Regressive Uganda

On February 24 2014, the Ugandan president signed into law The Anti-Homosexuality Act.  It was first dubbed the kill the gays act due to it's death penalty clauses, but now has changed the consequences to life in prison. The bill doesn't just stop at punishing gays individually, but also punishes people who harbor homosexuals and companies that support LGBT rights.

In response to this new law President Obama has threatened to cut off aid to Uganda, if the laws are not changed. Uganda also expected to receive a  loan from The World Bank to help over haul it's health system. The $90 million loan has been postponed though, due to the tough anti-gay law. This comes at a surprise, considering that The World Bank usually tries to avoid politics altogether.

"We have postponed the project for further review to ensure that the development objectives would not be adversely affected by the enactment of this new law," World Bank spokesman David Theis said in an email.

The president of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, sent an email to his bank staff saying the bank does not condone discrimination, and will protect the safety to all employees.  

Scotland has also joined in the fight against discrimination against the LGBT community. The country has proposed a plan to offer asylum to any Ugandans that are being persecuted by the new anti-gay laws. 

Humza Yusuf wrote in a letter submitted to the U.K. Foreign Secretary, "Scotland will play her part in providing asylum for those seeking refuge from this draconian legislation."

Scotland's proposal for asylum for these Ugandan comes in fear of gay Ugandans being hunted down and killed. Prominent gay activist David Kato, had such a fate when he was identified as gay in a local newspaper. Being murdered shortly after. The tabloid didn't just stop there, they identified 200 other gay people living in Uganda. 

The U.K. supreme court recognizes the importance to help people that are identified as gay, and offer them asylum. In 2010, they announced that it would be unreasonable to send men back to countries like Iran and Cameroon, where homosexuality is forbidden, and they should not have to hide their sexual orientation. 

Uganda is not the only country that has anti-gay laws. There are at least 41 other countries that have anti-gay legislation. The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, in which Uganda and several other anti-gay countries are set attend, the Kaleidoscope Trust, an anti-gay advocacy group hopes that Scotland will use the gathering to condemn the countries that have such regressive laws. 

“We have always felt the Games had an important part to play in tackling the scandal of LGBT abuses in the Commonwealth and welcome the Scottish government taking the bull by the horns," the Kaleidoscope Trust told The Herald.

Hopefully, with the pressure from President Obama, the World Bank and Scotland, Uganda will reconsider its regressive discriminatory laws.