This is what we REALLY should be protesting about. What they are planning in Uganda is so similar to what they actually DID in Nazi Germany re. Jews and gays and other “undesirables”.

Along with “Egypt, Iran and other Islamic countries”, I hasten to add Honduras where countless gays have been butchered since the revolution in June ousted Democracy and respect for human rights.

Horrific is the line that reads: “The new legislation . . . further states that anyone who fails to report a homosexual to the government within 24 hours will be sentenced to three years in prison.”

We must all imagine the climate of absolute FEAR that that clause, above, will induce! If you suspect someone of being gay in Uganda, then you MUST report him/her immediately otherwise you get three years in prison! Just imagine the effects this will have. EVERYONE in the population will live in a state of fear! For the police may turn up at your door at any time and take you away because, they say, you were aware that someone was gay! People will indeed report anybody they can OUT OF FEAR, to DEMONSTRATE their cooperation with the legislation. People may well report entirely innocent people purely to demonstrate to the authorities that they (the reporters) are cooperating with the law. They will do this as a kind of insurance policy, so that no one will be able to point the finger at them in the future and say “You knew a homosexual but didn’t tell! Into jail you go!”

This is horrendous.

A further eye-opener in the Advocate article are provided by these lines:

“[USA] Republican senators John Ensign of Nevada, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, and Sam Brownback of Kansas would not comment as to whether they supported Uganda’s “kill the gays” legislation. Perhaps the closest eye should be kept on Senator Inhofe, who has made 20 trips to Africa since 1999, most of them to visit President Museveni in Uganda. In addition, he was apparently present at the National Prayer Breakfast in Uganda when the idea for the “kill the gays” bill came up and was first introduced.”

But it’s not just USA Republicans who appear to behind the outrageous legislation planned for Uganda. It appears that Barack Obama has it in his power to strongly intervene but has not. Why not?

“This February the U.S. National Prayer Breakfast will be held again. While President Barack Obama spoke at last year’s event and U.S. presidents have almost always taken part, perhaps a closer examination of the Family, which runs the breakfast, should be conducted before our democratically elected president speaks in front of group that has some members who potentially advocate a flagrantly undemocratic and immoral bill in another country that aims to eliminate LGBT people in a genocidal fashion. President Obama received criticism from gays for his choice of notoriously anti-gay-rights Pastor Rick Warren to speak at the Inauguration. Since then, many gays have also criticized Obama for not upholding his promise of equal rights.”

This is extremely disturbing. We know that in Egypt, Iran, and some other majorly Islamic countries gays are frequently harassed, rounded up, thrown into jail or worse. But in Uganda legislation is to be passed which will produce a climate of such fear that many people who are NOT gay will be reported as such, with dire consequences. And Christian, religious, USA Republicans appear to have sponsored this legislation! And the Democrats now in power have it in their gift to intervene with forceful authority but have not.

This really needs exposing!

But and but, why is everybody talking as if Uganda is acting unilaterally? This hot & enlightening piece in the “Advocate” has answered many of my questions, including: Why do Ugandan authorities believe they can legislate without regard for basic human rights?

Hello George Bush, “The Family”, and the Twilight Zone.

http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Commentary/Uganda_Antigay_Sentiments_Hit_Close_to_Home/

With information like this, maybe a BBC debate could be turned into an advantage for us, as long as we don’t gag on the stench of contemporary politics.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2009/12/controversial_debate.html?s_sync=1

If anyone cannot paste the image itself into their letters of complaint, direct the reader to the image by way of providing this link:
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/bbchaveyoursay.jpg

Try this and simply click on the link to contact ministers:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/contact-us

As the World Service is funded by grant in aid from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and is supposed to reflect British aims and values beyond these shores, it might also be worth complaining directly to the Foreign Secretary, David Milliband at:

MSU.PublicIn@fco.gov.uk

In the meantime, let’s see if major inquiries suspensions and job-losses follow as they did the comparatively trivial Brand/Ross affair.

*holds breath*

*turns blue*

*expires*

We must take to heart the lesson that the Jews learned to their tremendous cost: that there is always another pogrom, it’s just a matter of when.

Would the BBC dare to ask “should Jews be sent to concentration camps?” or “should black people get lynched”? Of course not.

I’ll be sending in my complaint.

* News
* Media
* BBC

BBC news website asks users: ‘Should homosexuals face execution?’

Talkboard post seeks readers’ views ahead of interactive World Service programme Africa Have Your Say
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/dec/16/bbc-africa-have-your-say?CMP=AFCYAH

“Gay and lesbian people, and those who are bi-sexual, make up a significant minority entitled to be served and treated fairly by the BBC …”

That bit was removed in the current guidelines, which are up for revision. The BBC Trust’s consultation on Editorial Guidelines ends next week.

Perhaps we can formulate a group e-mail to avoid reinventing the wheel and push this concern forward by numbers.