The United Reformed Church of the United Kingdom said Wednesday that it is “appalled” at the “draconian measures” in Uganda’s proposed antigay death penalty. The legislation calls for the execution of gay, sexually active persons who are HIV-positive or whose partner is underage or disabled. The legislation also broadens the existing life-imprisonment sentence for consensual intimacy among gay couples; adds new punishments for pastors, friends, and family members who fail to report a gay person to the police; and criminalizes comprehensive sex education and health care which might be perceived as tolerating homosexual behavior.
PinkNews.co.uk points out that the church has asked Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, who grew up in Uganda, to condemn the legislation. As yet, neither has responded.
