Uganda’s president calls homosexuals deviants:Promotion of hate
While countries are moving toward penalizing homophobia and banning conversion therapy, Museveni, the president of Uganda calls homosexuals “deviants”. On the interview given to CNN,tuesday 13th january 2021, on his running for a sixth term, Yoweri Museveni accused the international community for imposing on Uganda, homosexuality as an alernative way of life.The interview was focused on the 14th january presidential election, violence and butal crackdowns by security officials and on his candidacy after 35 years in power.
Discrimination and persecution of LGBT people in uganda has increased over years. Even during the pandemic threat, 23 LGBT people were arrested and jailed for more than a month. Recently in the presidential rally, in Kisozi west of the capital Kampala, President Museveni claimed his main opponent, Bobi wine, 38, to be supported by foreigners and homosexuals” He gets quite a lot of encouragement from foreigners and homosexuals…Homosexuals are very happy with Bobi wine, I think they even send him support”. A point that might have led to the last question of his interview, based on the concern of LGBT community for the election in the message from the head of the LGBT groups in Uganda who wrote: ”It is actually scary and rough time. LGBT people are fearful to even vote as there is a risk they will be targeted at the polling stations due to all the hate speeches”.
CNN Journalist: What are you afraid of? Why is this group over years, why is it uttery oppressed and harassed?
President Yoweri Museveni: Who is haranguing the homosexuals? Who is haranguing them?
C.J: You..Your…government your churches talk about them…you know..maybe security people and people in the street as well. There is a clamp of impunity in Uganda for the anti gay opposition and harassment and pressure, why? Why in 2021 is that the case?
P.Y.M: “Now we have a problem of social imperialism from some parts of the world towards Africa. Homosexuals are not new to Africa. They have been here. We know them. But we have got a different view of them. We think they are deviants. They are people who are deviated from the normal. They are not killed, they are harangued, they are not persecuted but we don’t promote them. We don’t promote and flaunt homosexuality as if it is an alternative way of life but we don’t agree with your, the western way ,of promoting homosexuality as if it is an alternative way of life.”
C.J: Well, as you know they have been targeted and that’s why there is a worry including by human rights groups. But i wanna ask you this, i can see, just like i can see in the United states, when you weep people up with misinformation, disinformation , sometimes lies about other people you can get franzy and mob and fear and people who don’t know what the truth is, and i know that in different part of Africa, homosexuals are promoted by the church, by others as deviants as you are saying, as pit files and it is just not true and i wonder if you think, you are christian, your wife is christian whether you think that is charitable and whether you think that perhaps you can actually move forward with a different view to that segment of population. Because as you say, they are ugandans, they are there to stay. It is not fair.
P.Y.M: No, the prevalent opinion among our population now is that homosexuals are departing from normal. If our opinion changes in the future, let it change organically, but not impose it on us by other people.
C.J : Nobody is imposing you Mister President. It is not that the international community is telling you anything in this regard about promotion or anything. It is just about Human rights. Mister President thank you for joining us from Kampala.
P.Y.M: Thank you…
Find the interview here
