Amid an international outcry against a bill to harshen penalties for those found to be gay, the Ugandan Prime Minister has spoken out to say gay people are “abnormal”, and using a derogatory term to describe disabled children.
Speaking in the video, Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi appeared at the Foreign Affairs Ministry to make the comments. He had been meeting with ambassadors and foreign ministers.
He said: “I think in our traditions, and this is what I believe. Homosexuality is treated as an abnormality. Given that as a fact, how do we treat abnormalities in our society. Do you kill them? If you identify an abnormality and you say ‘let’s kill these abnormals’, my conclusion is that you are the one that is abnormal….They need help. How do you treat your children who are born as mongols? Do you execute them, imprison them for life?”
“Mongols” is an archaic derogatory term originally used to describe people with Down’s Sydrome.
It extends the current penalty of life imprisonment for anal sex to all other same-sex acts, even mere kissing and touching. The law introduces jail terms of five to seven years for promoting homosexuality, including advocating LGBT rights or assisting LGBT people or events.
However, President Museveni is facing intense pressure from Ugandan MPs to sign the bill.
It is possible for parliamentary supporters of the bill to bypass the need for presidential approval if a further vote is tabled. They require a two-thirds majority.