A few months ago a friend of mine showed me a headline from Uganda which we both found amusing, concerning a preacher showing his congregation gay porn to emphasise the 'evils' of being gay. They then showed me another headline which read 'Top Homos Named' which was as laughable as it was contradictory, after all what exactly is a 'top homo' and how does one become one?

Once the laughter had died down it dawned on me that while we may be able to look at such headlines with a detatched amusement thousands of miles away, for the gays and lesbians living in Uganda it must be no laughing matter.

Uganda has become one of the most famous or should that be infamous- countries when it comes to gay rights, or rather the lack of them. Since 2009 an Anti- Homosexuality Bill has been going through the Ugandan parliament which would see the implementation of such draconian laws such as the death penalty for those convicted of certain gay 'crimes.'

Already gays in Uganda can face life imprisonment for being found guilty of breaking 'gay laws' which is as ridiculous as it is scary. The international community has so far led a chorus of disaproval at the idea of the anti-homosexuality bill being passed, with many in the US government being vocal opponents.

The question for me is two-fold, does the west have a right to interfere with soveriegn nations and how they govern their people and if so how far can they take that interference?

Personally I think when a country violates the human rights of some of its members by introducing discriminatory laws then it is time for action rather than words and bluster. While such ideas as economic sanctions or a cooling of diplomatic relations may be a good idea for some, this can only lead to more problems. It could not only lead to a sense of resentment against the already persecuted gay community, but also punish those who are innocent of any wrongdoing when it comes to the whole sorry saga.

Recently a high-court ruling in Britain meant that gay and lesbians seeking sanctuary from persecution in their own countries would be granted asylum status in the UK.

It is here that a real solution lies, after all if Uganda or any other country for that matter were to see a mass exodus of its gay and lesbian skilled workers it would only be a matter of time before the ecomony in said country would be affected. As Idi Amin found out 30 years ago when he expelled the Asian workers from Uganda, the economy can not survive losing so many important contributors. With over half a million gays in Uganda, it is obvious if many decided to leave the effects would be felt. Maybe then the Ugandan government would realise that the 'evil gays' are actually a fundamental part of the country.

Of course no-one should have to leave their country because of their sexuality, and a recent petition against the anti-homosexuality bill was submitted to the Ugandan government with over 450,000 signatures on it. Whether this has an affect on stopping the bill being passed into law remains to be seen but it at least already seems to have slowed its progress.