No one is born gay - Minister Baryomunsi

The Minister for Information, Communication Technology (ICT) and National Guidance, Dr Chris Baryomunsi said Parliament will remain firm on protecting the values of Uganda by maintaining its stand on the recently passed Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023 is awaiting President Museveni to sign.

“I’m a medical doctor by training. Homosexuality is not natural; it’s not right that someone should argue that they were born a homosexual and there’s nothing I can do about it. A lot of studies have been done and there’s no evidence whatsoever to indicate that homosexuality is as a result of genetic predisposition, rather evidence indicates it’s a behavior which is learnt and can be unlearnt,” the Kinkizi East MP made the remarks during the opening of the two-day 1st African Inter- Parliamentary Conference on Family values and sovereignty attended by Members of Parliament and delegates from 17 countries on Friday in Entebbe.
“I asked some of the foreign media if they have heard us inquiring of the laws made in America or any of the European countries. They legislate for their countries and we legislate for ours. Why should you impose a culture that is not ours? Homosexuality is not African, we are saying if you cherish it in your country, cherish it from there; don’t impose it on us,” he said.

Mr Baryomunsi who was representing Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among said African leaders must be firm and promote mutual respect. 
In her remarks Speaker Among whose speech was read by Mr Baryomunsi, said presently the sovereignty of Uganda and its citizens are at a great risk from foreign influences.
“These manifests through conditional development aide and associated pressures arising from promotion of unparalleled behaviors such as homosexuality and abortion among others” she said.
Speaker Among said some development partners are blackmailing and threatening the country with the probability of withdrawing development support after Parliament passing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023.

“This affirms that the greatest threat to our nations is poverty. Had our citizens been empowered and self-sustaining, our countries would not be suffering from the rising cultural pollution disguised in development aide and promotion of human rights,” she said.
The President of the African Bar Association Mr Hannibal Uwaifo said there is need to curtail greedy African leaders who have pushed the continent into a mess.
“We are a conservative bar, we are not immune to changes but we are a conservative bar. We revere our African values and are happy to be Africans, we keep insisting we don’t need aid in order to succeed as a continent,” he said.
The chairperson Uganda Women Parliamentarians Association Sarah Opendi said the meeting is aimed at coming up with an African position to strengthen its family values and sovereignty.  
“We need, as Africans to stand together to ensure our family values don’t go down the drain. Our actions today will affect the future families either positively or negatively. Our family values are what define us, there is nothing as important as family. Once the family is destroyed, then the communities will be destroyed and the nations will be no more,” she said.