Tag Archives: Africa

Buzzfeed has the story: Human rights advocates and opposition politicians filed a lawsuit against Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act on Tuesday. The Anti-Homosexuality Act, which President Yoweri Museveni signed into law on February 24, imposes up to a life sentence for homosexuality and criminalizes advocating LGBT rights. The petitioners include activists Frank Mugisha of Sexual Minorities Uganda, trans activist Julian Pepe Onziema, …

Appearing today on multiple African blogs: Barely two weeks after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a bill banning homosexuality into law, two homosexuals have been caught in the act. According to eyewitnesses, the two gay men checked into an undisclosed hotel and within 15 minutes of checking in, sexual moans were heard from their room. The moaning was so loud …

Mother Jones today published a lengthy profile of anti-gay evangelist and hate group leader Scott Lively. While many of the article’s details might be familiar to longtime JMG readers, I encourage you to read the story. Here’s how it opens: In late February, when Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the nation’s harsh new anti-gay bill into law, he claimed the …

Last month a Ugandan tabloid published a list of that country’s alleged “top 200 homos.” Following a petition campaign by All Out, one of the paper’s major advertisers has pulled out. Via press release: Orange, a subsidiary of France Télécom, announced its decision to pull their advertising from the website of Red Pepper on Friday, after 77,329 All Out members …

The Associated Press reports that four men were lashed in a Nigeria courtroom today after a Sharia tribunal convicted them of homosexual acts. The four were among dozens caught in a wave of arrests after Nigeria strengthened its criminal penalties for homosexuality with the new Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act in January. The men could face further violence in prison …

Apparently last week’s front-page story isn’t “persecution.”

Via press release from the State Department: Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with Ugandan President Museveni yesterday via phone. Secretary Kerry expressed the United States’ deep disappointment in the Ugandan Government’s decision to enact the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The Secretary noted that the decision complicates the U.S. relationship with Uganda. He also raised U.S. concerns that this discriminatory law poses …

Kenyan TV reports: The Swedish Government has indicated that it is considering a freeze on aid to Uganda days after the country signed the anti-gay Bill into Law. Sweden’s Finance Minister Anders Borg condemned the move saying it was unfortunate that Uganda passed the law noting it would strain relations between the two countries. Borg is on a regional tour …

Hate group leader Scott Lively appeared on NPR yesterday to defend his campaign against LGBT people around the world. An excerpt: MARTIN: Well, you know, this law, though, has been denounced by the United Nations, by U.S. officials, including the Secretary of State and the president. A number of European nations have said that they’re suspending aid to the country …

The World Bank has suspended a $90M loan to Uganda over the signing of the anti-homosexuality bill by President Yoweri Museveni. “We have postponed the project for further review to ensure that the development objectives would not be adversely affected by the enactment of this new law,” World Bank spokesman David Theis said in an email. Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni …

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has proposed freezing US aid to Uganda over the enactment of that country’s brutal anti-homosexuality bill, which was signed last week by President Yoweri Museveni. “I am deeply concerned by the decision of President (Yoweri) Museveni of Uganda to sign into law the anti-homosexuality bill,” Senator Patrick Leahy, the most senior member of the chamber and …

Multiple Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Weeds star Elizabeth Perkins tweeted me this afternoon to announce her donation to the Center For Constitutional Rights, which is suing Scott Lively on the behalf of Ugandan LGBT activists. Donations go to funding subpoenas, paying for expert witnesses, and for airfare to the United States for Ugandans to testify against Lively.  Longtime JMG readers …

“While I respect the right of sovereign nations to legislate sexual morality according to their own cultural standards, I believe the Ugandan anti-homosexuality law takes the wrong approach in dealing with simple homosexuality (as opposed to pederasty and the other sub-categories of ‘aggravated homosexuality’ in the bill). [snip] That having been said, I commend Uganda for removing the death penalty …

A Ugandan tabloid has published the names of 200 allegedly gay citizens, putting all of these people at the risk of being murdered. Which has happened before. Via the Associated Press: The Red Pepper tabloid published the names — and some pictures — of alleged homosexuals in a front-page story under the headline: “EXPOSED!” The list included prominent Ugandan gay …

Via press release from the Human Rights Campaign: President Museveni sent a clear message today that bigotry and intolerance – which is now further codified into statute in Uganda – trump the rights of LGBT Ugandans. Let there be no room for doubt, this bill could destroy lives and tear families apart. We call on Secretary of State John Kerry …

“This is a tragic day for Uganda and for all who care about the cause of human rights. Ultimately, the only answer is repeal of this law. The United States is deeply disappointed in the enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda. For the four years since the bill was introduced, we have been crystal clear that it blatantly violates …

Via press release: Statement by the Press Secretary on Uganda: Instead of standing on the side of freedom, justice, and equal rights for its people, today, regrettably, Ugandan President Museveni took Uganda a step backward by signing into law legislation criminalizing homosexuality. As President Obama has said, this law is more than an affront and a danger to the gay …

From the Center For Constitutional Rights: In addition to putting the lives of LGBTI Ugandans at serious risk, in signing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, President Museveni has criminalized the existence and work of our client, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), and other advocacy organizations in violation of the Ugandan constitution and international law. The Center for Constitutional Rights holds right-wing U.S. evangelical …

The Young Turks yesterday attacked Concerned Women for America for supporting Uganda’s brutal anti-gay bill. With a shout-out to JMG.  Worth watching. (Tipped by JMG reader Chris)