An anti-homosexuality bill was signed into law in February by Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, but has since been invalidated by a Ugandan court because the bill was signed during a parliamentary session that lacked a quorum. The controversial bill, first introduced in 2009, includes punishing first-time offenders with 14 years in prison, and authorizes life imprisonment for acts of “aggravated homosexuality.”
Back in February, while the western world watched as the bill became law, President Museveni, who is a devout evangelical Christian, defended his decisions to an international audience.
In an interview with CNN around the time the bill was passed, he was asked if he personally disliked homosexuals. Without any hesitation, he answered, “Of course, they are disgusting…. What sort of people are they? I never know what they are doing.”
As the interviews continued, so did his defence; Museveni showed nothing but hatred towards the LGBTQ community. His reasoning? Because he doesn’t understand them. And he doesn’t agree with them.
As Christians, we can’t tolerate contempt like this. Hatred towards any group of people, no matter how different their beliefs or values, is never justified. Love is simply bigger than our agreements and disagreements. In his comments against homosexuals, Museveni displays what it can look like if we choose to base our acceptance of a person on our own personal opinions.
Jesus wasn’t exclusive with his love. We have no right to be either.
As we continue to watch this battle unfold overseas, it becomes easy to believe that there is simply nothing we can do but sit in our comfortable communities with our good friends and talk about how we need to love each other.
But we can learn from Yoweri Museveni. We must.
We must refuse to tolerate hatred. In our communities, in our neighbourhoods, there are people whose values might clash with our own. But we must refuse to reject people for their differences; instead, let’s seek to know them, to understand who they are.
So let’s vehemently refuse what Museveni is preaching. Let’s love people the way Jesus first loved us.
Photo (Flickr CC) by Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
