Commonwealth Games: Ugandan coach praises Barrowman gay kiss

A Ugandan coach at the Commonwealth Games has praised a gay kiss during the opening ceremony.

The ceremony on Wednesday evening, which is estimated to have reached a global audience of several hundred million, featured a kiss between actor John Barrowman and a male dancer, in celebration of equality in Scotland.

The kiss was attacked on BBC Breakfast the next morning, with fashion columnist Tessa Hartmann branding it “inappropriate for children”.

However, Barrowman has received surprise backing from an unlikely source.

According to the Times, Ugandan coach Grace Eriyo said: “Where we come from it is illegal to kiss a man, but here you can have it on the TV, right in front of the Queen.

“To me that is so great.”

Uganda is not usually known for its liberal attitudes towards sexuality.

In February, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a Anti-Homosexuality Act, which further criminalising same-sex sexual activity, allowing repeat offenders to be sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Minister for Ethics and Integrity Simon Lokodo in May accused the country’s HIV support groups of “promoting homosexuality” and warns that he will take action against them.

• Dec 01 2023

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