As the Western Countries applaud the US President Barack Obama’s administration for pushing for the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe, took a rather bizarre swipe at the Obama administration. In a very sarcastic statement, President Mugabe said he will travel to Washington, DC and like a classical suitor go down on one knee and ask for Obama’s hand in marriage.
“I’ve just concluded – since President Obama endorsed the same-sex marriage, advocates homosexual people and enjoys an attractive countenance – thus if it becomes necessary, I shall travel to Washington, DC, get down on my knee and ask his hand.” – Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe.
It is no secret that the Obama administration has been very critical of the authoritarian and dictatorship rule Mugabe has in Zimbabwe over the years. It is also a fact that homosexuality is largely considered unnatural and goes against every cultural practices and beliefs held by the native African people.
Meet the newest couple in town. Obama said yes to Robert Mugabe pic.twitter.com/p6vwzSUvys
— highbee (Gemini) (@iDeyPromote) June 30, 2015
However, Mugabe remarks beg the question. Is he ridiculing the Obama’s administration over LGBT right to marriage, merely because he is opposed to homosexuality, or is he trying to water-down Obama’s popularity in sub-Saharan Africa? This ridicule on Obama’s stand on LGBT is not the first swipe Mugabe has made. Back in July 2013, he was quoted launching yet another verbal attack on President Obama saying:
“Then we have this American president, Obama, born of an African father, who is saying we will not give you aid if you don’t embrace homosexuality. We ask, was he born out of homosexuality? We need continuity in our race, and that comes from the woman and no to homosexuality. John and John, no; Maria and Maria, no.”
Gay rights may be improving in other parts of the world, but in some sub-Sahara African countries, they could be getting worse. According to a report tabled in 2013 by Amnesty International, the LGBT people are facing dangerous homophobic reaction in many African countries. However, there are some few sub-Saharan countries where the LGBT rights have improved significantly. Countries such as South Africa and Mozambique have made considerable progress towards accepting different sexual orientation among their citizens.