In a 21st century world, it is
unacceptable that a leader of a
country preaches such hatred
towards the gay community.
Recently, at a rally just after the
signing of this barbaric and
controversial bill, President Yoweri
Museveni said on the subject of
Homosexuality, “It is not genetic, it
is not congenital, it is behaviour. It
is not nature, it is nurture. It is not
because someone is born like that,
it is because of the way someone is
brought up. That’s why I have now
said I’m going to sign the bill
because I’m convinced with the
available information that these
people are not born like that, they
just learn and they can unlearn
what they have learned.”
MP David Bahati, the MP who
brought this private bill forward to
the Ugandan Parliament back in
October 2009, strengthening
Ugandans anti-homosexual laws
and views said, “We all agree that
the promotion of homosexuality is
wrong. We all agree that the
recruitment of our children into
this terrible behaviour is flat out
wrong. Ladies and Gentlemen, let
me say this. It is not true, Your
Excellency, that when we oppose
homosexuality then we are
intolerant as a people or indeed as
a nation. Uganda is a tolerant
country.”
It is very difficult to think that
Uganda is a tolerant country when
one of the main goals is to eradicate
its gay community all because of
one thing, being gay. Most recently,
the US cut its aid to Uganda and
put in place tougher Visa sanctions
in retaliation of this horrible bill.
In my opinion, Uganda needs to
wake up and move into the 21st
century and follow the lead of
countries such as the UK, who had
the first same-sex marriages on 29th
March 2014, on being open and
accepting of the gay community.
Persecuting people because of their
sexuality, race, gender or religion is
wrong. The world should see that
the gay community isn’t safe in
Uganda. As one world, we should
work together to peacefully stamp
these ‘dark age’ views out for good.
SEPTEMBER: President
Yoweri Museveni signs an
amendment in the
constitution which
prohibits same-sex
marriages
Penal Code
Act 1950,
Section
145-147 makes
same-sex
activity illegal
AUGUST: Anti-gay
minister writes a
letter saying that
homosexuality was
against Ugandan
culture
2007
1950
2005
2004
2006
2007
Radio Simba fined and
forced to make an
apology by the Ugandan
Broadcasting Council,
after gay people appeared
on a live talk show.
SEPTEMBER: Rolling
Stone another tabloid in
Uganda publishes the names,
addresses and photos of 100
alleged LGBTs and calls for
their execution.
2010
2010
JANUARY:
President
Museveni says he
won’t back the
‘Kill The Gays’
Bill.
JANUARY: LGBT
Activist David Kato is
murdered. He was
one of the people
outed in the 2010
newspaper outing.
OCTOBER: David
Bahati MP introduces
the Anti-Homosexuality
Bill, which includes the
infamous ‘Kill The Gays’
bill
2014
JULY : Sweden
Resumes
financial aid to
Uganda
MARCH: Family
Life Network hosts
a 2 day conference
to brainstorm
future anti-gay
policies.
FEBRUARY:
Minister for Ethics
and Integrity raids
and shuts down an
LGBT advocacy
workshop in Entebbe
APRIL: 30,000
people rally at
the Kampala
stadium in
support of AntiHomosexuality
Act 2014
2014
2009
2009
APRIL: Shadow Minister
of Information and
National Guidance says,
‘We must exterminate
homosexuals before they
exterminate society.’
MAY: Bahati brings an
amendment of the AntiHomosexuality Bill which
removes the death
penalty, but adds
‘attempted homosexuality’
AUGUST: AntiHomosexuality
Act annulled