Uganda’s parliament is heavily considering the reintroduction of the Anti-Homosexual Act, which was originally proposed in 2014 and blocked by the Constitutional Court of Uganda shortly after. Same-sex relations are already illegal in Uganda according to British colonial laws, but the Anti-Homosexual Act takes a tougher stance. The bill, originally proposed by member of parliament David Bahati, has been in circulation for the better part of the decade. In 2009, it included both life imprisonment and the death penalty as punishments for same-sex relationships. The momentum for the bill, with the original inclusion of the death penalty, has recently resurged.
Western countries have rightfully scolded Uganda for their extremely vile treatment of LGBTQ people, but ironically forget their own history of spreading prejudice against those same people, especially in Africa. While western countries today are more progressive in regard to human rights and African countries are in retrograde, that wasn’t always the case. From as early as the 16th century, European Christian missionaries documented the relaxed attitudes polytheistic African religions had toward queerness. Contrary to the beliefs of some African homophobes, like the late former prime minister of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, “gayness” is not a symptom of the “white disease”: homophobia is.
The missionaries felt that Africans needed to be “cleansed” with Christianity, and they did so forcibly; this is the root of white supremacy’s hold on Africa. Christianity and monotheistic religions in general have always been utilized to obtain power, but also to take it away. The European colonizers forced Christianity on Africans as a means of distraction instead of rebelling against the colonial agenda.
They knew what they were doing then, and American evangelist missionaries like Scott Lively know what they are doing now when they stir up tensions in the countries they visit, like Uganda. They whisper in the ears of Ugandan political leaders, and preach to the common people that America doesn’t work because it allows queer people to live freely. In order to please God, they must punish one another instead of focusing their frustrations on those from countries like America, who have raped their lands and resources with no consequences.
The real reason why many African countries like Uganda are considered “developing countries” is because their development was dwarfed by greedy nations that sought to exploit their people and resources, kill their animals for sport and vanity and steal their lands, artifacts, inventions and cultures. European colonizers even referred to Africa as “the magnificent African cake.” Evangelists still want a piece of Africa and are encouraging the fusion of hatred into African politics in the name of God for America’s benefit.
The western world scoffs at Africa and thinks of Uganda as the original perpetrators of this kind of savagery towards human beings, but it originally came from them. This isn’t to say that the Ugandans who drafted this bill and champion it aren’t responsible. However, they have been brainwashed for generations. Relics of colonialism persist in every part of Africa; in schools, offices, media, entertainment, courtrooms and parliament. There is no escaping it, and so African children grow up to be African leaders who mindlessly push oppressive policies that they feel align them with God and with the white man.
If evangelist missionaries stepped away from Uganda and other countries like it, African leaders could recenter their focus to uplifting their people from poverty, building their infrastructure and economy and weeding out corruption. They would rather wait for God to do it, but despite how many extreme efforts and human sacrifices they make, it doesn’t seem like God is answering any of their calls. Maybe it’s because Africa is unrecognizable to him.
