Uganda bans 38 'gay rights' agencies

With the impending Sochi Olympics in Russia taking place in a tense atmosphere following a anti-gay measures passed by Moscow in 2013, India's re-criminalization of homosexuality, and the surprise announcement of a ban on gay marriage in Nigeria, the global role of LGBT rights looks set to be a big issu

By Elias Biryabarema

Canada is quietly financing a concerted grassroots effort to aid gay Ugandans’ fight against their country’s proposed anti-homosexuality bill — and preparing them in case it passes, says a senior Department of Foreign Affairs source. Since November, when the Ugandan Parliament renewed its effort to pass the legislation, which Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has called “abhorrent,” Canada has spent $200,000 to kick-start several gay rights initiatives in the region. The source confirmed that the Canadian involvement was specifically focused on fighting the Ugandan bill.

British pop icon Elton John at his Moscow concert on Friday called on Russia to end discrimination against gays and lesbians, the Interfax news agency reported. The openly gay singer said he was "sad to learn" about a Russian "anti-gay law" which bans what it calls homosexual propaganda to minors, Interfax reported.

I think a big lacuna in rightwing thought about government capacity and government competence is the fact that the least controversial public service agencies are also the most dangerous. Consider this Human Rights Watch report about the police in Uganda:

Red PepperThe Ugandan tabloid outed 200 people it claims are gay on Tuesday.

By Steve Holland