The Limiting of the Impact of Proxy Culture Wars by Religious Sensitivity: The Fight of Neo-Pentecostal Churches against LGBTQ Rights Organizations over Uganda’s Future

Abstract

It has been argued recently that Uganda’s sexual law should be interpreted as a part of gender power struggles, rather than in the original neo-colonial interpretation or as a result of structural changes and President Museveni’s pragmatic policy. Based on our intensive fieldwork during the dry season in 2017, we argue that an understanding of this development as a combination of the US proxy culture wars–US cultural wars being fought worldwide-interacting with local reli-gious sensitivity is more plausible. The “sexual law” is a product of the clash between conserva-tives and progressivists over Uganda’s future. The Neo-Pentecostals—typically supported by conservative circles from the USA and Canada—stand against the influence of secular NGOs—mostly connected with the LGBTQ and progressivist circles from the USA and EU. However, the effect of international influence is limited due to religious sensitivity, shaped by lo-cal tradition. Uganda’s people are not passive victims of any kind. They take an active part in the global contest between cultural progressivists and conservatives.