Uganda has been under fire from world leaders and activists for the past year over their push to pass an anti-gay law that would result in long-term or even lifetime prison sentences for citizens convicted of engaging in homosexual acts. But even though the law was struck down by its own supreme court earlier this year, Ugandan officials are blasting Western nations for the law’s demise, saying that if they pass the law, Western society will enact a trade boycott against them.
According to Reuters, via the Huffington Post, lawmakers in Uganda have been debating whether or not to reissue the law, which was struck down in August, without the harsh prison sentences for consenting adults.
However, considering the aid cuts that followed after the original law was passed back in February, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni says that the Western world would come down on Uganda even harder for passing the law again with a trade boycott.
“To carelessly and needlessly open unnecessary wars with useful customers is irresponsible to say the least,” wrote Museveni in a commentary on Friday in the state-run New Vision daily, criticizing Western consumers who would boycott his nation.
According to the report, donors fund about 20 percent of Uganda’s annual budget, and many of them stopped their donations once the law was passed but resumed sending donations once it was struck down in August.
Museveni says that he favors punishments for adults who lure children or adults into gay sex using financial inducements, but he didn’t necessarily agree with punishing consenting adults for homosexual acts.
Well, considering how intrinsically homophobic and inflammatory such a law is, we understand why many donors were opposed to it being passed. Understandably, every nation is free to create laws as they see fit, but every nation also has the freedom to choose who they support based on their ideas of morality and justice. And it seems quite unjust and immoral to create laws that punish people for being homosexual and create an environment where homosexuality is seen as unnatural or evil. – nicholas robinson
