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Ugandan Parliament Shuts Down 'Kill the Gays' Bill

Uganda’s parliament Friday shelved an anti-gay bill that would have brought in the death penalty for certain homosexual acts after the United States slammed the proposed law as “odious.”
Lawmakers had been due to debate the legislation calling for capital punishment for anyone caught engaging in homosexual acts for the second time and for consensual gay sex where one partner has the HIV virus.
The United States, a major aid donor to Uganda, said Thursday that nothing could justify passing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
Parliament speaker Edward Ssekandi said he was “adjourning this house,” effectively killing off the debate over the controversial legislation for this parliament.
David Bahati, the lawmaker behind the anti-gay bill, said that no bills could be passed as the cabinet was dissolved following the inauguration of President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday following a landslide election victory in February.
Issue ‘will continue’
“We have made important steps in raising the issue and that will continue,” he said.
Frank Mugisha, executive director of the rights group Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), voiced relief over the adjournment, but warned: “We shall continue advocating because the bill could come back next parliament.”