Uganda recently implemented one of the world’s most severe anti-LGBT laws. Anyone who reportedly advocates for or supports homosexuality might face up to two decades in prison, and same-sex acts might culminate in the death penalty. As a result, a church leader voiced his opposition to the newly enacted legislation; however, he has been accused of propagating colonialism.
Church Leader’s Statement Opposing Uganda’s Anti-LGBT Law
The Church of Uganda estimates that 36 percent of Uganda’s population of about 45 million people are Anglicans. The Anglican Communion, which consists of millions of residents spread across 165 countries, is amid a contentious debate on the ordination of gay clergy by some churches in various Western countries and views regarding same-sex marriage.
A report from Reuters stated that Uganda had passed one of the most extreme anti-LGBTQ laws in the world. According to this law, certain acts of same-sex behavior are punishable by the death penalty, and “promoting” homosexuality can result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years. After introducing the new legislation, the Primate of Uganda, Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba, expressed his appreciation for the recently enacted law. He claimed that foreign actors posing as human rights campaigners were coercing Ugandans into practicing homosexuality, which is in direct opposition to the cultural and religious values held by Ugandans.
Moreover, the leader of the global Anglican Communion, Justin Welby, stated that he had written to Archbishop Kaziimba to convey his “grief and dismay” at the denomination’s views on the issue of implementing the world’s harshest anti-LGBT law. On Friday, Jun 9, Welby issued a statement indicating no basis for any region of the Anglican Communion to adopt such laws. The justification would reportedly not be found in the province’s resolutions, teachings, or shared Gospel. However, in April, the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) expressed that it no longer had faith in Welby due to his comments favoring same-sex partnerships being blessed in churches. Accordingly, the Ugandan church has played a crucial role in GAFCO’s leadership, also known as a conservative organization.
Alleged Colonialism
According to a report from Aljazeera, in 2008, Anglicans came together to form GAFCON as a reaction to what the organization considers to be the abandoning of ideas based on the Bible by Western churches. GAFCON asserts that it speaks for the majority of all Anglicans throughout the world. On Wednesday, Jun 14, the chairman of a conservative organization of Anglican church officials accused Welby of perpetuating colonialism with his condemnation of Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ legislation. The leader of Rwanda’s Anglican Church and chair of GAFCON, Bishop Laurent Mbanda, stated that some northern continent provinces’ past of colonization and patronizing behavior toward the South, particularly Africa, has not yet come to an end.
On the other hand, AP News reported that Welby made clear in his statements that he was “deeply aware” of the long tradition of colonial control in Uganda and that he was not trying to enforce Western principles on the people of Uganda. But, he pointed out that despite their differences, Anglican leaders worldwide had concluded that homophobia should be condemned and that criminal punishments against LGBTQ+ individuals should be rejected.
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