If you are unfamiliar with the sketch, Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers host the SNL news segment. One of their bits is showing really obvious consequences of actions and statements by people in the shown clips and respond with an indignant “Really?” This was the reaction I had to a news story I heard on OutQ News on XM.
British radio personality and journalist Scott Mills traveled to Uganda to work on a documentary for the BBC called “The Worst Place to be Gay?” One of his interviews were with David Bahati, a member of the Ugandan Parlaiment. Bahati introduced the bill that would further criminalize homosexuality in the landlocked African nation, including punishments of life in prison or execution (if you are gay and HIV positive) for repeated arrests and convictions of being gay (and acting on it). Without this bill being enacted, gay Ugandans are harrassed, assaulted, attacked, etc. because engaging in homosexual activity in Uganda is against the law.
Bahati appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and said he introduced the bill because “$15 million had been invested in Uganda to recruit children into becoming homosexuals.” Let me say this, that whole toaster oven we supposedly get for bringing new members into the fold. Yeah, that doesn’t happen. We don’t try and change people into being gay anymore than we want people trying to change us into being straight. We especially don’t want your children (Well except for groups like NAMBLA which its members need to be drawn and quartered.)
So Mr. Mills interviews Bahati about his bill and Uganda’s treatment of homosexuals. During the interview, Mills revealed that he is gay. Bahati went berserk. Mills was surprised by this. REALLY? Was he really surprised. Did he really think that telling the man who wants to imprison homosexuals for life and execute those who are HIV positive was going to act favorably to his moment of coming out during the interview. Did he really think Bahati would offer him tea and crumpets and talk about the weather and the Queen? In fact, the opposite happened. Mills was followed by police. A hotel Bahati thought Mills and his camera crew were staying at was raided.
The bill has been amended. The life sentence and execution parts are gone, but certain things remain. If you know someone is gay and you don’t report them, you face three years in jail. If you are a gay Ugandan known to be engaging in homosexual activity in another country, they will extradite you to Uganda to face charges. But this post is not about that bill.
It has been two days since I heard the news report about Mills. I am still amazed that he traveled to one of the most dangerous places in the world to be gay, admitted he was gay and was surprised by the reaction he got.
Really?
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