Matt Palmer
SOC 202-01
1/21/11
A recent court ruling in Uganda banned the "outing" of homosexuals. This may not seem too important or groundbreaking to Americans, but for gay Ugandans it is a step in the right direction. To be outed in Uganda is a serious thing, practically a death sentence in fact. Not only is homosexuality looked upon with disgust and fear in Uganda, it is also illegal and comes with a substantial prison sentence. This ruling is important, but it’s only indicative of a much more serious issue.
The American mainstream media (in particular Rachel Maddow) have lately been covering a Ugandan bill known colloquially as the “kill the gays” bill where homosexual repeat offenders in Uganda would be eligible for the death sentence. While any injustice pertaining to human rights is newsworthy, the bill itself also has a strong connection to America. Martin Ssempa, head of an AIDS eradication organization funded in part by the US, has been responsible for much of the recent Ugandan anger against gays, spouting what many would consider to be hate speech. Despite this, up until very recently Ssempa’s organization was endorsed by American evangelical pastor Rick Warren.
With all the hate speech and death threats, it’s no wonder gays stay hidden in Uganda. This is a problem for obvious and not-so-obvious reasons. The huge stigma of homosexuality in Uganda is holding back proper prevention of the spread of HIV and AIDS, with married men and women having multiple affairs in secret. This new court ruling in Uganda is a small first step in a very long journey towards a Uganda which recognizes all basic human rights and can therefore effectively deal with the problems of the 21st century.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/uganda-ruling-small-victory-in-gay-struggle
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1946645,00.html
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