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Top State Department Official to Give Evidence to US Congressional Hearing on Ugandan ‘Gay
Hate’ Bill
IGLHRC’s Johnson and Rev. Kapya Kaoma of Political Research Associates also due to give evidence. WASHINGTON, January 19, 2010 – A top official from the State Department is due to give evidence at the US Congress Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing on Uganda on Thursday. The hearing, which is being chaired by Representative Tammy Baldwin – the only openly gay woman elected to the US Congress, will be considering the Anti Homosexuality Bill (2009) which was tabled by MP David Bahati in the Ugandan Parliament on October 14. As drafted, the bill would increase the penalty for “same sex sexual acts” to life in prison, limit the distribution of information on HIV through a provision criminalizing the “promotion of homosexuality,” and establish the crime of “aggravated homosexuality” punishable by death for anyone in Uganda who is HIV positive and has consensual same-sex relations. Further, the bill includes a provision that could lead to the imprisonment for up to three years of anyone who fails to report within 24 hours the identities of everyone they know who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, or who supports human rights for people who are, to the government. Also among those listed to give evidence to the hearing is Cary Alan Johnson, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC). Prior to taking-up his appointment to the top job at IGLHRC almost a year ago, Mr. Johnson was the organisation’s senior Africa specialist, a position he has for four years, and manager of the organisation’s office in Cape Town. Others due to give evidence include Julius Kaggwa, Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law, Uganda; Rev. Kapya Kaoma, a Zambian Anglican priest was is currently project director at the progressive Boston ‘think tank’, Political Research Associates; and Christine Lubinski of the HIV Medicine Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America. The hearing, open to the public and media, is between 2pm and 3.30pm on Thursday January 21 in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building (note change of room). After an international outcry over the Bill, including a strong response from the U.S. Department of State, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said in a speech on January 13, that the Bill had become a ‘foreign policy issue’ and needed further consultation before being voted on in the Ugandan Parliament. Last week, Rep. Tammy Baldwin told UK Gay News that the Bill was “frightening and hostile” legislation. Rep. Baldwin, a Democrat for Wisconsin, emphasised that the State Department was already speaking with a “very firm voice” through the channels they have access to. “But I won’t be pleased until we hear that this Bill has been withdrawn and will not be acted upon,” she said. “I think that one of the interesting things that this story has developed has been the investigative journalism that has uncovered pretty strong ties between a handful of US-based evangelicals and the development of this legislation in Uganda. “To me, that means the US Government has a special responsibility to speak out strongly against [the Bill] since it may have been US citizens in many ways prompted this action to be taken. “It is very disturbing when I see the ties that have been uncovered,” she concluded. It is hoped that the hearing will be Webcast. Details, when known, will be posted on this page and of the front page of this site. ENDS posted Jan 27, 2010  |
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