FORMER BOTSWANA PRESIDENT URGES LEGALISATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY
The former president of Botswana and head of the country’s Aids Council Festus Mogae has again called on Botswana to decriminalise homosexuality.
Speaking on the BBC’s Network Africa programme, Mogae said that the banning of homosexuality and sex workers was hampering efforts to stop the spread of HIV.
He explained that while he is heterosexual and personally doesn’t “understand” homosexuality, “there are men who look at other men” and they too “are citizens”.
Mogae also urged the Botswana government to provide condoms to prisoners, even while homosexuality remains illegal.
“If people can go to prison HIV negative and come out of it HIV positive, it means that prisons, whatever the law says, are one of the sources of infection,” he said.
This is not the first time that Mogae, who was president of Botswana from 1998 to 2008, has called for the decriminalisation of homosexuality. In May, during a visit to Malawi, he condemned that country’s anti-gay policies.
“We can preach about behavioural change, but as long as we confine gays and lesbians into dark corners because of our inflexibility to accommodate them, the battle on HIV and AIDS can never be won,” said Mogae at the time.
As a gay man living in Africa, and specifically SA, I am so encouraged when i read this, primarily because there are still leaders out there willing to move against an unhealthy tide of consensus, and challenge countries such as Uganda, Zim and many others on their conservative policies and views. Good on your Mr. Mogae.
I’m sorry but I don’t think u really deserved the position of being a former president of Botswana. Your negetive thoughts will not take u anywhere, because gay people are everywhere in this earth. So I don’t see why you have to play God and judge us as gay people. Secondly, we are not the coarse of da HIV/AIDS disease. So I urge you to go back to your sources and get the correct information. Be a role model, a leader in life, not a destroyer. People like you end up like Gaddafi and the rest
Michael. You clearly didn’t read this article correctly. This “ex president” is actually coming forward and telling his country to legalize homosexuality. He didn’t judge gays. So next time just read the stuff correctly and don’t jump on your horse so quickly. Just fucking chill ok?