Speaking before about 3,500 guests at the event organized by the Fellowship Foundation, also known as The Family, Obama pointed out that he and the attendees “may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are, whether it is right here in the United States or, as [Secretary of State] Hillary [Rodham Clinton] mentioned, more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda.”

The president and secretary of state are just two of several U.S. officials from both parties who are critical of the proposed Ugandan legislation that calls for the imprisonment and execution of homosexuals. Bills have been filed in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives condemning the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2009.

The Ugandan legislation, which should go to parliament late this month or early March, expands upon current statute that outlaws homosexuality by seeking life imprisonment for anyone convicted of having sex with someone of the same sex. The penalty is death when the person tests HIV positive. Additionally, the bill allows authorities to arrest anyone who “promotes” homosexuality or “aids, abets, counsels or procures” someone else to engage in homosexual acts. The bill threatens fines and prison time for anyone who is aware of homosexual activity and fails to report it within 24 hours.

The bill was introduced by first-term Ugandan lawmaker David Bahati, a member of that country’s branch of the Fellowship Foundation. Opponents of the proposal believe Bahati was persuaded to take action after a conference in Uganda last March, where three American evangelical Christians held a series of talks on how to turn gay people straight. The theme of the conference, sponsored by the Ugandan organization Family Life Network, was to expose the hidden and dark agenda of homosexuality.

The three Americans who spoke at the conference admit to preaching against homosexuality, but they are taken aback by the overzealous legislation. Don Schmierer, a board member of Exodus International, whose mission is “mobilizing the body of Christ to minister grace and truth to a world impacted by homosexuality,” published a letter on the organization’s Web site condemning Bahati’s bill.

The bill’s draconian measures have some countries threatening to cut millions in foreign aid to the poverty-stricken East African nation.  In turn, the Ugandan government is suggesting it might back down and change the death penalty provision to life in prison.

But that’s small consolation to the people most affected by the bill. In an e-mail statement, Rea Carey, executive director of National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said, “It is imperative that the Obama administration and Congress push Uganda to withdraw this bill in its entirety. Simply removing the death penalty doesn’t somehow make this a humane bill. Whether it be the state-sponsored murder of LGBT Ugandans or their life imprisonment for simply being who they are is barbaric and unacceptable. Our political leaders must send the unified and unequivocal message that this measure, in full, needs to go.”

It’s not just human rights violations that have opponents of the bill up in arms. Many are concerned that this legislation, if passed, will make it more difficult to fight against HIV/AIDS. A letter signed by more than 90 U.S. Representatives to Ugandan President Museveni pointed out that should the bill pass, programs, such as the $300 million President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, could be called into question. “By seriously compromising efforts to reach LGBT communities in Uganda, passage of the Anti-Homosexual Act would impede the efficacy of PEPFAR’s programs and the achievement of its goals,” the letter stated.

Ironically, Uganda has been a model country for how to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS among its population. From the 1980s, when the virus first started to spread, to now, Uganda has gone from a country with one of the highest infection rates to one of the lowest.  In 1991, 15 percent of Ugandan adults were HIV positive. In 2001, that number dropped to 5 percent.

The government relied on a range of methods to manage the spread of the disease, including non-governmental organizations that educated Ugandans about HIV/AIDS and de-stigmatized getting tested for the disease. Many fear that if this legislation passes all Uganda’s success will come undone.

The pressure from foreign parties seems to have some effect. President Museveni has taken measures to distance himself from the bill, making it clear that Bahati was not following government policy in proposing the legislation. But in a country that believes rich Westerners are coming to Uganda to pay children to have gay sex, and showing support for gays can ostracize you from your community, it’s a difficult fight.

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