Uganda: update

I'm sure most people know this already but I wanted to post on it.

After a massive campaign again this, the death penalty has been dropped from Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill!

While this is a great step forward, it is worth noting that there are still a host of extreme punishments for LGBT people in the country including hard labour and long jail sentences up to life imprisonment.  The bill hasn't passed yet, but there is a strong concern that it could be voted on at any time.

Part of this reversal has been due to international pressure brought by Western leaders.  Many countries had threatened to cut off aid to the country if they included this punishment, and pressure still exists if they do not improve their record on equalities issues.

Have a look at this and this for more information.

If you want to sign another petition and keep up on other LGBT equality issues going on around the world then keep an eye on All Out.  They are a movement organising online to fight for equality the world over.  As I write this 1,218,004 people (including myself) have signed this and it is important to keep momentum for this up.

This issue came up at the conference, and it at first surprised me that many activists are against this stance.  They do not want aid cut off for human rights violations and I couldn't understand why.  But it's for the best possible reason: if aid is cut off due to violations against LGBT people then this is going to have a dangerous impact on the members of that community in Uganda.  They would be blamed for worsening conditions and for vital supplies not getting to people living in horrific circumstances.  The already high risk of abuse, violence and death that exists would increase exponentially.

I can only hope that David Cameron and other political leaders see the sense in this and don't take any action that could worsen already intolerable conditions for LGBT people in Uganda. 

A small battle was won this week, but this fight is far from over, and while politicians negotiate and apply pressure, our LGBT brothers and sisters remain in danger and at threat of violence and persecution.