POLICE BLOCK PRO ANTI-GAY BILL DEMO

Ugandan police have blocked a demonstration planned to show support for the country’s pending anti-gay legislation.

One of the organisers, Pastor Martin Ssempa, told the Daily Monitor that the Inspector of Police, Major General Kale Kayihura, had had not given permission for the protest to go ahead.

General Kayihura confirmed this, saying: “We asked them to postpone the demonstration because government has some issues to sort out and they agreed.”

The protest was scheduled to take place on Wednesday this week.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kampala planned to hold a conference in which they would condemn the proposed draconian legislation, describing it as “hate-filled”.

The Church says that it is “one of the few religious organisations in Uganda that is welcoming and supportive of the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender community”.

The proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill would impose the death penalty on those accused of “aggravated” homosexuality. It would also maintain the current life sentence for gay sex as well as making it illegal to lobby for LGBT equality, provide any support for LGBT people or even write about LGBT rights. People will face jail time if they do not turn in gays and lesbians to the authorities.