Dispatches from the Creation Wars

The object of this Bill is to establish a comprehensive consolidated legislation to protect the traditional family by prohibiting (i) any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex; and (ii) the promotion or recognition of such sexual relations in public institutions and other places through or with the support of any Government entity in Uganda or any non governmental organization inside or outside the country.

This Bill aims at strengthening the nation's capacity to deal with emerging internal and external threats to the traditional heterosexual family.

This legislation further recognizes the fact that same [sex] attraction is not an innate and immutable characteristic.

The Bill further aims at providing a comprehensive and enhanced legislation to protect the cherished culture of the people of Uganda. legal, religious, and traditional family values of the people of Uganda against the attempts of sexual rights activists seeking to impose their values of sexual promiscuity on the people of Uganda.

There is also need to protect the children and youths of Uganda who are made vulnerable to sexual abuse and deviation as a result of cultural changes, uncensored information technologies, parentless child developmental settings and increasing attempts by homosexuals to raise children in homosexual relationships through adoption, foster care, or otherwise.

Jason reacts to this and points out both its barbarism and the absurdity of cultural relativist arguments:

Now, I'm told that even bothering to care about this stuff makes me a neo-colonialist, and that I should probably just back off. I shouldn't impose western, decadent, cosmopolitan values (values like "not killing people who put their penises in non-state-approved places") on an indigenous, authentic, untainted people. Can the subaltern speak, already? And can the oppressors just shut up for once? It's about time for the oppressed to strike out on their own -- and oppress someone else.

That, after all, is what it takes to really grow up as a nation. Or so you've been told, Uganda.

I, however, am writing to you today because this very law looks neo-colonialist to me. It looks like a stale rehash of what we've argued about the United States for most of my life, albeit I see that you play for rather higher stakes over there. As Michelle Goldberg put it in The American -- gasp -- Prospect, "The ludicrous idea that gays and lesbians are imposing their values on Uganda -- or that gay adoption is even on the table in that country -- demonstrates the way American rhetoric pervades that country's anti-gay politics." Sadly, you seem to get this stuff... from us.

Uganda: We've been having this same debate -- full of this same solicitous, hyperventilating care for the traditional family -- for years. We heard it from Anita Bryant back when Idi Amin was still in power. Over here we worry that Scandinavia is imposing its values on Iowa. But in any event, the people who are telling you the loudest to be your own nation, not to accept colonial values, not to ape the West -- these very people are aping the worst aspects of the West.

Heads and nails.