Uganda Bans 38 Foreign Groups For "Recruiting Children" Into Homosexuality

Uganda announced today that it was banning 38 NGOs (non-government organizations) for helping homosexuals recruit children.

Ethics Minister Simon Lokodo told Reuters the organizations being targeted were receiving support from abroad for Uganda's homosexuals and accused gays and lesbians of "recruiting" young children in the country into homosexuality. "The NGOs are channels through which monies are channeled to (homosexuals) to recruit," the minister, a former Catholic priest, said. He did not name which organizations were on the list. A bill calling for harsh penalties against homosexuals and outlawing the "promotion" of homosexuality, including providing financial support to gays and lesbians, is pending in the east African country's parliament.

Two days ago Lokodo had police raid a meeting of international LGBT activists, some of whom were detained for hours. In February of this year Lokodo's goon squad raided a "secret" LGBT rights conference at a Kampala hotel. Lokodo is a former Catholic priest defrocked by Rome when he refused to resign in order to seek political office.