Uganda; Anti gay activists disagree over the proposed law

As Uganda’s Parliament prepares an anti-LGBT law, Anti-Homosexuality activist Pastor Moses Solomon Male, who is also the Executive Director of Arising for Christ, a Christian organization fighting cults and false teachers in Pentecostal churches refutes claims that some people are born gays, calling homosexuality a wrong addiction. Pastor Male claims that homosexuals initiate youngsters into the practice, a trend that must be fought against.  The Pastor considers the proposed Uganda’s Anti – Homosexuality (private members) Bill of 2009 by Hon. David Bahati as intended to protect gays rather than stopping homosexuality. In his opinion, it is counselling rather than legislation that must be resorted to if homosexuality is to be challenged.

Pastor Moses Solomon Male spoke to Peterson Ssendi on the subject:

Are some people homoerotic?

Pr. Male; Homoerotic means being sexually attracted to people of the same sex.

Nature does not make anyone like that. Sexual perversion causes people to become so.  Indulgence in homosexuality is an addiction akin to alcoholism or or smoking. The first experience is never good but when a person is eventually addicted to it, he or she craves for it. This means that if someone claims to be homoerotic, he /she is addicted to homosexuality.

I mean, hence, people are never naturally homoerotic.

What does the Bible teach about homosexuality?

• The first incidences of it on record are the events where Sodom & Gomorrah are destroyed by God (Gen 18.20- 19.29).
• Biblically it is banned (Lev 18.22)
• Indulgence of homosexuality is punished by death (Lev 20.13) & Romans 1.26-27.

According to the scriptures; except for Lot the sojourner and his children, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah openly indulged in homosexuality with impunity, greatly provoking God and compelling him to destroy them after disclosing his plan to Abraham.

Genesis 18.22-33 details Abraham’s vain fervent intercession for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah:

“Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? …. ”

God’s response was so swift and clear, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Abraham continued to intercede lowering the stakes till he finally pleaded, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.”

Still God answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

If homosexuality is not accepted by religion, is it reason enough to make laws or policies based on this non-acceptance?

I don’t oppose homosexuality on the basis of religion alone; in fact, even if I hadn’t been a Christian, I would oppose it because of the dangers  it poses to those who indulge in it, such as  anal-rectal prolapses, haemorrhoids, anal fissures, damage to the bowels, anal incontinence, faecal incontinence and anal cancer to the recipient of anal sex ; infections that can cause physical damage to the urethra of the penetrator; and urinary incontinence, cervical cancer & haemorrhages to the recipient,  besides higher risks of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia, and candidiosis . Haunting traumas compel many homosexuals to indulge in drugs and alcohol, and contemplate suicide.

It doesn’t need religion to understand that homosexuality is dangerous; it only needs common sense which unfortunately is so uncommon!

Homosexuality is not an illness or madness and is not changeable. What’s your take on this?

Homosexuality is an addiction into which people get pushed into owing to factors like growing up in abusive relationships, disappointments in heterosexual relationships early in life, peer pressure, heterosexual denial when in need, pursuit for economic breakthroughs, heterosexual rapes, sexual abuse and the like.

Homosexuality is not a demon. Or else, pastors involved in the practice could have been easily exorcised.

Is Homosexuality Unnatural? Why? If it is somehow unnatural, are all unnatural things bad?

Homosexuality is an unnatural sexual activity. It is man’s invention. Man has tried to indulge in an activity that contravenes natural laws and is hence very dangerous to human life: doer and doeree and curtails procreation.

A body organ serves more than one purpose. What if this applies to sexual organs too??

It is stupidity that compels people to think that one day, the anal-rectal area will start being the incubator for a foetus, and men will start becoming naturally pregnant, men will start impregnating fellow men and women impregnating fellow women; people will start eating through the anus because even then, the canal leads to the stomach; and drinking through the penis and women through the vaginas because they are also connected to their respective bladders. There are roles which are meant specifically for the penis, vagina, anal-rectal area and mouth, and should they be abused or misused, problems must come. It is what we are seeing today.

And the penis and vagina were meant for each other. The penis is designed to fit into the vagina. The vagina naturally releases lubrication to smooth-en penetration. This isn’t the case with anal sex where lubricants have to be procured to smooth-en penetration.

Furthermore, because sex without penetration cannot offer maximum satisfaction, the penis and vagina cause enjoyment when intertwined. To get similar enjoyment, because the vaginas cant penetrate each other, lesbians use objects like banana fingers, carrots, egg plants, test-tubes, penile like bottles and now plastic, rubber, metallic and plastic dildos  which can greatly endanger the vagina and cause fatalities.

Uganda’s fight against HIV infection is internationally recognized. Should n’t gay men and bisexuals be saved through government policies too?

No one has stopped homosexuals from accessing HIV advice and treatment. What I know is that treatment of homosexuals is very expensive and many victims cannot afford the cost. Do you blame the government for people who choose to endanger themselves when many people continue to die because of their inability to access [or] afford cheaper treatment for ailments like malaria, measles, influenza, and jigger attacks?

About three weeks ago, a young man whose rectum had prolapsed was referred to Mulago Hospital and he was expediently handled to save his life. I am in contact with that man. No one has discriminated against him.

Paul Kagaba was operated in 2012 at Mulago Hospital when his bowel burst in the appendix area and he had to be hospitalized for nearly two full months. This condition is common among homosexual practitioners of anal sex.

Would you want the world to discriminate against gays?

I have never advocated this and never will. That is why I had proposed establishment of a national counselling system in my petition to the Speaker of Parliament.

There is therefore a need for the following:

Establish a fully paid-for national c counselling system where people’s social, spiritual, economic and other problems and challenges can be addressed.

It is a known fact that many people struggling with hetero-sexual pre-marital, marital, family, social and other relationships get compelled to hate the opposite sex and settle for same-sex attraction for solace and comfort and become potential recruits for homosexuality. No tough law can compel them to change their attitude. Though some religious institutions offer counselling  much of it is a hoax. Many fall prey to the religious Mafia masquerading as expert counsellors.

Establish a fully government supported national sensitization campaign on homosexuality, its causes, dangers and preventive package, just like it is with HIV.

Robustly deal with hetero-sexual rape and defilement, one of the key factors compelling young females into lesbianism.

Either let Government sponsor all students in universities and tertiary institutions who cannot afford to pay for their tuitions, or give them long-term loans which are repayable when they are in employment. This will save many young people who get lured into homosexuality when in dire need of tuition money for their studies.

The government needs to strongly tackle poverty and unemployment, which are the root causes behind youngsters turning into homosexuals for a living. Blaming the West for imparting Aid with (LGBT) strings attached is missing the point.

Curative measures:

Let there be a rehabilitation [or] counselling system to help those who voluntarily want to quit homosexuality. This can help them back on course.

Should workers with same sex partners in Uganda enjoy workplace benefits like those with opposite sex partners?

Employees are hired for their productivity. If a homosexual can deliver, there is no reason why he or she should not get commensurate benefits that accrue from employment.

Many people turn homosexual not because they want to, but because of factors beyond their control. You can’t deny a young homosexual university graduate to raise tuition money benefits through employment.

Should employment and medical care be based on sexual orientation and gender identity?

No. Employment should be based on merit and ability to deliver. Medical care should be based on need.

Bullying of youths in schools weakens the standard of education.  Would you support the act towards the LGBTs in our institutions?

I have advocated counselling to homosexuals in many schools I have been to, and have seen many who once indulged in it giving up the practice.

Bullying d doesn’t solve the problem. Many others will do it secretly. A sensitization program on the dangers of such indulgence can work wonders since many indulge in it out of ignorance to the dangers it poses to human health.

The Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill is being referred to (by LGBT activists) as a law to kill the gays in Uganda. What’s your view?

Homosexuals are shrewd. They are using it to attract international attention. Though one of its clauses carried a death sentence for aggravated homosexuality, its implementation is impossible.

It actually protects homosexuals against exposure, makes it more difficult to prove indulgence. Since it breaches some articles of the Constitution, you can be sure that once passed, the homosexuals will petition the Constitutional court and have it declared unconstitutional. This will open up the legal space for free indulgence in homosexuality because it will then repeal all existing laws on the subject.

Was the biblical destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah based on rape or homosexuality?

It was based on indulgence in homosexuality. God had pre-determined destroying the two cities long before the men of Sodom attempted to rape the two angels who were in Lot’s home (Gen 18 & 19).

Reporter Peterson Ssendi is a also a Senior Presenter at Radio Simba in Kampala, Uganda.