Turkson says no to life in jail for gays

CARDINAL Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said this week that “homosexuals are not criminals” and should not face life in prison. He was attending a human-rights conference in Bratislava, when he was asked about a new law in Uganda banning the funding of, recruitment to and promotion of homosexuality.

But Ghanaian-born Cardinal Turkson said the Vatican called on the international community to keep providing aid to Uganda. The World Bank has suspended a US$90-million (£53.8m) loan for Uganda’s health systems because of the legislation.

His intervention directly contradicts the country’s bishops’ conference, which along with Protestant, Orthodox, Pentecostal and Muslim leaders last week welcomed the new law and said homosexuality and lesbianism “are part of human weakness” that had to be addressed through repentance.

The World Bank’s decision follows an announcement by Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands that they would hold back donations to Uganda because of the new law. Other donors have also threatened to do likewise, and the United States said it was reviewing its relations with Uganda.
The Uganda-based Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law said it supported aid cuts like the Netherlands’ to areas such as the justice sector, but urged donor nations not to cut aid destined for health projects.

In January, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Justin Welby and Ugandan-born John Sentamu, wrote to Anglican primates and President Museveni criticising the legislation, saying: “The victimisation or diminishment of human beings whose affections happen to be ordered towards people of the same sex is anathema to us.”