On Thursday, May 9, 2024, at exactly 11:29a.m., Lord Cashman rose in the UK House of Parliament and pose this question.“To ask His Majesty’s government what representations they have made to the government of Uganda regarding its Anti-Homosexuality Act.”
In response Lord Benyon, the Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), had this to say: “My Lords, Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act has increased violence and discrimination against LGBT+ people.
The UK has made its opposition clear to all levels of the Ugandan Government. On 3 April, the Ugandan Constitutional Court struck down some provisions. However, the legislation remains, including the death penalty for so-called aggravated homosexuality.
The Deputy Foreign Secretary met the Ugandan Justice Minister on 3 April and underlined the importance of ensuring that people are free from persecution regardless of sexuality and stressed our concern at this legislation.”
Then, the deliberations of the House begun:
Lord Cashman, stated that the UK Government should mirror the actions taken by the United States, Canada and the World Bank and target sanctions on named individuals and on access to individual assets held in the UK and put an end to development support. He suggested such barbaric human rights abuses must be vigorously denounced.
Lord Benyon called Uganda’s position on LGBTQ+, an appalling situation for minorities there, which unfortunately can be seen across many sub-Saharan African countries. UK does not discuss openly what plans it has on sanctions. Those proposing this legislation in Uganda understand how devasting it is and what enormous damage it has done to that country’s reputation in the world.
Lord Fowler came in saying, “my Lords, I entirely support what the noble Lord, Lord Cashman, just said about Uganda, but should we not also be concerned about the position in many other countries around the world?”
Lord Bellingham, suggested change of regime in Uganda and called for UK’ssupports for the outstanding new leader of the opposition, Joel Ssanyonyi.
Lord Benyon responded saying UK will work with any Government of Uganda, since they are important allies……but the country’s Anti-LGBTQ+ law is an unacceptable regression on freedoms and personal rights.
Lord Collins of Highbury suggested that the voice of civil society also needs to be heard, so that it is seen as not just a UK Government action but a civil society action that is appalled at these laws?”
Lord Benyon explained that, “many faith-based organisations are key to this. One of the unfortunate drivers of this Anti-LGBTQ+legislation has been promoted by an evangelical view of Christianity, and not one, for many of us would who ascribe to Christian values, of compassion and kindness; it seems to be one of quite the reverse. We will work with anybody who seeks to support people affected by this legislation.”
Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD), agreed with the minister, adding that when he went to Kampala before the pandemic, on the abolition of the death penalty, he met with the leadership of the Anglican community, who made it clear that they would support his work on the death penalty so long as he did not campaign on LGBTQ+ rights.
He wanted to know if the minister will agree that the development partnership agreement the UK has with Uganda, which includes the sentence, “We will also use a full range of tools to defend democratic norms and the rights of excluded groups, for example the LGBT+ community”,is no longer operable. “Will the Minister further agree that our relationship with Uganda cannot continue as it has?”He asked concluding that “We cannot carry on as we have before.”
There are issues I have with what the Lords deliberated on. They are, 1). Classifying anti-LGBTQ+ laws as barbaric human rights abuses, in which Christian values of compassion and kindness, is said to be quite the reverse here, so such laws must be vigorously denounced; 2). Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are now unfortunately seen across many sub-Saharan African countries; 3). Need to have regime change in Uganda and 4). From the looks of things, the West including UK is not considering the economic challenges, such poor sub-Saharan African nations will face if they fully embrace LGBTQ+.
On the first point, are the UK and the West classifying Anti-LGBTQ+ laws as barbaric human rights abuses or they are barbaric only if implemented in sub-Saharan Africa? The attention of the UK House must be drawn to the fact that through all religions, God has expressed great detest to LGBTQ+ activities and assigned the death penalty to some of such activities, especially homosexuality.
As a Christian, may I humbly refer the Lords to Sacred Scriptures in the Book of Leviticus 20:13, where it is stated clearly that anyone engaging in homosexuality must be put to death? There are harsh treatments given to other forms of LGBTQ+ activities, as in Leviticus 18: 6-18, Exodus 22: 19 and Deuteronomy 26:5, which address, incest, bestiality and transgender.And, God firmly warned us in Leviticus 18: 26 to30 against LGBTQ+.
In the New Testament, Jesus said He never came to abolish the law, but came to fulfil it, (Matthew 15:17) and other books spoke about the dangers of engaging in sexual immoralities, for example, 1 Corinthians 6:13, Ephesians 5: 3 and Galatians 5: 19-21.
In condemning Anti-LGBTQ+ laws as barbaric human rights abuses, are the Lords of UK not effectively saying we have a wicked barbaric God? The Lords must be careful, what they say and they must be aware that we have a just God, who does not tolerate any violations of His laws, which are called sins.
What God has classified as sin, no human can or must alter. Human laws can be amended because we never have perfect laws, but not the laws of God. They are perfectfrom the beginning and remains so, throughout all eternity. The Lords, must know that anyone who preaches something different, from the Word of God, remains cursed (Galatians 1:8).
One must say that the death penalty may be too harsh, so here it becomes necessary to put LGBTQ+ into rehabilitation and reverse them to normalcy. After all, when products do not function as they should,they are withdrawn from the market and fixed before taken back.
Nobody knows why God so much detest LGBTQ+ and why He is very harsh on homosexuality. We must not be seen to encourage any form of sin, because doing so we also sin by condoning others to sin. What we ought to do is to find ways of discouraging others from sinning.
Secondly, it is very disrespectful and discriminatory to condemn sub-Saharan African countries who have Anti-LGBTQ+ laws and place sanctions on them to break that resolve, without including the North African Islamic nations who have very strict Anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
Today, at least twelve countries implement the death penalty on LGBTQ+ activities, they are Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Islam dominated Northern Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, UAE, Uganda and Yemen. Uganda is the only Christian dominated country in the list. If the Lords of UK are saying that Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are tarnishing Uganda’s reputation in the world, then, what about that of Saudi Arabia and the other eleven?
During the 2024 FIFA Would Cup in Qatar, the host nation warned against any exhibition of LGBTQ activities and the West humbly complied. So, why this attack on poor Uganda who wants to comply with God’s law?
I want the West to first place economic embargo on countries like Brunei, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE and force them to accept LGBTQ+ and further more, make them adopt multi-party democracy. After this is done, the West can turn to Black Africa.
Thirdly, with this ambition of having regime change in Uganda and adopting and supporting the opposition leader, Joel Ssanyonyi, to take over from Yoweri Museveni, I will strongly advise that this must be scrapped.
Has the UK forgotten so soon about Idi Amin and this same Uganda? To break the Communist chain from Sudan to South Africa, the West prepared Idi Amin and made him take over from the East-bound Milton Obote. During his reign, he turned against the West and killed over 500,000 Ugandans.
I have nothing against Joel, but I will only caution UK to allow Ugandans to freely elect the one they choose to lead them.We do not want another case of destabilisation of Uganda.
And by the way, the UK should know by now that it is not politics that is driving Anti-LGBTQ+ in Black Africa, but rather the society and culture. If majority of the people frown against LGBTQ+, no political office holder can encourage such activities. So, whoever the West puts there as president, must first and foremost accept that LGBTQ+ will not be tolerated. The only solution, maybe, is for West to re-colonise Black Africa.
Lastly, have the UK considered the economic burden on Black African nations when they fully embrace LGBTQ+? Let us take transgender for example which cost at least, $100,000.00 to change the gender of a person. Assuming as in the case of the USA 0.0047% of the 50 million Ugandans opt for transgender, it will mean 235,000 people wasting $100,000.00 each or $23.5 billion in total. This bill can only be funded through external loans. In the end what happens?
In the end all Black African nations who opt for LGBTQ+ will be so heavily indebted, indebtedness that will not show in productivity and progress,and the only way to repay will be for creditor nations to take over all the nations’resources.Is that what the West wants.
In conclusion, I feel there must be ways to find substitute for death sentences for LGBTQ+ activists, but to say these death sentences are barbaric, is to say that the God who created us, is a barbaric God. This is blasphemy, my Lords, don’t you think so?
Hon. Daniel Dugan
