether Museveni supports that
provision or not.
Gay rights activists say the bill promotes hatred and could set back
efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in the conservative East African country. Protests
already have been held in London, New York and Washington.
“The death penalty is likely to be removed,” said James Nsaba Buturo,
Uganda’s minister of state for ethics and integrity. “The president doesn’t
believe in killing gays. I also don’t believe in it. I think gays can be
counseled and they stop the bad habit.”
Ruling party spokeswoman Mary Karoro Okurut said she also agrees with
the president that some punishments in the bill should be dropped. But she said
she will still push for a modified version of the bill when it comes to
parliament in late February or early March.
“Although the president is against some parts of the bill, the bill has
to stay,” she said. “(Homosexuality) is not allowed in African culture. We have
to protect the children in schools who are being recruited into homosexual
activities.”
Frank Mugisha, leader of Sex Minorities Uganda, said the gay-rights
group will campaign for and support President Yoweri Museveni in the 2011 polls
because of his opposition to the bill’s harsher provisions.
“If one scratches your back you also scratch his back,” Mugisha said. “Museveni’s
action shows that he is a true democrat. As a head of state he is doing the
right thing of protecting all interests of its citizens including those of the
minorities.”
The group said it has received a growing number of complaints of
harassment from gays and lesbians across the country since the legislation was
first proposed.
Julian Peppe, the group’s program coordinator, said she was chased by a
crowd of angry people while trying to leave a supermarket on Christmas Eve in
the capital.
“I can no longer move out of my house due to fear of being beaten up by
people,” Peppe said.
The measure was proposed in Uganda following a visit by leaders of U.S.
conservative Christian ministries that promote therapy for gays to become
heterosexual. However, at least one of those leaders has denounced the bill, as
have some other conservative and liberal Christians in the United States.
The Catholic church in Uganda has said it supports the bill but not the
death penalty provision.
But a group of non-traditional churches has accused Museveni of siding
with gays and maintains that the Bible supports killing gays. The churches
accuse the president of bowing to pressure from Uganda’s many international
donors.
“If Museveni manages to convince parliament to drop the anti-gay bill,
that will be the worst tragedy to befall Uganda,” said Pastor Solomon Male, the
chairman of the church coalition, Arising for Christ. “Uganda should not dance
to the tune of donors. We have our values to protect.”
Anglican Archbishop of York John Sentamu, who is one of the global
fellowship’s most senior priests, has said he condemns the proposed law in his
native country.