Homosexuality: Tayebwa asks govt to fund religious institutions

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has tasked the government to start funding all religious institutions across the country as one of the ways to fight homosexuality and abortion.

Speaking yesterday during the National Parliamentary Conference on Ethics and Morality at Kololo Independence Grounds yesterday, Mr Tayebwa said instead of funding Opposition political parties “that are fuelling hatred and facilitating racism”, the funds should be diverted to religious institutions.

“Why can’t we fund our churches? Why do we leave our churches at the mercy of people who are saying ‘we shall not fund you because you are not supporting LGBT’,” Mr Tayebwa wondered.

He added: “We can start these discussions and agree on a formal way with the religious leaders on how much the government can give them to support their activities. With this, we shall cut off donors and evil people promoting homosexuality and abortion in our Church.”

Without giving specifics on how donors are fuelling abortion and homosexuality in churches, Mr Tayebwa said he has been threatened by various people that he will be denied a USA Visa after he publically denounced homosexuality during the recent 61st Session of the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States Parliamentary Assembly.

Mr Tayebwa, who headed Uganda’s delegation to the Mozambican capital of Maputo, vowed to oppose alleged plans by pro-gay nations to impose the promotion of homosexuality and abortion as new conditions for trade and aid relationships with the European Union.

“In Uganda, issues of LGBT…,” Mr Tayebwa stated, referring to an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, “…and abortion are issues that can never be accepted and we shall not pass laws that shall allow them,”  he said during the Assembly sitting earlier this month. 

Mr Tayebwa said it is on this basis that he has been allegedly threatened.
“People have been telling me that I will be like Bahati who was denied US entry over protesting hosexuality. I do not care about what they say because the most important Visa I need is the one for going to heaven,” Mr Tayeebwa said.

Mr David Bahati, the State minister for Trade, who authored the Anti- Homosexual Bill in Uganda, was in 2013 denied entry to a conference in Washington DC.

Education minister and the First Lady Janet Museveni said the country will always follow its values and morals that govern society.

“It does not matter to those who threaten us that they do not want to give us money. They can keep their money. God will provide for us. He will provide for us if we stand on our values,” Ms Museveni said.

Ms Museveni said what is manifesting in society today is a reflection of the general state of the family, which is the basic unit of society.

Ms Museveni said regrettably, today, there is a leadership vacuum in most families, as many parents focus entirely on earning a living and other social affairs at the expense of making time and effort to parent their children.

“Consequently, this vacuum is filled by distorted information from peers, the media and the so-called “celebrities”, many of whom are negative role models. We have witnessed some of them in the media promoting immorality, substance abuse and violence as a way of life,” she said.

Ms Mary Begumisa, the Ssembabule Woman MP and treasurer for Parliamentary Forum of Ethics and Integrity, said as legislators, they are willing to support the funding for religious institutions to support those in need.