Obama lectures Kenyan president on gay rights

July 25, 2015 21:27

President Barack Obama on Saturday lectured Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta about his country's gay rights record.

Under Kenyan law, sexual activity between men is illegal and punishable with a maximum imprisonment of 14 years.

"When you start treating people differently not because of any harm they are doing to anybody, but because they are different, that's the path whereby freedoms begin to erode," Obama said at a joint press conference with the Kenyan leader in Nairobi. "And bad things happen."

Obama equated legalized discrimination of gays to legalized racism in America.

"And when a government gets in a habit of people treating people differently, those habits can spread," Obama continued. "As an African-American, I am painfully aware of what happens when people are treated differently under the law."

Kenyatta, however, said that while the US and Kenya share many common values and goals, gay rights is not one of them.

TOP STORIES

KL Rahul points to injuries for LSG's shortcomings

LSG skipper KL Rahul, whose team also finished out of play-off zone was disappointed.

No excuses: Hardik says MI deserved last place finish

'The whole season kind of went wrong. We can pass this game as another one (that went wrong)'

Scheffler charged with police officer assault before PGA Championship second round

In Pictures - LSG end season with dominant win; MI finish last

Scenes from the IPL match between the Mumbai Indians and the Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Friday.

'We are not worried what Modiji says about Muslims'

While political experts claim that the Modi Magic is missing in the 2024 general election, the common people in the street -- at least those in the crowd on Thursday -- vow that they will vote for Modi and the candidate who contests the...