Uganda’s Inhumane Bill

TIMESONLINE

Why this African nation, which this week approved a landmark Bill banning female genital mutilation and has shown commendable past honesty in confronting ignorance about Aids, should now consider such a benighted Bill is no mystery. Prejudice has always been strong in Africa against homosexuality, as it is in the Caribbean. This has been fanned by the row within the Anglican communion over gay clergy and by the tentative attempts by a few gay Africans to call for greater tolerance. But political groups have seen easy advantage in exploiting this prejudice. In the Church, as among those seeking voter support, branding homosexuality as a Western perversion is an easy way to hit out at perceived Western cultural dominance. This link has been encouraged by the recent visit of leaders of US conservative Christian ministries that promote therapy for gays to become heterosexual.