U.S. Christian Right Activists Pushing Death Penalty for Homosexuals in Poor African State

CAPE TOWN, Nov 11 (IPS) - The Anti-Homosexuality Bill under consideration in Uganda was sparked by a conference in Kampala earlier this year at which fundamentalist Christians from the U.S. identified homosexuality as a threat to "family values".

The draconian law will institute the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality" and criminalize human rights work.

Christopher Senyonjo, a retired Anglican bishop from Uganda, and Reverend Jide Macauley, from Nigeria's House of Rainbow church, told IPS that a conference took place on March 5-7 this year, arranged by Stephen Langa, the director of a Ugandan fundamentalist Christian grouping called Family Life Network (FLN).

The FLN invited speakers attached to U.S.-based religious and "educational" organizations that propagate the idea that homosexuality is an "illness" that can be "cured".

Changing values

The speakers were Don Schmierer, a board member at Exodus International; Scott Lively, president of Abiding Truth Ministries and author of a book that equates Nazism and homosexuality; and Caleb Lee Brundidge who works at the International Healing Foundation which ostensibly "cures" homosexuals.

"They told us all things are going wrong because the family is being neglected. Not having more children is one of the things that they said are going wrong. Homosexuality is a way of stopping us from having more children," said Senyonjo.

Macauley, who fled Nigeria last year after receiving death threats for hosting a gay-friendly church, added that the harsh law comes in a context of perceived challenges to men's role in society. Women's increased agency, including deciding whether to have children and how many, is experienced as a threat by some men. A relationship between two men raises the fear that one of the men will behave "like a woman" in the household, which undermines any supposedly natural definition of men's position in society.

Senyonjo's position is that even if the Bible is interpreted as against homosexuality - which he adds is not necessarily the correct interpretation - the church should provide pastoral care rather than punishment. He was excluded from further participation at the conference when his position became known.   It is suspected that Lively, whose "Defend the Family" website promotes several homophobic books, also met with a number of Ugandan parliamentarians.

Codifying discrimination

A bill has since been drafted and was tabled on Oct 14 in Uganda’s parliament, legalising not only the persecution of lesbians and gays but also of straights that "support" them. The bill applies to Ugandans inside and outside the country. It nullifies Uganda's ratification of any international treaties that support LGBTI human rights and explicitly rejects the notion that homosexuals have human rights.

Instead, the bill creates an offence called "aggravated homosexuality", defined as having homosexual sex with someone under 18 or with someone who is disabled, or being a "serial offender" or HIV positive when having sex with someone of the same sex. These "crimes" carry the death penalty.

The bill also outlaws lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) human rights advocacy and organisations.

"The law forces Ugandans to spy on each other because you can be punished if you don’t report suspected homosexuals to the police," said Senyonjo.

Opposing hate

Senyonjo and Macauley were in South Africa to attend the first African dialogue on Nov 2-5 between clergy and activists working for LGBTI rights. It was co-hosted by the South Africa-based Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM), a Christian organization which promotes the full participation of LGBTI people in religious communities, and Namibia’s Rainbow Project, a non-governmental organization working to safeguard sexual diversity.