Rwanda backs down on gay law reform
Following international attention, the Rwandan Government has announced that an anti-gay measure suggested by a committee reviewing the country’s criminal code will not become law.
Earlier this month, Rwanda’s New Times daily newspaper reported the country’s justice minister, Tharcisse Karygarama, as saying, “The Government I serve and speak for on certain issues cannot and will not in any way criminalise homosexuality; sexual orientation is a private matter and each individual has his or her own orientation — this is not a state matter at all.”
Article 217 was to read, “Any person who practises, encourages or sensitises people of the same sex, to sexual relation or any sexual practice, shall be liable for a term of imprisonment ranging from five to 10 years and a fine ranging from two hundred thousand Rwanda francs to one million Rwanda francs.”
A million Rwandan francs, around $A2000, is about six times the average income in the African nation.
The Political Affairs Committee of Rwanda’s Lower House recommended scrapping article 217 of the proposed new criminal code after representatives of the United Nations AIDS Fund pointed out that Article 217 would be in breach of Articles 16 and 26 of the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
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paul mitchell, did you not read the article? rwanda decided NOT to pass an anti-gay law! and have you noticed that those african countries that are passing anti-gay laws are doing so hand in hand with american right wing christian organizations?
Go to hell Africa (except for South Africa because the laws in South Africa is extremly gay-friendly) because you c***s in Rwanda and Uganda want to impose sick and twisted religious ideology on to every citizen and it stinks!!!!!