The now notorious anti-gay legislation, which was first proposed by Parliament member David Bahati and is known as the “Kill the Gays” bill, is set to become law in Uganda by the end of the year. Homosexual acts are already a crime in Uganda, punishable by up to 14 years in prison, but this new legislation will impose harsher punishments and expanded restrictions. The bill includes the death penalty to those convicted of “aggravated homosexuality” and life imprisonment for those convicted of the offense of homosexuality.

Yesterday, Rebecca Kadaga – speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, announced that the bill was being passed. According to the AP:

“Ugandans “are demanding it,” she said, reiterating a promise she made before a meeting on Friday of anti-gay activists who spoke of “the serious threat” posed by homosexuals to Uganda’s children. Some Christian clerics at the meeting in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, asked the speaker to pass the law as “a Christmas gift.”

“Who are we not to do what they have told us? These people should not be begging us,” Kadaga said of activists who want the bill to become law.

The root cause of this extreme legislation and homophobia? American Christian evangelicals, of course. Several governments and human rights organizations have publicly condemned Uganda for the bill and the European Union has said that they will cut financial aid to Uganda when the bill passes.