Posted on 02/05/2010 6:13:36 AM PST by Pan_Yan
U.S. President Barack Obama has sharply criticized an anti-gay bill in Uganda that would impose the death penalty in some cases. Other western governments and gay rights activists also have criticized the legislation. Supporters accuse the U.S. and other western nations of interfering in Uganda's internal affairs. VOA's Robert Raffaele has more.
The Ugandan measure calls for the death penalty or life imprisonment for HIV-positive homosexuals who have sex with minors.
Earlier this week, at the U.S. Congress, some 200 lawmakers introduced a resolution condemning the bill.
U.S. President Barack Obama criticized the Ugandan measure while speaking at a prayer breakfast Thursday in Washington. "We may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are -- whether it's here in the United States or, more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed, most recently in Uganda," he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she recently called Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, expressing the "strongest concerns" about the proposal.
Mr. Museveni is now calling the bill a 'foreign policy' issue. He's urged lawmakers to craft a measure that, in his words, 'does not compromise our principles' and takes into account Uganda's foreign policy interests. "The Prime Minister of Canada came to see me and what was he talking about? Gays. Prime Minister Gordon Brown came to see me and what was he talking about? Gays," he said.
The bill's author, Ugandan politician David Bahati, has this response to nations threatening to withhold aid if his measure passes. "We would rather stay with our values and you stay with your money," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at 1.voanews.com ...
Sounds kind of restrictive. I think they should remove the HIV clause and the life in prison option.
"We would rather stay with our values and you stay with your money," he said.
I like Uganda more and more every time I read about it.
“The Ugandan measure calls for the death penalty or life imprisonment for HIV-positive homosexuals who have sex with minors.”
...”but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are...”
It’s not about identity. It’s about behavior.
I thought the left was all about us keeping our noses out of other countries’ business and not trying to run them...
Obama supports sex with minors.
“The Ugandan measure calls for the death penalty or life imprisonment for HIV-positive homosexuals who have sex with minors.”
So, on the flip side, 0bama is saying that he’s OK with HIV positive homosexuals having sex with minors?
Why just HIV-positive homosexuals? I'd have no problem with this law if it included anyone who is HIV-positive.
What? how about condemning the anti-American bills in America?!
“Sounds kind of restrictive. I think they should remove the HIV clause and the life in prison option.”
Your suggestions sounds like a win/win thing.
To be fair, this is not an entirely accurate depiction of the proposed law. The law also calls for the death penalty or life imprisonment for "serial offenders," which it defines as "a person who has previous convictions of the offence of homosexuality or related offences."
I have no problem with the death penalty/life imprisonment for HIV-positive people (gay or straight) who have sex with minors. I do have a problem with the death penalty/life imprisonment for "serial" homosexuals. That's just idiotic.
That's better, but there's still room for improvement.
That's the most important observation on this article.
I think 0bama needs to go to sensitivity training and learn to be tolerant of other cultures.
The behavior really is the identity.
Consider it, then, a good start.
Yes, just another example of an attempt at cultural hegemony. Obama needs to learn to respect difference.
Basing your identity on where you prefer to rub your jubblies is a pretty sad life.
That only applies when conservatives oppose mass murder.
I think we can agree that the only unifying view of liberalism is a violent hatred of morality, especially if it's Christianity.
Remember how the left whined about Bush's 'Axis of Evil' speech? Obama only singled out one country for individual abuse in his SOTU, and it was the most Christian country in Africa. It's also the subsaharan country with the highest success rate against AIDS. And they did it while constantly fighting foreign interference.
Coincidence?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.