2007年VOA标准英语-Ugandan Rights Group Slams Gay Ban Law

By Webb Malcolm
Nairobi
22 August 2007

A Ugandan organization that represents the rights of gays, lesbians and bisexuals says they are deprived of their rights by the country's law that makes homosexuality illegal.  The comments follow an anti-gay protest in the Ugandan capital Kampala on Tuesday, which drew more than 100 demonstrators. Malcolm Webb reports for VOA from Nairobi.

The rights organization, Sexual Minorities in Uganda (SMUG) says gays, lesbians and bisexuals in Uganda have suffered abuse, neglect and violence, and they want to be left alone.

SMUG representative Laurence Misedah said these people are not doing anything wrong.

"We are not harming anyone," he said.  "We are requesting them to let us live in peace.  We are just trying to let them know that what we are requiring is understanding, and for them to give us space so that we talk to them, because most of them are talking out of ignorance."

Anti-gay protesters hold a rally in Uganda's capital Kampala calling for the enforcement of the country's laws against homosexuality, 21 Aug. 2007

Misedah was speaking in reaction to an anti-gay demonstration¹ Tuesday by a coalition² of Christian³, Muslim and Bahai groups. The protesters carried placards with anti-gay messages and demanding the deportation⁴ of an American journalist, Katherine Roubos, who is an intern⁵ with the Daily Monitor newspaper in Kampala. She had been assigned to cover gay issues in Uganda as part of her internship⁶.

Last week, she covered a news conference held by SMUG, the first of its kind in the country, where the group demanded recognition. The conference and the subsequent news coverage⁷ triggered the reaction from the religious groups, who say they are fighting against a campaign to promote homosexuality in the country, which they say is brought in by outsiders.

But Misedah says homosexuality in Uganda does not come from abroad.

"We have people from deep within the villages who do not even speak English and they haven't had any exposure to [or] with any white person or any Western ideas," he added.  "They should accept us just the way our forefathers⁸ did because same sex relationships were in the African tradition."

Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment⁹.

The anti-gay protesters say there is unfair international pressure on the government to review the law in anticipation¹⁰ of their hosting of the Commonwealth¹¹ Heads of Government meeting in November.

But Ethics¹² Minister James Nsaba Buturo said last week that gays, lesbians and bisexuals will not be given equal rights, and homosexuality will not be legalized.

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

5 intern   

v.拘禁，软禁；n.实习生

参考例句：

• I worked as an intern in that firm last summer.去年夏天我在那家商行实习。
• The intern bandaged the cut as the nurse looked on.这位实习生在护士的照看下给病人包扎伤口。

6 internship   

n.实习医师，实习医师期

参考例句：

• an internship at a television station 在电视台的实习期
• a summer internship with a small stipend 薪水微薄的暑期实习

7 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

8 forefathers   

n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left. 它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All of us bristled at the lawyer's speech insulting our forefathers. 听到那个律师在讲演中污蔑我们的祖先，大家都气得怒发冲冠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

10 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

11 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

12 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。