If you watch that Rachel Maddow, you know that her pet project has been taking on the proposed legislation in Uganda that severely, insanely criminalizes homosexuality. It also criminalizes not reporting homosexuals. (She lays much of the blame on The Family, for their frequent religious interventions in Uganda.) So everyone is enjoying today how Pepsi sponsored a concert by a performer who writes songs about killing gay men. (However, he also called for death to both Osama bin Laden and George Bush. Politics are complicated! I recall our President calling for the death of one of those two recently.) By the way? No one has a clue where bin Laden is. Again/still.
From the Department of State website, November 2009:
Since assuming power, Museveni and his government have largely put an end to the human rights abuses of earlier governments, initiated substantial economic liberalization and general press freedom, and instituted economic reforms in accord with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and donor governments.
Bilateral relations between the United States and Uganda have been good since Museveni assumed power, and the United States has welcomed his efforts to end human rights abuses and to pursue economic reform. Uganda is a strong supporter of counterterrorism efforts. The United States is helping Uganda achieve export-led economic growth through the African Growth and Opportunity Act and provides a significant amount of development assistance. At the same time, the United States is concerned about continuing human rights problems and the pace of progress toward the establishment of genuine political pluralism.
So, you pick your beasts, I guess. If Idi Amin was still swinging his pipe, bin Laden might be living in a crocodile today. And that would make it all worth it, right?
Quotes round those middle two paragraphs, plz.
My company is working with the opposition in the next elections. That's about all I can say about that.
As someone whose employer is known for meddling in international elections (though, technically, we don't), may I ask, where do you work? And if you don't want to reveal that online, completely understandable.
Media production – we do a lot of political and social justice EPKs, PSAs, documentaries, etc.
The African nation of Uganda is weighing a bill that would impose the death penalty on HIV positive men who have committed what it calls "aggravated homosexuality."
I hope they have a bright-line rule for this, because, to the untrained eye, aggravated homosexuality can look a lot like irritated homosexuality.
But aggravated heterosexuality is ok?
Forcibly insert African rape statistics here.
As a Ugandan-American, it is the thing I am least happy about, guys.