MORE ON THIS STORY: CNNI 20:00GMT
February 24, 2014 -- Updated 1815 GMT (0215 HKT)
After signing an anti-homosexuality bill into law, Ugandan President
Yoweri Museveni called homosexuals "disgusting" in an interview with
CNN. FULL STORY
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BILL BECOMES LAW
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UGANDA ANTI-GAY LAW
Ugandan President: Gays 'disgusting'
Uganda president: Homosexuals are 'disgusting'
February 24, 2014 -- Updated 1959 GMT (0359 HKT)
Ugandan President: Gays 'disgusting'
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed an anti-homosexuality bill Monday
- He said the West should not force its beliefs onto Ugandans
- The White House says Museveni took his country a "step backward"
Museveni told CNN's Zain Verjee on Monday that, in his view, being homosexual is unnatural and not a human right.
"They're disgusting. What
sort of people are they?" he said. "I never knew what they were doing.
I've been told recently that what they do is terrible. Disgusting. But I
was ready to ignore that if there was proof that that's how he is born,
abnormal. But now the proof is not there."
Portaits of gay Ugandan couples
Ugandan pres. rejects Western criticism
Museveni signed the bill
into law at a public event Monday. The bill was introduced in 2009 and
originally included a death penalty clause for some homosexual acts.
The nation's Parliament
passed the bill in December, replacing the death penalty provision with a
proposal of life in prison for "aggravated homosexuality." This
includes acts in which one person is infected with HIV, "serial
offenders" and sex with minors, according to Amnesty International.
Museveni also told CNN that the West should not force its beliefs onto Ugandans.
"Respect African
societies and their values," he said. "If you don't agree, just keep
quiet. Let us manage our society, then we will see. If we are wrong, we
shall find out by ourselves, just the way we don't interfere with
yours."
He also said Westerners
brought homosexuality to his country, corrupting society by teaching
Ugandans about homosexuality. The West has also helped make children at
schools homosexual by funding groups that spread homosexuality, he said.
The White House press
secretary issued a statement Monday: "Instead of standing on the side of
freedom, justice, and equal rights for its people, today, regrettably,
Ugandan President Museveni took Uganda a step backward by signing into
law legislation criminalizing homosexuality."
The statement continued:
"As President Obama has said, this law is more than an affront and a
danger to the gay community in Uganda, it reflects poorly on the
country's commitment to protecting the human rights of its people and
will undermine public health, including efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. We
will continue to urge the Ugandan government to repeal this abhorrent
law and to advocate for the protection of the universal human rights of
LGBT persons in Uganda and around the world."
Attitudes against homosexuality are prevalent in Uganda. A 2013 report from Pew Research found that 96% of Ugandans believe society should not accept homosexuality.
Thirty-eight African countries have made homosexuality illegal. Most sodomy laws there were introduced during colonialism.
Even before Museveni signed the bill into law, homosexual acts were punishable by 14 years to life in prison.
CNN's Zain Verjee and Antonia Mortensen
reported from Kampala, Uganda. Elizabeth Landau wrote from Atlanta.
CNN's Faith Karimi, Nick Thompson and Yousuf Basil contributed to this
report.
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