OK... We Won't Kill You, We'll Just "Cure" You

David Bahati introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill on Oct. 14th

News out of Uganda is that the horrendous attack on homosexuality bill has been "toned down".
Gone is the provision that calls for the death penalty in cases of "aggravated homosexuality" and the life imprisonment for other types of same-sex relations. This may have happened because of the growing international outrage over this legislation. And, well, the Ugandan Church was a little uncomfortable with that whole DEATH thing.

But make no mistake about it: just because some of the more extreme elements, such as the death penalty for HIV+ or disabled queers having sex, are out of the legislation... this measure is still disasterous and draconian and thoroughly ANTI-Christian.

It still requires family and friends to turn in their LGBT loved ones, or face prison sentences.

It still punishes with imprisonment anyone involved in "promoting" homosexuality. This would include western aid agencies.

It still seeks extradition of Ugandans abroad who have fled to avoid persecution for being LGBT.

And, of course, since this bill has the backing of some of our most notorious homophobes in the United States, the ultimate goal is to arrest LGBT people and offer them a choice: go to prison, or undergo "therapy" to "cure" them of their "illness".

I'm sorry, but this does not make me feel better about the bill or its intention. And, sadly, the news seems to be that it will be ready for a vote in two weeks... just in time for Christmas!

The bill's sponsor is David Bahati, but the measure has the backing all the way up to the President of Uganda who has made statements about Europeans coming into his country "to recruit" Ugandans into being gay. Yes, friends: it's the ol' recruiting argument again. Only this time, it's more serious and dangerous because it's not just some whacked-out person standing on a street corner screaming at a gay pride parade: it's the head of state, a country that Evangelical leader Rick Warren has called "a purpose-driven nation." Warren, by the way, has chosen to duck his head in the sand on this. Perhaps he didn't realize that his homophobia could spread like purpose-driven wildfire the way it has!

As our Presiding Bishop noted in her statement, the colonialism we have brought to Africa is exporting our homophobic "Ex-Gay" movement and imposing on them our rotten culture war. For shame!