A Ugandan transgender activist hit back at an extremist anti-gay preacher during a television debate, calling him a ‘hooligan’.

LGBT campaigner Pepe Onziema was joined on Ugandan talk show Morning Breeze by Reverend Martin Ssempa – a pastor known for his Bible-thumping sermons against homosexuality in which he shows pornography in churches.

During the interview on the African nation’s NBS TV channel, Ssempa launched into a furious rant about why gay sex is unnatural, using a banana to prove why the anus is for ‘exit only’.

He then attacks Onziema calling him a ‘woman’ and referring to him using the pronoun ‘she’.

Despite the pastor’s transphobic rant, Onziema keeps his cool and insists that Ugandan society has not ‘rejected’ him.

‘It is the propaganda of the likes of Ssempa. My family loves me as I am,’ he said.

After the reverend continues his hate-filled tirade, Onziema bemoaned: ‘I cannot believe you would put me on this show with a hooligan.’

Uganda is currently debating passing a law which would give the death penalty for ‘aggravated homosexuality’.

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill is scheduled for discussion in parliament and, if passed, men or women who have gay sex could be imprisoned for life.

Those guilty of ‘aggravated homosexuality’ include HIV positive people who have gay sex or ‘serial offenders’. They will be executed.

The bill has been tabled for discussion in Uganda’s parliament since the beginning of December.

However, parliament closed for the festive break on Friday (14 December) and it is unlikely the bill will be raised again until politicians return in January 2013, despite Speaker Rebecca Kadaga promising the law as a ‘Christmas present’ to her homophobic supporters.

President Yoweri Museveni says he does not support the execution of gay people, but does support banning the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality.

His comments follow signs that the government is trying to distance itself from the proposed legislation after Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi suggested Uganda was not ready to proceed with the bill because the penal code already provides penalties for homosexuality.

Watch the video of the debate below:



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