A Kenyan politician is warning President Obama to leave his liberal agenda at home in the United States during his upcoming visit to the African country.
“We are telling Mr. Obama when he comes to Kenya this month and he tries to bring the abortion agenda, the gay agenda, we shall tell him to shut up and go home,” Irungu Kangata told demonstrators outside Kenya’s parliament.
Other Kenyan lawmakers also publicly condemned President Obama’s social liberalism.
“Liberal thoughts are being tolerated in some countries under the guise of human rights,” Kenyan National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi said. “We must be vigilant and guard against [gay marriage and abortion].”
“We must lead an upright society and not allow obnoxious behavior as we have a responsibility to our children,” Muturi also said.
The general consensus among some Kenyan MPs seems to be that same-sex marriages are contrary to African culture and ought not be permitted by the government.
According to a study done by the Law Library of Congress, in many African countries, LGBT identity is punishable. In most countries, gay unions are not permitted.
Under Kenyan law, sodomy carries the penalty of 14 years in prison.
On June 26, the Supreme Court of the United States legalized gay marriage across the entire union. President Obama applauded the decision, calling it a victory and lighting the White House with rainbow lights.
On Twitter, Kenyan supporters of the traditional definition of marriage took to posting their frustration with President Obama’s social politics, using #KenyansMessageToObama.
Many of the tweets accused the president of wanting to impose his will on the world and worry that his visit may be about more than just expanding trade ties between the two nations.
We have pressing matters,things that matter to Kenyans lives. Keep your gay agenda to yourself, Kenya’s want business #KenyansMessageToObama
— Eddie Mwangi (@EddieMmwangi) July 6, 2015
#KenyansMessageToObama We have very beautiful, amazing and lovely women… why should we be gay pic.twitter.com/32mBhctKxQ
— Nicky Mwathi (@nickythebrand) July 6, 2015
#KenyansMessageToObama we are a straight nation and that will never change!!!!
— Edwin. (@itsEdu254) July 6, 2015
Despite high-profile victories in Ireland and the United States for same-sex marriage advocates, there is still significant support for the traditionalist position worldwide. Poland recently elected a conservative president who swore to block any liberalization of social policy, on every issue from abortion to gay marriage. Russia is another country with laws against homosexuality. According to opinion polling, 75 percent of the Russian people believe that homosexuality is immoral.
Israel, where conservative politicians recently won a major election, also has marriage laws which make it difficult for same-sex partners to wed, though Israel remains the most tolerant nation towards LGBT individuals in the Middle East.
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