Yesterday, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a harsh anti-homosexual bill into law. The wide-ranging bill outlines strict penalties for homosexual acts, defined as touching another person "with the intention of committing the act of homosexuality". First-time “offenders” face 14 years imprisonment and “aggravated” homosexual acts lead to a life sentence. For the first time, the bill also criminalises lesbianism. Any “promotion” of homosexuality is also punishable, which effectively outlaws any gay rights organisations. While death penalty for recurring “offences” was dropped in the end, it’s quite clear that the bill makes it impossible for LGBT Ugandans to lead a normal life without fear of imprisonment by the state or violence from the public eager to punish those deemed immoral.
The bill passed through the Parliament in December, with western countries and human rights groups pleading Museveni not to sign. Sure enough, the President pledged to wait for scientific advice before signing, because while he thinks homosexuals are revolting, it would be unfair to jail them for something they are “born with”. In his statement at the signing of the bill, Museveni put it this way: “I... thought that it would be wrong to punish somebody because of how he was created, disgusting though it may be to us.” What his appointed team of "medical experts" found was that because no definitive gene has been associated with homosexuality, no one can be a homosexual “purely by nature”. Therefore, as the President said in his statement, since science has disproved that people can be born homosexuals, “they should rehabilitate themselves and society should assist them to do so.”
Homosexual acts have been outlawed in the country since British colonial rule, and ultimately this bill was about more than the President’s issues with LGBT people. "There's now an attempt at social imperialism, to impose social values. We're sorry to see that you (the West) live the way you live but we keep quiet about it," Museveni said at the bill’s signing. In late 2011, Prime Minister David Cameron warned that countries that ban homosexuality risk losing aid – a remark that Ugandan presidential adviser John Nagenda said showcased “colonial mentality” and treating Ugandans “like children”. The US had previously threatened Uganda by saying that signing of the bill would “complicate the countries’ relations” (the US is one of Uganda’s largest donors). Yesterday’s signing was done in a widely broadcasted news conference – a government spokesman said that the President wanted "to demonstrate Uganda's independence in the face of Western pressure and provocation".
Religion also played a role in bringing about yesterday’s bill. Uganda is a very religious country, with around 85% of the population belonging to different Christian denominations. While Catholicism is the dominant Christian faith, Evangelical Christianity hailing from the US wields considerable influence in the country: President Museveni himself is a devout Evangelical. His warnings of gay groups recruiting children into homosexuality, and (however science-based) belief in homosexuality as something unnatural and curable would not be out of place in some right-wing US Christian circles.
But, it seems to matter little to the majority of Ugandans that President Museveni’s crusade for African morals is inspired by US-exported right wing Christianity or laws installed during the British colonial period. Majority of Ugandans are happy that their President is defending what they see as "traditional Ugandan values". Museveni’s eye is also on the 2016 elections, which the opposition calls “already rigged” (Museveni has been in office since 1986). "Morality laws" are a cheap tool for authorities to hold on to popularity and divert attention away from more costly issues. In the Guardian, Patience Akumu writes:
An untainted African morality is more appealing to most – especially the products of government universal primary education who hit voting age every year. They may find it hard to read beyond their names, but surely they can imagine an Africa that has something to offer the world other than disease and poverty – a new morality.
In another attempt to defend public morality, Museveni recently signed an anti-pornography bill, which bans “anything that shows indecent acts or behaviour intended to corrupt morals”. After the bill passed, several women wearing short skirts were reportedly assaulted in Kampala. Today, a Ugandan newspaper published a list of the names of "200 top" homosexuals in the country; a similar publication in 2011 led to the killing of a gay rights activist.
Western governments’ vague threats did not stop the instalment of new anti-gay laws in Nigeria and now Uganda. Yet, local gay rights activists have said they will challenge Uganda’s new law in court. International pressure is likely to achieve little, so these brave individuals and groups may be the best hope for the country’s LGBT community.
