Museveni speaks out on homosexuality

President Yoweri Museveni has said the issue of homosexuality and lesbianism has been totally distorted leading to wrong public debate. “In our society, there were a few homosexuals. There was no persecution, no killings and no marginalization of these people but they were regarded as deviants. Sex among Africans including heterosexuals is confidential," Museveni said. "If am to kiss my wife in public, I would lose an election in Uganda. Western people exhibit sexual acts in public which we don’t do here,” he said, adding that, Africans do even punish heterosexuals who publically expose their sexual acts. The president said what is new is the way Europeans and other Western people handle the issue of sexuality in general, including public flaunting which is a problem and luring young people into acts of homosexuality for money. He said attempts to promote homosexuality as an alternative way of life has led to engagements in running battles with the church. “You have a lot of room in your house, why don’t you go there. Sex is a bilateral issue, not a multilateral one,” he said. The President was on Monday meeting a delegation of USA human rights activists led by Kerry Kennedy, the president of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. Kerry is the niece to former U.S. president John F. Kennedy and daughter to the latter's younger brother Robert F. Kennedy. Accompanied by several lawyers, actors and religious leaders, the activist expressed concern with what she described as harassment of the gay and lesbian community in Uganda including exposure of the pictures. She made it clear that it is a violation of people’s rights to put pictures of sexual minority groups in the [news] papers. She also said the pending Bill on homosexuality works against the international law treaties that Uganda has signed, and cautioned against the misconceptions that equate pedophiles with homosexuals. Kerry Kennedy is the author of The New York Times best seller “Being Catholic Now: Prominent Americans talk about Change in the Church and the Quest for Meaning,” published by Crown Books/Random House in September 2008, and “Speak Truth to Power: Human Rights Defenders Who Are Changing Our World,” (Random House, 2000). Reacting to various issues raised by the team, Museveni said he would investigate claims of violence against homosexuals, adding that for a viable solution, activists must respect the confidentiality of sex in our traditions and culture. He reiterated that in Uganda, "there is no discrimination, no killings, no marginalization, no luring of young people using money into homosexual acts". The team pledged to work with the president on the laws regarding overt sexual acts by offering free consultancy.

FR ANTHONY MUSAALA

FR ANTHONY MUSAALA MIREMBE GARDENS PO BOX 30329 KAMPALA Tuesday 12th March 2013 AN OPEN LETTER TO BISHOPS, PRIESTS AND LAITY: THE FAILURE OF CELIBATE CHASTITY AMONG DIOCESAN PRIESTS. It is an open secret that many catholic priests and some bishops, in Uganda and elsewhere, no longer live celibate chastity. From the numerous cases on the ground one might be forgiven for saying that most diocesan priests either don’t believe in celibacy anymore, or if they do, have long since given up the struggle to be chaste. In any case it still seems important for priests to vow even a woefully imperfect celibacy, if only for the sake of the hallowed ‘priestly image’. The church however still maintains the fable that most catholic priests persevere in celibate chastity fairly well, which fiction begs belief. ALL IS NOT WELL All is definitely not well with what I call ‘administrative celibacy’, in the catholic church. It is a celibacy which is more forced than consented to, and its effects are anything but good. I suggest that now more than at any other time, we must begin an open and frank dialogue about catholic priests becoming happily married men, rather than being miserable and single, either before or after ordination. Although this may be quite a shock to many, but the alternative may be far worse. What do you think happens when lapses and scandals by priests, sisters,brothers and bishops continue unabated , whether hidden or not? My forecast is that we will have a few more years of catholic self-deception; perhaps ten, telling ourselves and the world that everything is Ok, nothing serious. Then more scandals will surface. As people become more enlightened (as in Europe) there will be a crisis of faith, perhaps a sudden collapse, with many leaving the church, either to join other churches (whose pastors may be no better, but who appear to be less hypocritical about it), or to become agnostics, especially the middle classes. One must remember that there are other challenges facing the church, such as general weakening of faith, loss of sacramental life, low incomes, dull liturgies, and the challenges of the media. Many of the youth ( not the children) are already alienated from Catholicism and are easy prey to proselytizing groups. FACING THE NAKED TRUTH The number of catholic priests and bishops who are sexually active in Uganda is unknown, but almost everywhere unedifying stories of priests ‘sexploits’, are not hard to come by. These stories are told in counseling or as anecdotes,or by the media. They are told within the parishes and beyond. They are told at home in families, in taxis, in hair salons and in the markets. What is talked about? Priests’ secret and not so secret liaisons with girls and women, coerced sex with house-maids, with students, with relatives; priests ‘wives’ set up in well established homes; priests involved with a parishioner’s wife; of priests romantically involved with religious Sisters; priests offering money for sex, and so on… If you add to this, a fair number of priests’ and bishops’ children scattered around the nation, who are carefully hidden from view (and not so carefully!), not to mention children who are aborted at priests’ behest, we begin to get the true picture of human weakness, whose consequences are nothing less than catastrophic both for the priest and his partners, and which cannot be concealed by taking a vow of celibacy, or by retreats and more prayers. LETS LEARN FROM EUROPE AND AMERICA While in Europe and the States, the scandal of numerous paedophile priests, whose victims are rightly suing the catholic church is widely reported in the media, very little by contrast is heard about priests and bishops in Africa who continue sexually abusing female minors (or vulnerable women) with no legal action taken. Obviously time has come for serious measures to be undertaken, similar to those in Europe and America. Apart from legal action in civil and ecclesiastical courts aginst offenders, strict ‘child protection’ codes and practices, must be enforced, by the state which for instance should prohibit young or vulnerable females from residing in parish houses, where some of the abuses occur. THE SINS OF DECEPTION AND SILENCE Thus the unnecessary and unpalatable deception about celibate priests, that they are chaste when they are not is clearly contradicted by what is on the ground. The deception is of course not tenable for much longer. Surely we must first tell ourselves the truth as a church, that is to say, that celibacy has failed or is failing us, and then also tell the world which we have been deceiving the naked truth, before we are completely overtaken by events. Unfortunately there is an ominous unhealthy conspiracy of silence about these matters among the Ugandan clergy and faithful alike, probably because priestly celibacy might be seen to be a hollow shell, which it mostly is nowadays. The laity for all their good will, are also co-opted into this unwholesome silence, sometimes for lack of information, sometimes because they believe that they have some ‘moral’ duty to be loyal to an imperfect church. In truth their silence shores up the sins of priests and the destroys many lives. MARRIED PRIESTS NOT WANTED FOR THE WRONG REASONS When I ask lay people whether catholic priests should have the option to marry the answer is always NO; since they say, that would make catholic priests like Anglican reverends! As if that was the worse possible fate, yet Anglican clergy who are married certainly do not have the same levels and same kinds of sexual lapses as their catholic counterparts.. Most lay people in Uganda would not like their priests to have the option of marriage, yet it is their very own children, sisters, wives who are being used and abused by the clergy! THE CAMPAIGN A campaign for optional married priesthood in the catholic church is now required. This campaign is primarily a form of education and purification. It is not be construed as a rebellion against established doctrine but a reading of the signs of the times Since there are no fundamental theological arguments against a married priesthood (there are already some married priests in he UK and Uniate catholic churches) but only arguments from tradition and church discipline, I believe that it is a matter of time before common sense prevails and marriage for the clergy in the latin rite (i.e. catholic) church is accepted.. I am aware that there is a big struggle ahead.Unfortunately celibacy also serves certain vested interests in the power structure of the church, and of course celibate priests are cheaper and easier to deal with, even to manipulate, by ecclesiastical authority, but I believe that in time we will be freed from this unecessary yoke, unhelpful as it is, which is all the more severe in Africa where family and family ties are so crucial to one’s psychological equilibrium.. PERSONAL INTEREST One factor which has prompted me to take up this campaign is my own biography. I am one of a handful of several priests who had the misfortune of appearing in the press for supposed sexual trespasses. In my case,which was 2009, it was cited that I must be a homosexual, because I had homosexual friends and went to homosexual gatherings. Not that I cared much whether or not someone thinks that I am homosexual. Certainly I have been called worse things than that. In my defence I tried to point out that I didn’t actually recall having had homosexual relations with any of my rabid accusers, neither did they; which meant that hearsay alone became the evidence . What I found troubling is what followed. Apart from all the pain and scandal caused to all concerned, I found that even though all the allegations were based on hearsay, I was being treated, by my superiors as the biggest sinner in Nineveh. Up till now judgements are being made against me by ecclesiastical authority in the light of those events, which I suppose is to be expected. I wondered about this and came to the conclusion that priests who ‘get caught.’ like me, have to pay for the sins of all those who don’t get caught. In other words failed celibacy requires scapegoats.Some clergy are able to get away with the grossest behaviour, because of their age, position, influence or even because of financial inducements. So while I appear to have little moral authority to talk about celibacy as a priestly virtue because of what may or may not have happened to me in 2009, nevertheless I can point out the systemic immorality of the institutionalized hypocrisy called celibate diocesan priesthood, which severely punishes lapses when they appear, but condones the secret crimes of many more. I believe that there must be a new openness at whatever it takes. The point is not that diocesan priests should leave the priesthood and get married, but compel the church to offer the option of a married priesthood. This will put an end to the double lives so many priests are forced to live. SOME CASES HEARD Case One I spoke with a 21 year old young man last week. He is one of seven children of a catholic priest who happens to still be serving within the Province of the Archdiocese of Kampala. The young man, who is willing to testify, lived in a parish house with his father priest, even serving on the altar with him, but having to pretend to be a visiting nephew. At times he was assisted by his father to go to school, but was later abandoned. On one occasion he drank poison in order to end his life, due to the trauma, but was taken to hospital before he died. Case Two Another is a personal friend. He was fathered by a missionary priest of the White Fathers 58 years ago but is still suffering the trauma of no real identity or home. Although he has since received some minimum compensation from the White fathers , he still feels that there was an injustice to his mother who is still alive , who was sexually assaulted by the said White father priest in his office when she was only sixteen. He wishes to sue. Case Three Another case is of a priest who seduced a member of my youth group who happened to be in need of school fees, at Old Kampala, She soon became pregnant by the said priest, disappeared from church activities and from her home to be established in a ‘home’. Case Four Another lady tells of how she went to confession, only to be sexually molested by the priest, who fondled her breasts during confession Case Five When I was at secondary school, it was common knowledge that various Brothers were having sexual activity with the boys. It was called ‘jaboo’. As a pubescent teenager, my first sexual encounter was actually with one of the brothers who invited me to his room on the pretext of doing some extra chemistry equations. I was sixteen at the time. Later I heard that several others had been through the same thing..with the same Brother and with other ones..Some are still alive to this day. ACTION REQUIRED I do not believe either that these cases are just a few ‘bad apples’ in the barrel, but rather they are symptomatic of a sick system which has lost its integrity in this one area, but won’t admit it. Some of these cases are clearly criminal in nature, especially those of sex with children. They should be dealt with in a normal fashion and legal action taken in civil courts either against the church, or against those priests who offend. I am therefore compiling cases from all over Uganda.I believe that if the all the victims of clearly molestations were to come out and sue the church in civil courts, such abuses would sharply decrease. I am also helping to set up a Victims Support Group, independent of the church for obvious reasons, with guidance and help from similar groups in Europe and the States. I have also engaged a Human rights lawyer to advise on the wider implications of clergy abuse on the basic human rights of individuals, especially women. Join me in this exciting challenge to bring fundamental change and renewal to the catholic church. Happy Easter FR. ANTHONY MUSAALA

Calls to pass the anti-gays Bill dominate New Year messages

As thousands made their resolutions for 2013, main stream Churches and evangelical preachers have asked Parliament to urgently pass the Anti-Gay Bill, to avert the recruitment of youngsters to adopt the same-sex behaviour. At Namirembe Cathedral, Archbishop Stanley Ntagali said the Church of Uganda would continue to protect culture and the institution of marriage which advocates the union between man and woman . Addressing tens of thousands at the seventh annual National Prayer Day and Night at Nakivubo Stadium, several pastors also warned legislators against siding with the Western world, saying they risked losing their seats. “We ask Members of Parliament to stop wasting time debating the Bill but simply pass it to save school-going children, who are at risk of being recruited. Our leaders should desist from any act that would frustrate this proposed law because it has delayed,” said Bishop David Kiganda, the leader of Christianity Focus Ministries (CFM). Bishop Kiganda, the overseer of Bornagain Churches in the country, said the vice threatened the morality of the people. The remarks by pastors came amidst controversies and media reports of increasing promotion of homosexuality. Rev. Paul Schinners from the United Kingdom commended Uganda for the Bill, saying it was a clear stand for God. “There is no other nation world over that has such a plan and through this, Uganda is going to be blessed,” Rev. Schinners said. “We understand that Uganda had many problems like tribalism, corruption, but many people are simply pointing fingers and judging each other yet all this cannot cause change but it is conviction that would bring change in society,” he added. The appeal Apostle Alex Mitala asked Ugandans to make positive decisions for the New Year if the country is to develop further. “You need to decide to add value on yourself, your attitudes, work and plans to show action where it is not and do something new,” he said. At Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, the leader of Born Again Federation of Uganda, Dr. Joseph Sserwadda, said there is an urgent need for the anti-gay law because the country needs to confront sin head on. Dr Sserwadda suggested that as legislators resume business for 2013, the Bill should be top on their agenda. USA criticised “We have learnt with shock that the people who recently appeared in papers over the same practice have escaped to USA. We know USA with their policy will not depot him back to Uganda. Uganda should declare that it does not need him anymore. Let America keep him,” he said. At St. Andrews’ Cathedral, the Bishop of Mbale, Rt Rev. Patrick Gimadu, decried the high-level corruption, child sacrifice, murders, defilement and homosexuality. “In the New Year, we must renew our faith and fellowship by repenting. This is the time to seek forgiveness and allow Christ to give this country a new direction,” Bishop Gidudu said. Pr. Ivan Mulepi, of New Eden Church in Mbale, asked leaders to lead by example to repent, forgive and renew their spiritual lives in order to create peace for development in Uganda. Reported By Juliet Kigongo, Ephraim Kasozi, Johnson Mayamba and David Mafabi.

Uganda: Govt Hails Victoria University On Recent Move

The Ugandan Government has commended Victoria University management for rejecting orders from UK-based University of Buckingham (UB) to embrace homosexuality. The two universities have been collaborating for over a year, with majority of Victoria University students offering University of Buckingham courses. They, however, parted ways early this week after UB asked Victoria to include a clause in its statue stating that "no person will be discriminated on the basis of sex orientation", among others. As a result, Victoria suspended all UB courses and remained with only the Bachelors of Public Health and Nursing. Ethics and integrity minister, the Rev. Fr. Sam Lokodo applauded Victoria University for staying their ground and respecting the law. "We enjoy autonomy and independence as a country. We follow our laws and nobody should intimidate us to promote a certain culture," said Lokodo on Wednesday. "I express profound regrets for the action taken by the University of Buckingham just on the basis that Victoria University was not ready to include this adopt clause." Higher education State minister, Dr. Chrysostom Muyingo, also observed that it was shocking for a university like Buckingham to relent on the key academic goal and instead focus on promoting a practice that is detested in Uganda. Faridah Bukirwa Shamilah, the spokesperson of the national council for higher education also explained that Victoria University had freedom to reject any clause that would be deemed illegal in Uganda. The problem, according to sources, emanated from anti-gay comments made by a guest speaker during a conference at Victoria University about a month ago. Meanwhile, Victoria University vice-chancellor, Dr. David Young, has also clarified that the 150 affected students would continue with their studies from UB or be transferred to Middlesex University in Dubai. He said consultations on who would meet which costs were ongoing and asked students and parents to stay calm. "Each of the affected students will be issued with a partial transcript to enable them join other universities if they are unwilling to go where we are planning to take them," Young said. He was noncommittal on whether the university would admit new students to pursue local programmes. "The focus of our attention at the moment is on catering for the current students. Any other questions will be addressed later," he stated.

Ugandan Activists Falsely Accused

Let’s expose them one by one who recruit our sons, daughters, brothers and sisters into this sinister behaviour of homosexuality Here is a list of top recruiters on ground well facilitated and determined to do so. 1. Frank mugisha of sexual minorities Uganda who resdies in nalya driving posh vehice.He always moving from country to country mobilizing money and he has amassed a lot of money. He is into young boys and his boy friend is in U.S for asylum one Ronnie. 2. Kasha nabagesera who is charged of recruiting girls into lesbianism and he works with freedom and roam Uganda based in ntinda where she also resides. She is also loaded with funds from western governments. 3. Pepe onzima who coordinates all activities to do with media and recruitment. She resides in nalya. 4. Dennis wamala who works with ice breakers Uganda located in makindye. He specializes in accommodating young boys who run away from school to enjoy the booking. 5. Ntebi Sandra who is the chief whip of the group. She boosts of being an army woman and works with gender and law at makerere. 6. Kimbugwe moses who works with spectrum Uganda coordinating recruiting university boys and soccer fans. He resides along Nassana road and sometimes on gayaza road. 7. Ogwaro jeff who is the chief coordinator of all the activities in the country resding in makindye working with refuge project at old kampala. 8. Wambere longjones who operates a tout company at namaganda plaza who books boys as if there is no tomorrow. He is HIV positive and he has done his part in passing it over to others. 9. Junic walabya who has been recently sacked at her job in mulago as a nurse is managing the ntida side all over the bars in recruiting educated and well to do married women into lesbianism. 10. Sam MTN who resides in Gayaza in his mansion. He organizes sex parties every weekend where boys book each other with out condoms. He is much respected in their community as he has laot of money and when he sees young boys he can’t miss and he likes it with no condom. 11. Opio sam who owns one youth organization and is has managed to recruit boys especially up conntry in mbarara and mbale. He resides along gaba raod. 12. Victor mukasa who resides in South Africa is the chief campaigner. 13. Niiki mawada who specializes in changing boys gender into girlish I will continue with the list as we fight this acts and whether we die or not we shall fight and win to the end.

A letter to Rebecca Kadaga – from a supportive gay Ugandan

By Richard Sebagala Madam Speaker, the right Honorable Rebecca Kadaga, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Kamuli District Women’s Constituency since 1989. You are on a roll! Over the last three weeks you have managed to hog the media spotlight almost exclusively, relegating Uganda’s president to a parenthesis. That makes you something of a wonder woman. It takes chutzpah to push Uganda’s president to the inside pages and you must be congratulated for stepping up in such a bold way. First of all, Madam Speaker, welcome back from Canada. You were absolutely right to stand up to John Baird when he upbraided you in public about the murder of David Kato. That case had nothing to do with you and you were never part of the court case that eventually convicted Kato’s lover for that heinous crime. So, you did what you had to do for yourself and, indeed, for Uganda’s pride. John Baird would never speak to the Saudis or Kuwaitis in that manner – yet those countries have far more glaring gay and women’s rights abuses than Uganda. But as with everything, Madam Speaker, please remember that hubris is a terrible vice in politics. By hubris, I mean an excess of pride, ambition or self-confidence. More often than not, it leads politicians to overreach. Take your current involvement with failed politicians like James Nsaba-Buturo and convicted felons like Martin Ssempa and Michael Kyazze. While you have every right to listen to whoever wishes you to lend them an audience, as the Speaker of the House you represent the entire Parliament as well as the country. You thus cannot be seen to be siding with any one constituency even when their cause might further your own political ambitions. Speakers of the House have to be seen to be non-partisan, non-aligned, neutral. But of course you know this already. Madam Speaker, this gay man wants you to encourage Uganda’s Parliament to debate and pass the bill. My reasons for this are detailed here. In short, this bill has hung over our heads like a cloud for three years now and it is time to resolve the issues surrounding it once and for all. If you support the bill because you feel it is against our culture, so be it. But the facts don’t bear you out. You are too smart not to be aware that Buganda’s Kabaka Mwanga was homosexual without any urging from colonialists. Uganda’s own president, the leader of your National Resistance Movement party agrees, and has admitted it publicly, that homosexuality has always been part of the African and Ugandan fabric. In fact, if you re-read your anthropology, you will find that homosexuality was tolerated before the white man came to Africa with his Bible – that foremost foreign import that our detractors love to subjectively, but liberally, quote from. I gather that you have no children of your own but it can’t be lost on you that all gay men and women in Uganda (500,000 and counting according to unofficial estimates) must have been begotten through heterosexual unions. I thus disagree with your interpretation of the historical facts but feel that the bill should nonetheless go ahead since Uganda has a parliamentary system of making laws and the Bahati [Nazi] Bill which seeks to turn mothers, doctors, counselors into informers has already been tabled before the House. Madam Speaker, allow me to take you back to Shakespeare and caution you against “vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself, and falls on the other side.” Given what you must surely know befell Macbeth and his over-ambitious wife, a little more circumspection, forethought, moderation before you speak might not come amiss. Remember, too, the fable of Icarus who flew too close to the sun. Or that of Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse and his courtier named Damocles. You might be on a roll now, but there are all sorts of threats behind the glory you are seeking. A week is a very long time in politics but there are three more years to go to Uganda’s next presidential election – literally a lifetime. Madam Speaker: Hang on to your political ambitions. I would, however, presume to remind you that, as Speaker, you represent the entire country, including minorities – not just disgraced politicians, bigoted Parliamentarians or convicted religious prelates. Madam Speaker: Whether this bill is passed or not, you still have my support in your obvious quest to become the next president of Uganda – that is if I am not jailed and/or killed before 2016 by the legislation that you are so busy tying your colors to in which case my support will be moot. From a gay Ugandan, living in Uganda, that you seek to criminalize purely on account of who he is, but who nonetheless supports your presidential ambitions because he is totally fed up to the back teeth with this uncaring, bungling, corruption-ridden, thieving, tired, rusted, putrid dish of a government.

MPs applaud Kadaga’s stance on gays, want Bill debated in House

By MERCY NALUGO MPs across the political divide in a plenary session chaired by Ms Kadaga denounce homosexuality and say the country’s moral values are threatened by cultural inventions from the western world. Parliament yesterday passed a resolution in recognition of Speaker Rebecca Kadaga’s stand on homosexuality. The House also urged the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee to immediately table its report on the Bill for general debate. The committee’s chairperson Steven Tashobya yesterday said their report is almost done and will be brought to Parliament before it breaks off for Christmas recess. MPs across the political divide in a plenary session chaired by Ms Kadaga denounced homosexuality and said the country’s moral values are threatened by cultural inventions from the western world. Member after member hailed Ms Kadaga for her bold stand when she challenged the Canadian Foreign Affairs minister, John Baird, at a recent summit. The MP for Kinkiizi West, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, moved the motion that was overwhelmingly supported by legislators who committed themselves to passing the anti-homosexuality Bill. “I rise to add my voice to state clearly that you represented Uganda effectively in Canada. You represented our right to do what we want to do as a country. We have made a point very clearly that we abide by the country’s Constitution which guarantees the right of members and back benchers to move private members Bills and MP Bahati exercised that right,” said Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi. While attending the 127th Inter-Parliamentary Union in Quebec, Canada, Ms Kadaga defended the country’s stance on homosexuality. Ms Kadaga reminded Mr Baird that Uganda was neither a colony nor a protectorate of Canada and as such her sovereignty, societal and cultural norms were to be respected. Rujumbura MP Jim Muhwezi hailed Ms Kadaga saying: “ Unless we are independent politically, we shall be a mat to be trampled upon. If it’s democracy let us practice it on principle.” Ndorwa West MP David Bahati three years ago moved a private members’ anti-homosexuality Bill. His Bill has received support from religious groups but has been condemned by gay rights activists. MPs Reagan Okumu, Latiff Ssebaggala, Jack Sabiiti, Joova Kamateeka, Kasirivu Atwoki all praised Ms Kadaga. mnalugo@ug.nationmedia.com