Source: Uganda’s anti-gay bill misses Christmas deadline as parliament breaks for recess
Uganda’s Parliament has closed for the end of year recess without passing the country’s pending Anti-Homosexuality Bill, according to LGBT campaign group AllOut.
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga had promised to pass the bill by Christmas as a “gift” to Christian Ugandans.
AllOut says the bill was officially moved to the bottom of the parliament’s schedule on Friday, before adjourning until January 2013.
LGBT and human rights organisations in Uganda celebrated the moment, while committing themselves to continue the fight should the bill return next year.
“This bill won’t stop us,” said Frank Mugisha, executive director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). “We will continue to fight until we are free of this legislation. We cannot have oppression forever.”
However, even if the bill dies this year, it could easily be picked up again in the 2013 session.
Mr Mugisha said: “If this legislation comes before parliament for debate, there is a lot of support from members of parliament, so definitely, it will be passed. And if this legislation is passed, it is sent over to the president of Uganda [Yoweri Museveni] to sign.
The LGBT campaigner added that he believed Mr Museveni would be prepared to sign the bill, which proposes the death penalty for certain homosexual acts.
