Gays Deserve Equality - Obama Tells African Leaders
US President Barack Obama has once agained defended gay rights across the Africa but now citing Nelson Mandela's plight as inspiration
Obama said he understood that different religions and cultures adhered to different beliefs and traditions, but that the simple principle of equality should be the guide for states and governments. “I want the African people to just hear what I believe,” Obama said.
He said this in a country where being gay is a crime and punishable by serving prison sentence
“My basic view is that regardless of race, regardless of religion, regardless of gender, regardless of sexual orientation, when it comes to how the law treats you… people should be treated equally.”
Senegalese President Macky Sall replied that though Senegal was a “very tolerant country which does not
discriminate in terms of inalienable rights of the human being”, it was not ready yet to decriminalise homosexuality. “But of course this does not mean that we are all homophobic.”
Obama revealed that he will still head to South Africa despite rumours that Nelson Mandela is in critical condition, He therefore revealed that Mandela was the man who incited political activism in him and he was inspired by Mandela's example when he was a student
“I think he is a hero for the world and if and when he passes from this place, one thing I think we will all know is, his legacy is one that will linger on through the ages,” Obama said.
With the US facing big debt problems, wont it be wise that he focuses on his country's agenda
We Africans don't need to always follow the way shown by the American's especially on gay agenda, Granted we do have tough laws against homosexuality but please if the US is soo agitated about rights of homosexuals in Africa they can open their gate and take them all cause Africans are not yet ready
Do you think Obama should in any form or way meddle with African affairs?
