Gay rights activists have reacted angrily to the Ugandan parliament's abrupt decision to pass anti-homosexuality laws that would condemn same-sex couples to life in jail for mere touching, urging president Yoweri Museveni to veto them.  The bill, rushed through by MPs on Friday, also bans the promotion of homosexuality and makes it a crime punishable by prison not to report gay people to the authorities or to conduct a marriage ceremony for same-sex couples. The law was first introduced in 2009, when it advocated the death penalty, but after a worldwide outcry, that was removed from the final version.  "This is victory for Uganda," David Bahati, the MP who proposed the bill, was quoted as saying in media reports. "I am glad the parliament has voted against evil. Because we are a God-fearing nation, we value life in a holistic way. It is because of those values that members of parliament passed this bill regardless of what the outside world thinks."  The bill was reportedly tabled without prior notice. It was opposed by Ugandan prime minister Amama Mbabazi, who argued that not enough MPs were present for a quorum, a challenge that might yet discourage Museveni from signing the bill into law. The threat of a withdrawal of western aid could also play into his decision.  Under existing Ugandan law, anyone found guilty of "carnal knowledge against the order of nature" can already face sentences up to life imprisonment. But Bahati argued that dramatically increased criminal penalties were needed to protect traditional lifestyles from western-funded groups who were "recruiting" Ugandan children into gay lifestyles.  Critics of the bill claim that Ugandan political and religious leaders have come under the influence of American Christian evangelicals who, losing battles at home, are now pushing their values in Africa. They were swift to denounce the parliament's decision on Friday.  Frank Mugisha, a leading Ugandan gay rights activist, said: "This is a truly terrifying day for human rights in Uganda. It will open a new era of fear and persecution. If this law is signed by president Museveni, I'd be thrown in jail for life and in all likelihood killed. We urgently need world leaders to call on president Museveni and demand he stops this bill of hate from becoming law."  More than a million people have backed Mugisha's campaign on the petition website Avaaz to stop the laws.  Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, who was excommunicated from the Church of Uganda for his opposition to homophobia, said: "I condemn it in very strong terms because it shows there's a lot of misinformation, misunderstanding, I could say ignorance about homosexuality. I still hope that with education people will understand. It takes time, but I believe things will change."  Amnesty International joined calls for Museveni to knock back the bill. Aster van Kregten, its deputy Africa director, said: "President Museveni must veto this wildly discriminatory legislation, which amounts to a grave assault on human rights and makes a mockery of the Ugandan constitution.  "Passing the anti-homosexuality bill was a retrograde step for Uganda's parliament, which has made some important progress on human rights in recent years, including criminalising torture. It flies in the face of the Ugandan government's stated commitment to ensure all legislation complies with human rights."  Maria Burnett, a senior Africa researcher with Human Rights Watch, said the bill is "still appalling", despite some amendments. "Clearly, President Museveni should reject the bill and send a clear message that Uganda doesn't stand for this type of intolerance and discrimination," she said.  British campaigner Peter Tatchell noted that the bill extends the existing penalty of life imprisonment for same-sex intercourse to all other same-sex behaviour, including the mere touching of another person with the intent to have homosexual relations.  "Promoting homosexuality and aiding and abetting others to commit homosexual acts will be punishable by five to seven years jail," Tatchell said. "These new crimes are likely to include membership and funding of LGBT organisations, advocacy of LGBT human rights, supportive counselling of LGBT persons and the provision of condoms or safer sex advice to LGBT people.  "A person in authority – gay or heterosexual – who fails to report violators to the police within 24 hours will be sentenced to three years behind bars."  He added: "Astonishingly, the new legislation has an extra-territorial jurisdiction. It will also apply to Ugandan citizens or foreign residents of Uganda who commit these 'crimes' while abroad, in countries where such behaviour is not a criminal offence. Violators overseas will be subjected to extradition, trial and punishment in Uganda.  "This bill is in some respects even more draconian than the extreme homophobic laws of countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran."  Homosexuality is taboo in many African countries, and illegal in 37. Uganda's bill has been condemned by world leaders since it was first mooted four years ago. US president Barack Obama called it "odious" and said it is "unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are".  But it strikes a chord in the socially conservative east African nation, where in 2010 a newspaper published the names and addresses of gay people under the caption "Hang them".  The following year, gay rights activist David Kato was murdered, although the police denied he was targeted because of his sexuality. Last month, a gay British man was arrested after pictures of him having sex were made public.  The vote came a day after Uganda's parliament passed an anti-pornography law that bans miniskirts and anything that "shows sexual parts of a person such as breasts, thighs, buttocks", according to the Monitor newspaper.  It also outlaws "any erotic behaviour intended to cause sexual excitement or any indecent act or behaviour tending to corrupt morals".  Dr Kapya Kaoma, a senior religion and sexuality researcher at the US-based think tank Political Research Associates, said: "The Uganda situation must be seen in context. It is part of a larger trend. The persecution of sexual minorities in other African nations such as Zambia and Zimbabwe has been especially severe in recent months.  "Also, we have to consider that the actions of Russia's Vladmir Putin to criminalise both homosexuality and reproductive freedom in Russia may provide cover as well as courage to human rights violators.  "Of course, in all of these regions, we find the active involvement of American conservatives who, having lost public opinion in the United States, have determined to take their culture war crusades abroad."
Same-sex couples face life behind bars for touching amid jail threat for not reporting gay people to authorities