Ugandan students march to Parliament in protest of Biden’s influence of LGBTQ policy

• In a notable demonstration of national unity and cultural pride, students from over 13 universities in Uganda have recently mobilized to express their opposition to the external promotion of the pro-LGBTQ agenda

• The protest was against U.S. President Joe Biden, who gave threats of financial sanctions to Uganda for its anti LGBTQ law

A group of young students in Uganda voiced their dissent, chanting slogans and singing in unison, conveying the sentiment, “We don’t want your pro-gay money. We prioritize our love for our country over money.” in a recent rally. The students marched to parliament peacefully. They expressed their opposition to the threat of Joe Biden of imposing financial sanctions on Uganda.

The timing of these protests, occurring at the start of the ‘Pride’ month, hints at the anticipation of incidents from the West that may undermine Ugandan values and provoke further ridicule. 

This sentiment is not limited to Uganda alone. In December, the United States canceled a trip to Indonesia by a special envoy on LGBTQ rights after objections were raised by the country’s most influential Islamic group. The Indonesian council’s vice chairman, Anwar Abbas, emphasized the need to uphold the noble values of their nation’s religion and culture, protecting them from any potential damage.

“As a religious and civilized nation, we are told to respect guests. But we also cannot accept guests whose purpose of coming here is to damage and mess up the noble values of our nation’s religion and culture,” the council’s vice chairman, Anwar Abbas, said in a statement. 

This May, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni officially signed into law one of the most stringent anti-homosexuality measures in the world. Uganda claims it’s stance on this matter is rooted in its commitment to preserving its national values and cultural integrity. However, this action of Uganda drew condemnation from several leaders, including US President Joe Biden who has been a long supporter of this community. In the year 2012 only, as the vice president of the U.S, he came out to be as supportive of the LGBTQ community. This has led him to threaten Uganda with financial sanctions for passing the anti-gay law. Clearly, in the protests, students defiantly reject the financial gains from the U.S. 

The protests in Uganda demonstrate the students rights to preserve their individual values that are prominent to them. Putting financial constraints on the country for the sake of promoting an agenda is unfair and undignified.