Being gay in Uganda is an issue, an issue that can get you killed. Homosexual acts are illegal in Uganda with a possible 14 year punishment in prison. The Ugandan government has tirelessly tried to further criminalize homosexuality by adding anti-gay laws that call for the death penalty but many activists have vigorously fought for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) rights. Their work has not gone unnoticed. The UK Prime Minister is now pleading equal rights to be respected by all Commonwealth countries, including Uganda if they want to continue receiving aid from the UK.
Ugandan Gay Activist, David Kato was an Advocacy Officer at Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) founded in 2004. Kato was beaten to death in January 2011 when he was campaigning for homosexual rights. The devastating news transpired after a national newspaper, "Rolling Stone" had published 100 pictures of "Uganda's top homos leak" with a cruel headline stating "hang them." The newspaper framed the story with a safety precaution for parents to keep their children away from the recruitment of the homosexuals.
On May 13, 2011 the anti-gay bill was shelved away as the Ugandan government failed to debate the new proposed law.
Today, UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, is taking a further step in respecting LGBT rights by urging countries receiving aid from the UK to comply with human rights. The strong urge directed at Uganda will hopefully spark enough international attention to eventually challenge the Ugandan beliefs and respect their citizen's rights. The UK threat is positively reinforcing Uganda to educate itself on LGBT rights. Its intolerance is simply out dated and other countries should join the journey towards a just world where the rights of all are respected.
The bottom line here is that gay rights equal human rights and with reform, UK aid will resume and with more managed aid we can increase our education systems which in turn will eventually eliminate such extreme poverty. Why do we stress over a person's sexuality when we have other desperate issues seeking our attention?
This type of action makes me feel like we are headed towards a better world. It is for people like David Cameron that we challenge our beliefs and values to educate ourselves better. It is then our responsibility to educate others and broaden their horizons to the reality of humanity. Surely people do not change overnight, however this is a gradual change that will align our international laws for human rights with our real world. Only if we could respect that some are born this way and some are born that way. Regardless of which way, we all deserve equal rights.
Ugandan officials are unhappy by this bully threat and claim that their homophobic views are based on cultural beliefs that should be respected.
What are your thoughts on this issue? How do we establish human rights without clashing with cultural values?
Sonja Be is an International Relations Journalist with a conviction to be the voice for the voiceless. Her passion for justice shines through her articles. Read more at http://www.sonjabe.com
Twitter: Sonja_be
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sonja_Be
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