In response to a bill introduced in the Ugandan Parliament that would expand penalties for homosexuality in that nation, the U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a resolution this week condemning the so-called "Anti-Homosexuality Bill."
Introduced by Sens. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., Tom Coburn, R-Okla., Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, the bipartisan resolution calls on members of the Ugandan Parliament to reject the bill, which was introduced Oct. 14, 2009.
The proposed legislation would expand the punishment for homosexuality to include the death penalty, and would require citizens to report information about homosexuality to the police at the risk of imprisonment for failing to do so.
"Sadly, this legislation is just one example of actions taken around the world to restrict the rights of people just because of their gender or sexual orientation," Feingold said. "We need to speak out consistently against all such discrimination. The Senate's passage of this resolution begins to move us in that direction, and I will continue working with my colleagues and the administration to continue to address this issue."
In addition to condemning the proposed Ugandan legislation, the U.S. Senate's resolution also urges all countries worldwide to reject the bill, and to repeal similar laws that criminalize homosexuality—such laws are currently on the books in many nations, including Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. The resolution also encourages the U.S. Department of State to actively monitor human rights abuses based on sexual orientation.
Mark Bromley, chair of the Council for Global Equality, believes the passage of the resolution is indicative of the United State's view of the Ugandan bill as going against fundamental human rights. The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® is a member of the Council for Global Equality, an organization that works with human rights activists, foreign policy experts, LGBT leaders, philanthropists and corporate officials in order to develop a stronger voice on human rights issues affecting LGBT communities.
"The bipartisan nature of the resolution, which bridges strong ideological divides in the Senate, reflects the extent to which U.S. officials—from congressional leaders and the president, to the secretary of state and our ambassador in Uganda—have spoken with one voice to oppose the bill as a fundamental assault on basic human rights," Bromley said. "It is also remarkable in its forward-leaning posture, as it looks beyond this one odious bill in Uganda, and calls on all countries to decriminalize consensual homosexual conduct and protect the fundamental human rights of LGBT individuals."
