The Archbishop of York has condemned¹ an anti-homosexuality bill going through parliament in Uganda.

约克大主教谴责乌干达国会通过的反同性恋法案。

Ugandan-born Dr Sentamu said gay people were valued by God

Dr John Sentamu, who was born in the African country, said the laws being debated were "victimising".

Under the plans gays and lesbians女同性恋 would be jailed for life if convicted of having sex, and gay people who had sex with a minor未成年人 would be put to death.

Dr Sentamu told the BBC the Anglican communion was committed to recognising that gay people were valued by God.

Aid threat

Under the bill, proposed by MP David Bahati, people who fail to report homosexuality同性恋 face up to three years in jail.

Under its terms 'serial³ offenders⁴' would face the death penalty.

Dr Sentamu told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm opposed to the death sentence. I'm also not happy when you describe people in the kind of language you find in this private member's bill."

He added it seemed not only victimising but also "a diminishment of the individuals concerned".

He also pointed⁵ out that the current law in Uganda already had provision准备，条款 to jail gay people for engaging in homosexual acts.

The new bill wants the 14-year limit raised to life imprisonment⁶.

Dr Sentamu said: "Sometimes people have not understood that at the moment the law in Uganda, without this bill, does exactly the same thing."

Sweden has threatened to withdraw aid if the bill is approved and Africa minister Baroness⁷ Kinnock has raised concerns with her Ugandan counterpart.

Mr Bahati, from the ruling National Resistance Movement全国抵抗运动 (NRM), said: "Here, we don't recognise homosexuality as a right. We are after the sin, not the sinners. We love them - and we want them to repent后悔 and come back.

"It's not an inborn天生的，先天的 orientation¹⁰方向，定向, it's a behaviour learnt - and it can be unlearnt."