The Rwandan Parliament is now considering legislation that would amend the country’s penal code to criminalize homosexual acts, and would impose prison sentences and heavy fines on individuals convicted of engaging in or promoting homosexual behavior.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission reports that the proposed text of Article 217 of the draft Penal Code Act defines offenders as “[a]ny person who practices, encourages or sensitises people of the same sex, to sexual relation or any sexual practice.”
The law’s language applies to those who promote homosexuality to other individuals by means of encouragement or counseling.
Rwanda’s Chamber of Deputies reportedly plans to hold a vote today on the measure, which would impose maximum penalties of five to ten years in prison for breaking the law. Violators also face fines ranging from 200,000 to one million Rwandan francs (352 USD to 1755 USD).
Rwanda’s Senate will likely take up the measure in early 2010.
The push to criminalize homosexual acts in Rwanda follows upon Uganda’s push for an “Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009.” An earlier version of that bill included a mandate of the death sentence or life imprisonment for sexually-active homosexuals living with HIV, or in cases of same-sex rape. Those measures, however, have been dropped in the most recent version.
Dr. Scott Lively, the President of Defend the Family, previously explained to LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) that the extremely harsh measures in the bill were a strong reaction to the enormous international pressure put on Uganda to normalize homosexuality.
A number of Christian churches, especially the Anglican Church of Uganda, successfully called for elimination of the harsher aspects of the bill, including the death penalty, and are working to guarantee that counselors or pastors are not required to notify authorities when homosexuals come to them for counseling or assistance.
The Ugandan measure has four aims: (a) defining “marriage in Uganda as that contracted only between a man and a woman; (b) prohibit and penalize homosexual behavior and related practices in Uganda as they constitute a threat to the traditional family; (c) prohibit ratification of any international treaties, conventions, protocols, agreements and declarations which are contrary or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act; (d) prohibit the licensing of organizations which promote homosexuality.
