Business to Follow

The Anti Homosexuality Bill (2009) is currently sitting at #7 on the list of Business to Follow.

It appears to be delayed as today is taken up with the government working out who to approach for money:

I) Request to borrow US $34,050,000 from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) financing enhanced national food security through increased rice production project.

II) Request to borrow US $12,000,000 from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and another US $15,000,000 from the Opec Fund for International Development (OFID) to finance the Masaka – Bukakata road project.

III) Request to borrow up to US $9.75 million from the Islamic Development (IDB) to support the scaling up and replication of Millenium Villages Project (MVP) in Uganda.

All of this whilst Keith Muhakanizi, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, is explaining how the Kill the Gays Bill is damaging Uganda's economy:

“I have never seen a country like this where politicians hurt the economy instead of building it.”

Any bank would be rather foolish to invest in a country that is deliberately damaging its own economy to pursue a bill which flies in the face of human rights.

We urge you to point this out to both the Islamic Development Bank, Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, and OPEC Fund for International Development. Even if they don't agree on human rights grounds, they should at least have enough economic sense to show concern. Not least the level of corruption occurring in Uganda.

Islamic Development Bank: It appears that their Contact Form is broken. Try: info@isdb.org

Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa: badea@badea.org

OPEC Fund for International Development: info@ofid.org

David Cecil Deported

We reported the other day that David Cecil was being held for deportation despite all charges against him being dropped.

Today he has been deported, separated from his partner and children in Uganda.

Uganda deports UK gay play producer

Uganda has deported David Cecil for producing and staging a play in August 2012, featuring a gay businessman who is killed by his own employees, a UK embassy spokesman has said...

David Cecil was arrested last September for ‘disobeying lawful orders’ as the play was performed without ‘authorisation’. The charges were subsequently dropped.

Falling prey to both Uganda's oppressive censorship laws and open homophobia.

We salute David's bravery in challenging the status quo on this matter, taking a stand on both the freedom of the Arts and human rights. Welcome back to the UK, we hope yourself and your family receive all the support you need.

We are particularly concerned for the safety of his partner and their children now that David is no longer in the country.

Canada Cuts Evangelical Funding

Julian Fantino
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

We've highlighted several times the Evangelical involvement in supporting discrimination against gay people in Uganda.

Unlike American President Obama, last seen cosying up to the Christian Family, Canada is taking a tougher line:

Canada axes funding to Uganda anti-gay Christian charity

The Canadian government has stopped funding to Crossroads, an Evangelical charity working in Uganda, for being homophobic.

According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation the charity that describes homosexuality as a ‘perversion’ and a ‘sin’ will receive no further funding until officials will investigate the organization...

CIDA has given $544,813 to Crossroads to ‘help dig wells, build latrines and promote hygiene awareness in Uganda’.

Until Tuesday, the organization's website carried a list of ‘sexual sins’ deemed to be ‘perversion’...

We're not entirely sure how such a vehemently anti-gay organisation came to receive funding in the first place. Surely you could get all the same benefits without the hatred by supporting someone like WaterAid?

Still, it's a progressive sign to see that governments are starting to look at what their (and, by proxy, your) money is funding.

Sweden Honours Ugandan LGBT Movement

The honorary award of the Swedish Gay Gala this year went to the Ugandan LGBT movement.

Lawrence Kaala and Jimmy Sserwadda, a Ugandan couple married in Sweden, received a standing ovation when they went up to receive the award.

The awards were in Swedish but, if you go to 5:00 in the video below, you can listen to their speech in English. 

  There is also a follow-up speech by Kasha:

At present, Lawrence Kaala is in danger of deportation under Sweden's asylum laws:

Sweden: Married Ugandan men victims of ‘lottery’ asylum system

Two Ugandan men living in Sweden, who claim they are the first gay couple from their country to get married, may be separated once again after a lucky reunion following a decision by the Swedish Migration Board.

You can write to the Prime Minister of Sweden, Mr. Fredrik Reinfeldt, to appeal against this decision at: fredrik.reinfeldt@gov.se

[Update: Lawrence Kaala gained his Swedish citizenship papers on 28th February.]

The US President's Family

Are you a gay American who voted for Obama? 

Starting to feel a little duped?

You have good cause.  

A while back we mentioned The Family. Despite how it sounds, it's actually a Christian organisation, rather than the Mafia.

This week, the President, after a very long silence on the Ugandan Kill the Gays bill, decided to cosy up to The Family:

Obama has breakfast with alleged Kill The Gays backers

Barack Obama delivers religious speech at prayer breakfast. Event sponsored by alleged US backers of Uganda's anti-gay bill. Obama failed to mention or condemn the bill.

If you'd like to write to Obama and call for him to speak out against the bill in Uganda, you can tweet: @BarackObama or correspond with The White House.

David Cecil Held for Deportation

Picture from this article.

David Cecil is a British theatre producer who was detained in Uganda for producing a play with gay characters. The arrest was issued after he refused to let members of the Media Council review the play.

We reported back in early January that he had been released from prison, with the charges against him dropped.

However, despite having these charges dropped, he has now been detained for deportation. According to GayStarNews:

Ugandan authorities have detained and plan to deport British gay play producer David Cecil back to the UK.

Taken away from his Ugandan wife and young child, Cecil is hoping to appeal against the court's decision,  according to a local news source.

It is unknown whether he will have to appeal from the UK or from Uganda.

So much for promoting family values, eh? Separating a father from his partner and children.

Parliament Returns

We've been a little quiet recently whilst Parliament has been in recess. 

A few things have happened in the interim. Scott Lively, the American hate preacher, caused a stir and is now accusing the Oxford Union of not playing fair. Diddums.

We remembered David Kato, Ugandan human rights campaigner, on the second anniversary of his murder.

And the Deputy Secretary to the Treasury asserted that killing gay people is not good for the economy.

Today: Parliament returns to a congested schedule

Parliament returns from its Christmas break today to handle a clogged legislative program, thus drawing curtains on a recess that has been marked by political battle of wills between the executive and legislature over a botched attempt by some legislators to recall the House...

Among the pending pieces of legislation include the Public Order Management Bill, the Marriage and Divorce Bill, the Anti-Pornography Bill, the Anti-Money laundering Bill and the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2009.

It's way down the list. #8 under Business to Follow, so it's unlikely to get discussed any time soon, but we'll keep you updated.


[UPDATE 7th Feb: Now raised to #6 in the order of business.]