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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.
Hmmm. The West is open and accepting. African nations jail anyone who is different. Western nations are prosperous and strong, while African nations are collapsing, reeling from genocide and horrific poverty. Tolerance goes hand in hand with prosperity.
To Greg747:
What does Belgium have to do with Africa or Africans?
Belgium is a European nation.
When discussing the very REAL pernicious poverty/war/famine/social retardation of much of the African continent, one is not “painting” ALL black ANYTHING.
The statements here regarding African nations are incorrect? Please point out which statements have been incorrect?
Have the other societies on the face of this planet not poured billions and billions of dollars into African “aid” to absolutely no measurable avail?
If there has been some massive improvement in these African cultures that I have missed, I would like you to tell me about them.
Also, if there has been massive improvements in these African cultures, then “aid” is no longer necessary and therefore, the discussion regarding continued “aid” is moot, yes?
Greg, dear, it is NOT “racist” to relate FACTS regarding a subject. It IS “racist” to dismiss those facts due to the color of the skin of those being discussed AS IF that were THE reason for bringing up those facts to begin with.
I haven’t read ONE discussion here which attributed the social and other retardation of the African “cultures” as being attributed to their color of skin.
Who knows why they are the way they are?
Who cares?
That’s the point: We want to STOP CARING, because “aid” and caring don’t seem to do any good–for the last century or so anyway.
I find it very difficult to believe that many of the previous comments were written by Gay men or women.
Could those of you who write ignorant and racist rants please go back to your straight blogs?
That said, I, too, am mad as hell at these ignorant and hateful government spokesmen.
But they are just that – political hacks no different than the American Republican Party which spews its own version of hate and disrespect to our community.
As to charitable aid to impoverished nations on the African continent, sure, there ought to be oversight measures; that is common sense, not blind stupidity.
Blaming Catholics, or some generic ‘African’ is ignorant and makes no sense – lest we forget that marriage equality is the law of the land in the very-Catholic nations of Spain and Belgium.
I would ask that the discussion take a hard look at the root causes of homophobia in many Black societies; including those here at home, those in the Caribbean, as well as in the African continent. But it is disrespectful and wrong to ‘paint’ all Black persons as homophobic – how on earth does skin color make any difference? Humans are humans, period. And anti-Gay bigotry is alive and well in societies and nations of all skin colors, sad to say.
Truthsayer…..
Proud Product of American Government Schools?
Truthsayer,
“Africa as a nation…”
Sincerely,
James