Tom's Blog

This may come as a surprise to some, but Uganda is in the process of making a law that further criminalizes homosexuality there.  Current law has a penalty of 14 years in prison for someone who commits a homosexual act.  Under the new law it would be life in prison or possibly death, plus prison terms for people who harbor gays.  As bad as things are here in the USA it’s paradise compared to many places in the world.  What’s very scary is that 3 Americans were instrumental in helping organize and draft the legislation in Uganda, though they now all claim it was never their intention that it would be that harsh.  Apparently they don’t have any problem with criminalizing homosexuality though.

I don’t think anyone would deny that laws against sexual predators are a bad thing, but in Uganda’s situation they are singling out gays.  What are their laws for sexual predators that prey on the opposite sex?  There are a lot more predators that hunt members of the opposite sex than same sex.  Also in a country like Uganda where corruption is rampant, a law that encourages people to turn in gays and penalizes someone for giving comfort to a gay is ripe for abuse.  Have neighbor you don’t like?  Accuse them of being gay, helping a gay or sexually abusing a kid.

No one can make the people of countries like Uganda like gays and no one is trying really.  I just don’t want them executing someone for being gay.

Jeffrey and I watched the Oscars last night.  I cannot believe they took 4 hours to do that show.  No wonder their ratings are in the tank.  Oh well I’m betting we don’t sit through the whole thing next year.  ;)

On a lighter note we watched ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ with Terence Stamp, Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving.’  This is a fun movie, a bit different than what I usually watch, ie no explosions.  I’m no clothes horse by any stretch of the imagination, if it’s black and comfortable it’s probably good enough to wear.  But after watching the movie I wonder about black sequins sometimes now and maybe dressing a tad more fabulously, still in black though.  :-)