Quick Hit (s): Uganda To Drop Death Penalty, Life Sentence From Anti-Gay Bill

An update on the horrendous anti-homosexuality bill we posted about last week:
Bloomberg is reporting that the death penalty and life imprisonment will be struck from the bill:

“Uganda will drop the death penalty and life imprisonment for gays in a refined version of an anti- gay bill expected to be ready for presentation to Parliament in two weeks, James Nsaba Buturo, the minister of ethics and integrity, said.
The draft bill, which is under consideration by a parliamentary committee, will drop the two punishments to attract the support of religious leaders who are opposed to these penalties.”

This is certainly great news, and comes on the heels of increased criticism from the international community
But it’s important to remember that this bill is still AN ANTI-GAY BILL. No matter the severity of the suggested “punishment” for homosexuality, the premise is uber-problematic. I also think it’s important to remember that the anti-gay sentiment that created the bill has not been eradicated. I’ve included a link roundup below, if you’d like to learn more about eradicating homophobia in Uganda:
Click here to read a post on Akimbo with more context on the difficulties gay Ugandans already face.
Click here to view the the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) call to action (and to contact the Ugandan parliament).
Click here for the Human Rights Watch (HRW) statement “Uganda: ‘Anti-Homosexuality’ Bill Threatens Liberties and Human Rights Defenders”
Click here to listen to a radio Interview with Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG)
Click here to read about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s reaction to the bill (hint: she’s not a fan).