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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Can You Believe This?


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'EXPOSED!' Ugandan Tabloid Publishes List of 'Top' Homosexuals
A tabloid in Uganda printed a front-page story Tuesday of the nation's "200 top" homosexuals, one day after the president there signed a strict anti-gay bill into law.

Under the headline "EXPOSED!", the Red Pepper newspaper published names and some pictures of people who are allegedly gay, including some Ugandans who had not publicly identified themselves as homosexuals.

A popular Ugandan hip-hop star, a Catholic priest and Uganda gay activists were among those on the list. A retired Anglican cleric and others who support gay rights were listed as sympathizers.

It's not the first time gay Ugandans have been called out in print. A similar list was published in 2011 by a now-defunct tabloid that demanded gays be executed.

Ugandan lesbian activists Jacqueline Kasha, one of the people on the Red Pepper list, expressed her disgust with the paper on Twitter.

"The media witch hunt is back," she tweeted.


The law passed Monday in Uganda punishes gay sex with up to life in jail. Initially, the bill proposed the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality" — repeated gay sex between consulting adults and acts involving a minor, a disabled person, or where one partner has HIV. First-time offenders also face life in jail.

Secretary of State John Kerry said the signing of the bill by President Yoweri Museveni was "a tragic day for Uganda and for all who care about the cause of human rights," and threatened that the U.S. could cut off aid to Uganda.

The Ugandan law comes just over a month after Nigeria passed a similar anti-gay measure, and has been well-received by most Ugandans, despite drawing condemnation globally.

After passing the law, Museveni told CNN, "[Homosexuals are] disgusting. What sort of people are they?"


The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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