NGOs condemn passing of Ugandan ‘anti-gay bill’
JOBURG - Six South African lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex non-governmental organisations condemned the passing of Uganda's controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
The Pretoria-based Out organisation, Joburg-based Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action, the Forum for the Empowerment of Women, the Durban Lesbian and Gay Community and Health Centre, the Pietermaritzburg Gay and Lesbian Network, and Cape Town’s Triangle Project, have all collaborated on the Love Not Hate programme.
The programme addresses hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in South Africa.
“While anal sex was already illegal in Uganda, with penalties including life imprisonment, the bill extends the ban to any kind of same-sex sex, including lesbianism, and punishes repeat ‘offenders’ with life imprisonment,” said Out director Dawie Nel.
“In addition, anyone who ‘aids, abets or counsels’ any gay person, and anyone who rents a house or room to a gay person could also be sentenced to seven years in jail.”
He added that the bill included criminal penalties of three to seven years in prison for anyone who fails to turn over gay people to the police, or for anyone who ‘promotes’ homosexuality.
“Based on the South African Constitution, [our] government needs to speak out and take a leadership role in addressing homophobia on the continent,” said Nel.
“It has national and international obligations to do so. We can’t allow governments – possibly for their own cheap political gains – to endanger the human rights of LGBTI people, or anyone else, for that matter.”
The Love Not Hate programme called on the South African government to “engage in constructive dialogue and consultation for the enhancement of understanding and the promotion of all human rights”, to enter into bi-national dialogue with the Ugandan government on the need for legal protection and social programmes to address discrimination based on sexual orientation, and to call on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to condemn the bill’s adoption.
Nel said programme representatives would make contact with the government to “ensure [the] needed actions are undertaken”.
Details: 012 430 3272
012 430 3272; neld@out.org.za
