Rights Group Warns of Rwanda Anti-Gay Draft Law

VOA ^ | 12/17/2009 | Alan Boswell

[markomalley]

A coalition of human rights groups is condemning a proposed amendment to Rwanda's criminal law that would criminalize homosexual behavior and advocacy.

Meanwhile, Rwanda's northern neighbor, Uganda, is receiving heat for a "draconian" anti-gay bill being debated in its legislature.

The coalition Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders says the draft language to criminalize homosexuality could be voted on in the Rwandan lower house of parliament by Friday.  The draft code would then pass to the Rwandan senate for approval.

The amended language for Article 217 acquired by the group would give offenders - those who "practice," "encourage," or "sensitize" someone of the same sex towards homosexual relations - a prison term of five to 10 years in addition to a hefty fine.

Homosexuality is not currently criminalized under Rwandan law.

A spokesperson for the coalition-partner International Federation for Human Rights, Pouline Kimani, says the bill violates basic human rights and could threaten the health and well-being of those who identify as part of the gay community.

"If this bill passes then it emphasizes on state-sponsored homophobia and also community homophobia, because it almost justifies the use violence against LGBTI [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex] persons based upon the fact that it will criminalize their identity," said Kimani.

Politicized anti-gay sentiment has recently been sweeping across east Africa.  Burundi earlier this year criminalized homosexuality.  Uganda has been debating an anti-gay bill that includes a possible death sentence for violators.  Kenya and Tanzania already have anti-gay laws, though homosexual rights activists fear that these laws could be expanded.

The anti-gay bills have been bolstered by a strengthening and organized conservative Christian evangelical movement in the region, as well as "anti-colonialist" emotions.  Many Africans claim homosexuality is a foreign import from the West.

Kimani says that the politicians do not fully realize the damaging consequences that criminalization can have.

"With observation of what has happened in east Africa since 2004 when Zanzibar put in the sodomy law, each and every of these east Africa countries is rushing towards having a bill against LGBTI persons without thinking of the effects of it," he said.

Activists say that criminalization of homosexuality discourages those in the gay community from seeking testing and medical care for HIV/AIDS for fears of being suspected.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders coalition is a joint venture of the International Federation of Human Rights and the World Organization Against Torture.  

[markomalley]

Some other country has figured out how to stop their AIDS crisis. Good for them.

[Tijeras_Slim]

How can this be? Rwanda has such an outstanding human rights record.

[Pajama Blogger]

Don’t be gay.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

Yeah, never mind when the Christians were being slaughtered in THEIR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS in '94 & the enemedia reported lied it as a "general free-for all".

Now there are homos at risk we need to get serious about Rwanda huh.

[aSeattleConservative]

Bring back (and enforce) sodomy laws in the good ole US of A. I just hate it when we’re behind the Africans.

[Fee]

IMHO Americans should worry about Americans first and not what people do in their own countries. If we have not figure it out by now, America is a unique nation in the world, while injustice exists everywhere outside of it.
We cannot do anything about it unless we are willing to use force to change it. That will earn us more ire from the EU, BRIC and the world as “unilateralism”. Now our country is broke and unemployment running 10 plus percent, I think our resources need to be spent at home before we stick our noses into other nation’s internal affairs.

[Ptarmigan]

Those Hutus were raised into believing they are superior over everyone else. You know what that led to.

[Daveinyork]

“Bring back (and enforce) sodomy laws in the good ole US of A. I just hate it when we’re behind the Africans.”

Given the legal tolerance in the US, I’m sure the Africans hate it when we are behind them, too.

[NorwegianViking]

Given the legal tolerance in the US, I’m sure the Africans hate it when we are behind them, too.

You have your imagination hat on today!

[a fool in paradise]

Where is the Rights Group outrage over Saudi discrimination against all other religious faiths and their death penalty for any non-mulsims who’d dare enter the segregated cities of Mecca and Medina? < /crickets >

[a fool in paradise]

Now there are homos at risk we need to get serious about Rwanda huh.

No blood for pudding.

[markomalley]

Where is the Rights Group outrage over Saudi discrimination against all other religious faiths and their death penalty for any non-mulsims who’d dare enter the segregated cities of Mecca and Medina?

Here's the funny thing. I have a RSS search feed that gives me hits on this type of article. I have seen hits on it for a couple of days now...but no link that I would click on (gay blogs), much less post here. Today is the first article in a news source that I wouldn't mind going to.

So you can tell what's going to drive the agenda on this story.

[Candor7]

This is interesting, no more reach around vacations by gay Westerners in the heart of darkest Africa.

http://goafrica.about.com/od/adventuretravel/a/gaytravel.htm

[arthurus]

Uganda has done far and away the best in reducing the prevalence of AIDS and has done it by using banned methods- promoting abstinence and morality. Criminalizing homosexual activity is part of that same set of measures. By driving it “into the closet” IDS will be further reduced.

[SunkenCiv]

Meanwhile, Rwanda's northern neighbor, Uganda, is receiving heat for a "draconian" anti-gay bill being debated in its legislature.

Gosh, we'd better cut all foreign aids then...

[Chode]

absolutely...

[liberalism is suicide]

No matter how far out of the closet they are, these sad(I refuse to say “gay”)folks are still in the sewer of a sinful and unclean lifestyle. And they want to drag the rest of us into the sewer with them.