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Loading ...African nation criminalizes homosexuality
11.25.2008 4:33pm EST
(Bujumbura) The lower house in the central African nation of Burundi has passed legislation making homosexuality a federal crime.
The legislation, which must first be approved by Burundi’s senate, is part of a sweeping reform of the country’s legal system that for the first time abolishes the death penalty and creates laws on genocide.The new law also protect women and children from all forms of violence – especially sexual violence.
Burundi is struggling to emerge from a civil war that has resulted in more than 300,000 deaths since 1993. The provisions on genocide and the abolition of the death penalty are considered part of the healing process, but increasingly, hardliners have blamed many of the country’s problems on gays.
A negotiated peace settlement, brokered with the assistance of a number of African states, has led to the installation of a multi-party government.
The bill has the backing of President Pierre Nkurunziza. While almost all lawmakers in the lower house approved the legislation a number opposed the criminalization of homosexuality.
MP Catherine Mabobori said the provision tarnished the high ideals of the other parts of the bill.
“Unfortunately, this penal law is also a regression because it now makes homosexuality a criminal offense, whereas it had been tolerated until now,” said Mabobori who abstained during the vote.
Under the legislation, anyone convicted of homosexuality would be sentenced to a two-year term in prison.
“Imprisoning people simply because of who they love offends every principle of human rights practice, which is to ensure dignity and respect for all people,” said Paula Ettelbrick, the executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission .
“This is less about sexuality and more about the visibility of a growing community of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Africa refusing to be treated as dirt. These laws are meant to silence and terrorize our community and must be stopped,” Ettelbrick said in a statement.
Two-thirds of African nations maintain criminal penalties for consensual same-sex behavior. In recent years, several countries, including Nigeria and Uganda, have threatened to strengthen laws against homosexuality.
A new criminal code in Zimbabwe broadens the definition of sodomy to include “any act that involves physical contact… that would be regarded by a reasonable person to be an indecent act.”
The United Nations has condemned laws that criminalize homosexuality as being violations of the rights to privacy and equality and has called upon member states that maintain such laws to review them. Members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights have condemned physical attacks on and the imprisonment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Pathetic.
They can go to hell.
They can forget about any future donations from me when the next African drought or famine hits.
300,000 dead and they want to blame gays instead of their own lust for power and their total disregard for human life. The USA should break all diplomatic ties with the countries.
No surprise there. They need to get over gays and worry more about poverty and genocide in their unstable country.
WOW, they just don’t know what’s what…night from day, up from down. There’s no hope nor help for that particular area.
What do you expect? They reinforce the usually inaccurate stereotype of Africa being a continent of backwardness.
This is truly a very sad statement of the lack of human rights in a lot of African nations, and for that matter a lot of nations around the world. While there is progress, slowly, in some areas, other areas are regressing and a lot of it has to do with the repressive regimes of uneducated dictators being controlled by religious extremists.
The leading religion in Burundi is Roman Catholic. Bigotry against gays comes as no surprise.
It’s a nice emotional response to condemn this foolish government and to call for a rejection of aid in time of calamity or to cut off all diplomatic ties. But it is not – it must not – become reality.
To begin with, the present government we have tends far too much to agree with them to cut off diplomatic ties. Secondly, to cut off aid (or even diplomacy) we will cut off the Gay and Lesbian community that is struggling to survive there.
Is that their problem? Yes, it is. Is it our problem? Most definitely!
We have made great strides in this country. We haven’t ‘arrived’ yet. But we will. It is time our community begin to look beyond our own struggles. The same thing we’ve said over and over and over again is just as true for the world as it is for us. Unless we are willing to see that, perhaps we’ve come as far as we should. It goes something like this:
“Unless we are all free, none of us are free.”
When we gain our full rights, will we be free? No. Not until Bujumbura and other governments like it allow us to be free.
Can we think bigger than ourselves? We’ve proven, as a community, that we can. I hope we’ll prove again that we will.
Neil
So fuc**n backwards and infuriating that a country would make these very hateful and narrow laws in this day and age.Shameful.Says alot about african nations and they’re attitudes towards gays.
As with most things in Africa: Their heritage and culture is one of mindless violence and pretty much mindless everything.
They, as a people and a region, are now and have been and probably will be a drain on the rest of the world as they continue to ferment in their social retardation.
When will the rest of the world, while attempting to:
1) Put a man on Mars
2) Completely convert the very essence of energy manufacture, including the manipulation of the very particles of existence
3) Connect the world in communication and information
Simply give up on shoveling billions of “aid” to these Darwinian poster-children and let evolution take its course?
Stop feeding them. Stop interfering in their violence. Stop medicating them. Stop the century-long futility of attempting to educate them.
The rest of humanity would be so much better off without these worthless, ignorant, incapable and socially retarded “cultures” continuing to drain our resources, time and energy.
Of course, this goes for the Mormons and the other judeo/christian living anachronisms AND their invisible friend too.
Your comments are right that Burundi has passed a stupid law within a package of good reforms, but I take offence at comments maligning all African nations as being backwards.
On the good side, for example, South Africa allows full gay marriage (not some meaningless partner registry as a sop to human rights).
And on the bad side, many American states had similar laws on their books until recently. There is nothing particularly African about homophobia. It’s rampant in Eastern Europe, swathes of Asia, the Caribbean, and most parts of the Americas.
Lastly, on the question of stopping aid to Africa, I would urge you to reconsider. Do you really think all the victims of Hurricane Katrina were gay-friendly and supportive of gay rights? No, but you gave them help and money anyway. Charity is about giving to those in need, not just to those who agree with your politics. Otherwise we wouldn’t give to anyone.
Sincerely,
A recently-wed gay South African
As I recall South Africans were very supportive of American and European boycotts against South Africa during Apartheid.
The two central points in the “problem” of African countries…tribalism and machismo.
These are the core points of our rejection in Asian, Muslim and African nations. That’s why they have female genital mutilation, “honor” killings, and bridal burnings in India. Men on top. Period.