Uganda’s Minister for Ethics and Integrity, Simon Lokodo reportedly defended the country’s controversial ‘jail the gays’ bill after President Museveni announced he would be signing the bill into action.
The President announced at his national party retreat that he would sign the bill, adding “We shall have a war with the homosexual lobby, in the world”.
Minister Lokodo has declared his support for the bill, which would allow jail sentences and in some cases life imprisonment for LGBT people, as well as sentences for those who fail to report same sex relationships. He is also supportive of the Anti-Pornography Bill, which prohibits women from wearing miniskirts and other clothing deemed ‘provocative’. The bill bans a number of films and TV shows, as well as keeping pop artists such as Beyonce from performing in the country.
In defence of the controversial laws, Lokodo said “We shall not care losing the financial support from our partners if only we are left alone,” he also added that Ugandans would rather “die poor than live in an immoral nation”.
“For donors to say they will not give us aid because of the anti-homosexuality bill and the anti-porno law, that is blackmail and unacceptable, they can rather stay with their aid,” Lokodo said.
“If tomorrow, the president signs the anti-homosexuality bill and the outside world say they are not coming to Uganda, let them remain there, we don’t care.”
Stephen Fry recently spoke to Minister Simon Lokodo as part of series ‘Out There’ which explores homophobia all over the world.
