REPORT: UGANDA GAY BILL IS DEAD

Reports from Uganda indicate that the gay death bill that was set to be voted on by parliament has been scrapped.

Originally tabled in 2009 by MP David Bahati, the bill would have imposed the death penalty in cases of multiple convictions of homosexuality and would penalise people who support or lobby for LGBT people.

The legislation generated international outrage and placed Uganda’s government under considerable pressure.

According to various reports on Friday, a Spanish news story said that a government subcommittee told reporters that the proposed law has been rejected because it duplicates existing legislation criminalising homosexuality.

Under current legislation, people found guilty of gay sex can already be sentenced to life imprisonment.

A separate report from Box Turtle Bulletin confirmed the news and said that the country’s Information Minister appeared on the Ugandan news program NTV Tonight also saying that the bill would not be passed by parliament.

The source said, however, that “some parts of the bill may be attached to the Sexual Offenses Act. Which parts, we don’t know.”