US President Barack Obama has raised gay rights while in Kenya, and that nation’s President responded by claiming it’s a “non-issue”. "With respect to the rights of gays and lesbians - I've been consistent all across Africa on this. I believe in the principle of treating people equally under the law. And that they are deserving of equal protection under the law. And that the State should not discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation," he said at a joint press conference with Kenyan leader Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi. "When you start treating people differently, not because of any harm they are doing to anybody, but because they are different, that's the path whereby freedoms begin to erode. And bad things happen." Under Kenyan law, sexual activity between men is punishable with up to 14 years in prison. Obama was urged by Kenyan politicians not to raise gay rights on his trip, but he stood firm. "As an African-American, I am painfully aware of what happens when people are treated differently under the law,” he stated. Kenyatta said while the US and Kenya share many common values and goals, gay rights is not one of them. “There are some things that we must admit we don't share. Our culture, our societies don't accept." He added: "It is very difficult for us to be able to impose on people that which they themselves do not accept," Kenyatta continued. "This is why I repeatedly say for Kenyans today [gay rights] is generally a non-issue. We want to focus on other areas." A homophobic political group had threatened a nude march if Obama raised gay rights issues.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 26th July 2015 - 11:12am