“In December, The Ugandan parliament passed a bill increasing sentences for homosexual acts to life in jail and making it punishable by prison term not to report gay people”

I amost suffocated on the coffee I was drinking while reading this article. What’s next, asking them to wear a pink triangle on their shirt to show the world they are gay? –I really do not wish to see that part of history repeat itself.

This and the antigay laws in Russia and India truly scare me. It feels like we are running back in time at high speed.  How can we punish a community for their identity? Haven’t we been over this nature/nurture debate? Being gay isn’t something you choose to be, it’s not an ‘action’ that can be punished.

Don't get me wrong, I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Including the ones that aren’t a particular fan of the gay community. But what happened to common sense? If people intentionally hurt other people, if they choose actions to do wrong: surely a punishment would be in order. Example: Not nice to beat someone up so if you do so, there will be consequences.

If they are happy being in love with someone of the same sex, hold hands in the street, minding their own business. Well, why don’t you mind your own business too? If you don’t want to watch them, cross the street or look away. Don’t put them in jail because you don’t want to be confronted with them. 

 “You're not allowed to provide services to anyone who is perceived to be homosexual.".... When you say that services will not be provided, what you're really saying is that HIV services that are catering to men who have sex with men will have to stop,"

This is one of the worries of Mr Alimi, who heads the UK based gay rights group Kaleidoscope International  Diversity Trust. This law is affecting lives in so many ways.   Again, common sense: If people intentionally hurt other people, if they choose actions to do wrong: surely a punishment would be in order.

What qualifies more though: depriving a certain group of their medication, or forbidding sex between two men/women of the same gender? I’ll let that sink in for a little while.

To end this story:

"Rarely have I seen a piece of legislation that in so few paragraphs directly violates so many basic, universal human rights,"

This is a comment by Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. And right she is!