Uganda pushes to bring back harsher anti-gay laws

Policitians in Uganda’s Federal Parliament have pushed for the country to reintroduce anti-homosexuality laws.

Scores of MPs lined up to condemn homosexuality, labelling it ‘un-African’ and ‘uncouth’.

The collective outburst came after the parliament passed a motion to commend Speaker Rebecca Kadaga. Parliament wanted to celebrate her for ‘standing firm’ against homosexuality at a recent Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Summit in March.

Kadaga accused IPU president Gabriella Barroza of sneaking in a homosexuality motion at the Geneva Summit. She said it was done without consent from Asian and African representatives.

She threatened that Uganda and other countries would withdraw form the IPU if European countries kept trying to legalize homosexuality.

Kadaga has a long history of homophobia. In 2014 she pioneered Uganda’s controversial ‘Kill the Gays Bill’ and last year called for homosexuality to be punishable with jail time.

Celebrating Kadaga

Ugandan MPs used the motion commending Kadaga as an opportunity to speak out against homosexuality.

Nsaba Buturo, who introduced the motion, spoke in high praise of Kadaga’s performance at the IPU.

‘The external interests have threatened and used all kinds of means to force nations such as Uganda to accept the same sex practices,’ he said.

‘I urge all Ugandans and the Members of Parliament to reject homosexuality in all its forms and manifestations.’

We should be worried

The African Equality Network’s Edwin Sesange said Kadaga is wrong about the west introducing homosexuality to Asia and Africa.

‘It’s hypocritical of them to be speaking for former colonial masters who didn’t think of native LGBTI people in Africa and Asia while introducing discriminatory and persecutory sodomy laws,’ Sesange told Gay Star News.

‘I think Hon Kadaga and others should use their influence to promote the African values of togetherness (Ubuntu), tolerance, respect for others and non discrimination instead of defending colonial sodomy laws which preach the contrary to those African values.’

Sesange urged people to sign the 105,000 strong petition calling on 37 Commonwealth countries that still criminalize homosexuality to change their laws.

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