Uganda Member of Parliament Urges Death for Gay Sex

A lawmaker from Uganda's ruling party has proposed a bill to create new capital offences for homosexuality, which is already illegal in the country. Under Member of Parliament (MP) David Bahati's measure, HIV-positive gays who have sex would be guilty of "aggravated homosexuality," which would be punishable by death. In addition, the bill widens the definition of homosexual acts and levies fines or potentially seven years imprisonment for promoting homosexuality.

The "Anti-Homosexuality Bill's" chance of passing is high, as senior figures in the ruling National Resistance Movement will probably back it, according to Joshua Mmali, a BBC correspondent in Kampala. It has a "99 percent chance" of passing, said John Otekat Emile, an independent MP. That assessment was shared by Emmanuel Dombo, a ruling party MP.

Activist groups such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission are condemning the bill, saying it violates several international agreements and Uganda's own constitution.

The bill would "put major barriers in the path of effective HIV/AIDS prevention efforts," said HRW. "Discrimination and punitive laws like this aimed at marginalized groups and at those among the most affected by HIV drive people underground and do nothing to help slow down the AIDS epidemic," said Daniel Molokele, Africa program officer at the World AIDS Campaign.

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