Ugandan president reveals how confused he is about homosexuality
Museveni predicts 1.2 million may die because of anti-gay law. He’s OK with that.
The mind of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is filled with misconceptions about homosexuality. That was clear from a press release his office issued this week about his position on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that Parliament passed last month. (Excerpts from the press release are in italics below.)
Museveni said he will sign the repressive, homophobic bill after Parliament makes some amendments, even though he predicted that it would lead to a cutoff of AIDS funds from the West and the deaths of 1.2 million HIV-positive Ugandans.
Misconception 1: That people choose their sexual orientation and can decide to stop being homosexuals.
Much of the press release focused on revising the Anti-Homosexuality Bill to encourage people to “come out” as homosexuals so they can be “rehabilitated”.
“Museveni … agreed to assent to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023 into law once a few changes are made regarding rehabilitation.”
“Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka [criticized the bill because it] criminalizes even those who voluntarily come out to have practiced homosexuality and need to be helped. He proposed a provision for amnesty for those who will have come out to be helped not to punish them to allow others not to fear to come out.”
“This country has issued amnesty for people who have carried out criminal activities of treasonous nature against this country. A similar provision would be provided in this law to ensure that a person who comes out on his own is not criminalized.”
“The Woman Member of Parliament for Busia Auma Hellen Wandera told the President that homosexuals once rehabilitated can change, giving an example of her female colleagues who were homosexuals but changed and are happily married with families.”
“Ndorwa East MP David Bahati informed the President and members that the law he sponsored in 2001 and the current both criminalize the acts of homosexuality and their promotion, saying that children recruited unknowingly should be rehabilitated to become better citizens.”
For information on the ineffective and abusive practice of “conversion therapy”, see the article “‘Ex-gay therapy’: What reputable experts have to say”.
Misconception 2: That psychological problems lead LGBTI people into non-traditional sexual orientations and gender identities.
“This, according to the President, was his main concern. ‘The issue I raised is a matter of substance. I totally agree with the bill, but my original problem is the psychologically disoriented person. What you are saying is that the law doesn’t recognise him as long as he does not act. But how do you provide for him to come out?’ H.E Museveni said, asking Members of Parliament to make some corrections especially not to frighten someone who needs rehabilitation to come out.”
Misconception 3: That people in the West don’t really care for the human rights of LGBTI people and actually are intent on imposing homosexuality worldwide as a form of modern-day imperialism.
“ ‘It is good that you rejected the pressure from the imperialists. Those imperialists have been messing up the world for 600 years causing so much damage,’ the President said, adding that most of the problems and the instability in many African countries are caused by imperialists trying to impose what is not meant for Africa.”
“ ‘Europe is lost and they also want us to be lost. Those who want an easy life will end up being prostitutes,’ the President emphasized.”
Horrifying prediction 1: That 1.2 million HIV-positive Ugandans will die because Western nations will cut off funding for HIV drugs in response to enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
[Anticipating he will sign the amended bill, Museveni called upon] Members of Parliament to brace themselves for the likely consequences including cutting the wage bill which is about 8 trillion shillings [about U.S. $267 million] to cater for sectors like health where promoters of Homosexuality are threatening to cut their aid to Uganda.
“ ‘One of the things they’re threatening is to kill our 1.2 million people who have been surviving on [U.S.] PEPFAR funds to buy drugs for HIV/AIDS, so that we don’t buy the drugs for our people, and they die,’ the President noted after information that the bill for AIDS medicine is 260 million dollars.”
Misconception 4: That repression of LGBTI Ugandans will improve Ugandan society and that Western donors should continue sending money to Uganda in support of AIDS programs that exclude LGBTI people.
“Be ready to sacrifice to fight homosexuals,” Museveni said.
The press release, entitled “H.E MUSEVENI TO RETURN THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL TO PARLIAMENT FOR CHANGES BEFORE ITS SIGNED INTO LAW”, was dated Thursday, April 20.
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