Anti-gay law: Don’t impose your lifestyle on us, Basalirwa tells the West

The architect of Uganda’s strict Anti-gay law, Mr Asuman Basalirwa has brushed off voices from the Western powers de-campaigning government from implementing the legislation insisting that Uganda is a sovereign state with its own values to uphold.
The legislation-the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023-was on Friday last week assented to by President Museveni, weeks after Parliament processed and passed it despite persistent resistance from pressure groups and foreign powers opposed to the law.
There has equally triggered substantial rebuttal from persons in support of the law including Parliament and government officials requesting that persons opposed to the legislation, respect the norms of the Ugandan community.
Mr Basalirwa’s call contained in his message made as he received an ‘appreciation message’ delivered by a section of students from at least 13 Universities and institutions of higher learning at the Parliament main gate on Wednesday, the Bugiri Municipality reasoned that homosexuality is a lifestyle that Western forces and pressure groups should not impose of Ugandans.
“You [Western powers] are not going to impose a lifestyle on us because there is a difference between life and lifestyle. Homosexuality is a matter of a lifestyle. It is not life and we want that to be very clear,” Mr Basalirwa said before tasking the students and their counterparts to “engage other people” to resist acts of homosexuality across the country.
“All we demand from them is just respect. There are things we do here but can’t be done in their countries,” he added.
To the leadership of the students under their umbrella body, the “Youth and Students Association” steered by Mr Markson Muhwezi, the Justice Forum (JEEMA) leader demanded that the same efforts are exhibited in popularising the law across the country. “Your efforts should not end here. You should find time and go to the American Embassy and tell them [Americans], please, respect us.”
He equally intimated that efforts and the entire Parliament had been a clear manifestation of the expectations of the majority citizenry across the country, something students portrayed in their peaceful march from Wandegeya-Kampala to Parliament.
 “We were in this country for three years during Covid, we didn’t die, as a matter of fact those Europeans and Americans died in bigger numbers than US, we will survive by the Grace of God,” Mr Basalirwa said.
According to Mr Muhwezi, the students in the Wednesday ‘peaceful march’ were drawn from among others Makerere, Kampala International University, Makerere Business School (MUBS) and Cavendish University, most based in Uganda’s capital Kampala.
The students promised to deliver the same appreciation to President Museveni in a similar manner on an undisclosed date.