Ugandan Ethics Minister Advises Homosexuals to Emigrate; Gay Leader Insists Gays "Have Absolute Rights"

Source: The Daily Monitor

August 29, 2007: Ethics Minister Dr James Nsaba Buturo advises homosexuals to emigrate, calling their acts "shameful, abominable and un-godly." Gay leader Victor Juliet Mukasa insists gays "have absolute rights." Inside Politics' Agness Nandutu crossed the two.

What is your view on the current debate on homosexuality?

Buturo: My view is that of the majority of Ugandans. All people who have participated in this debate are denouncing the act. What else do these gays want? The message has been clear that their acts are not accepted in our society. They are wasting their time to claim that they are advocating for their rights. We shall not allow them to mislead our young generation. Shame on them. Our laws are clear, homosexuality is illegal.

If God is against homosexuality, who are we to legislate for it. We would be bringing a curse on Uganda, God forbid. They have no place in our country. They should change to a normal way of life. They should know that they are not free to do whatever they want. Homosexuality is not part of our values. As government we shall do everything possible to help them change and those who don't want to change would be arrested. We shall not act under pressure. It's nonsense to say that their acts are natural.

Mukasa: The people who are debating against our feelings do not understand what we want. Even Buturo, a government minister who is supposed to uphold the constitution by protecting our human rights has joined the religious leaders to condemn us.

They are violating our rights by inciting the public to either harm us or hate us. We are also human beings. Buturo and his followers should know that we also belong to this society. They should also know that this is our way of living, which we cannot change. We ought to be listened to and we demand our basic human rights.

We want to be free and to have peace with the rest of the society. We are not raping or defiling anybody. We are not having sex with animals. Our nature is that we are only attracted to the people of the same sex as ours and we should be given freedom. We need to have the right of belonging.

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