Canada secretly fighting Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” bill

Min. John Baird

The last we heard of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality (“Kill the Gays”) Bill, it was apparently being fast-tracked last November as a “Christmas gift”. Thankfully, it seems that the effort failed, though the bill is still on the table, and meanwhile, pro-equality activists in Uganda are receiving some under-the-table help from my own homeland:

Canada is quietly financing a concerted grassroots effort to aid gay Ugandans’ fight against their country’s proposed anti-homosexuality bill — and preparing them in case it passes, says a senior Department of Foreign Affairs source.

Since November, when the Ugandan Parliament renewed its effort to pass the legislation, which Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has called “abhorrent,” Canada has spent $200,000 to kick-start several gay rights initiatives in the region. The source confirmed that the Canadian involvement was specifically focused on fighting the Ugandan bill.

The projects involved include preparing secret escape routes and emergency kits should the bill pass, establishing a hotline, and preparing legal experts for the inevitable court battles ahead, in addition to generally promoting LGBT rights and public awareness.

There’s still no word on whether or not the legislation will be enacted in the end, despite the Ugandan government’s zeal for cracking down on disenfranchised minorities. At least Canada has once again shown its true colors (of awesome) in the meantime.

(via Joe. My. God.)