Ugandan president signs bill on tougher punishment for gays

Scientists say no gene causes homosexuality

Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni signs an anti-homosexuality bill into law Feb. 24.
(Photo: James Akena / CNS / Reuters)

Yoweri Museveni signed a bill that toughens penalties against homosexual behaviour in Uganda. Certain acts can be punished with up to life in prison.

Museveni said his decision was founded on scientific research by the Department of Genetics, the School of Medicine, and the Ministry of Health.

(The scientists') unanimous conclusion was that homosexuality, contrary to my earlier thinking, was behavioural and not genetic. It was learnt and could be unlearnt.

I have now received their signed document, which says there is no single gene that has been traced to cause homosexuality.

Bishops in Uganda spoke up, reaffirming their opposition to homosexuality but against the harsh penalties.

"Our reaction from the church is very clear, we don't support homosexuality," John Baptist Kauta, secretary-general of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, told Catholic News Service.

He said that when the anti-gay bill was first discussed, the country's bishops had been against the harsh penalties it involved for homosexual acts, including the death penalty.

"The bishops were not in favour of that," he said. "We were for compassion, and we believe (homosexuals) can change."