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California Senate condemns Ugandan bill and U.S. religious groups

The California Senate passed a resolution Aug. 30 condemning the pending bill in Uganda that would jail gays for life and punish some with the death penalty. The vote was 21-14.
Introduced by Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Equality California, the resolution also "calls upon the United States Department of State to increase efforts to encourage the decriminalization of homosexuality in every country" and "encourages a more careful review of all United States funding and resources given to faith-based organizations in foreign countries" to ensure that U.S. money does not go to groups that disrespect human rights.
The resolution says that "some United States-based religious leaders have been fomenting fear and discrimination against the … LGBT community in Uganda" and that "the links between some United States-based religious groups and the antigay bill … have been well-documented."
"There is a growing movement, supported and funded by some United States-based religious groups, to further criminalize homosexuality globally," the resolution states. "(T)he Senate calls upon the United States Department of State to censure American citizens and organizations who contravene American foreign policy by demonstrated exportation of fear and misinformation to other countries. …"
EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors commented: "The U.S. government must do everything in its power to stop the bill before the Uganda (parliament) that would lead to the criminalization and even death of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Ugandans. The California Senate has taken an important step in passing this resolution, which will help raise awareness of the crisis in Uganda and will put the state on record in support of the U.S. government strengthening its efforts to end the criminalization of LGBT people worldwide."
Leno added: "It is egregious that radical religious leaders from our nation are working to spread fears about and discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Uganda. These deplorable actions have encouraged violence and even death against Ugandans. This resolution is a simple human rights appeal urging President Obama and our federal leaders to call for the decriminalization of LGBT people, not only in Uganda, but across the globe."
Uganda's "Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009" would imprison for life anyone convicted of "the offense of homosexuality," punish "aggravated homosexuality" (repeat offenses or having gay sex while being HIV-positive) with the death penalty, forbid "promotion of homosexuality" and incarcerate gay-rights defenders, and jail individuals in positions of authority for up to three years if they fail to report within 24 hours the existence of all LGBT people or sympathizers known to them.

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