Ugandan Anti-Gay Preacher Pays Fake “Ex-Gay” Witnesses to Testify for Anti-Homosexuality Bill & more……

Despite Ssempa’s efforts, the Ugandan Parliament will likely table the measure.

By Candace Chellew-Hodge,  April 15, 2011

With time running out on the current Parliament’s term, Uganda’s Parliament Speaker Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi says it’s unlikely that the “Kill the Gays” bill will come up for consideration. This despite being lobbied by a group led by anti-gay activist Rev. Martin Ssempa, who is lobbying for passage of the bill by paying phony “ex-gay” witnesses to testify.

From the New York Times:

Mr. Ssempa, reading from the petition, began the meeting by saying he was “distressed” that the bill was being “deliberately killed” by “undemocratic threats” from Western nations, and called the political bullying “homocracy.”

A bag was passed around with “Debate Our Bill Now!” and “No to Sodomy,” pins, before it came to rest in front of one of the so-called former homosexuals.

“These young people,” Mr. Ssempa said, pointing toward the two young men, sitting stiffly across from him in front of the speaker, “will share their experiences having been recruited into homosexuality and coming out. And that is why we are here.”

It turns out, though, that one of those who testified, George Oundo, is not really an “ex-gay,” but had been paid by Ssempa to say that he had “changed.” He took the money, he said, to “protect” himself from Ssempa and other anti-gay activists.

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