Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addressed the United Nations on Monday telling the general assembly that he and his countrymen were ‘not gays’.
The 91 year old leader, who has a long history of anti-gay statements, used his speech to argue that countries should not have to accept ‘new rights’ only those that the United Nations originally championed.
“Nowhere does the charter abrogate the right of some to sit in judgment over others.” President Mugabe said.
Mugabe said that Zimbabwe would reject any attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to the country’s norms, traditions, values and beliefs. The President’s proclamation “We are not gays”, drew a mix of responses including shock and laughter.
The ‘We are not gays!” line was not in the official speech published ahead of Mugabe’s delivery.
The president has previous described homosexuals as being ‘worse than pigs” and Zimbabwe has some of the toughest laws against homosexuality, and perceived homosexuality.
There were calls for the President to resign earlier this month after he read the wrong speech. Mugabe delivered a 25 minute speech at the opening of parliament, but it was the same speech he’d delivered a month earlier. The President’s office was blamed for giving him the wrong text.
Member of the opposition parties in Zimbabwe’s parliament said the speech mixup showed that the President was becoming senile and losing his faculties.
