denkross' life in Uganda

Archbishop of York: don't legalise gay marriage

2012-01-28T21:08:00.000-08:00

Dr John Sentamu says government should not alter centuries-old social structures, but rights campaigner accuses him of being 'religious authoritarian'

The archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said allowing gay marriage would be 'changing the English language'. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian

The government should not overturn centuries of tradition by legalising gay marriage, the archbishop of York has said.

Dr John Sentamu, the second most senior bishop in the Church of England, said the church did not object to the introduction of civil partnerships in 2004, but that marriage should only be between men and women.

"If you genuinely would like the registration of civil partnerships to happen in a more general way, most people will say they can see the drift," he said. "But if you begin to call those marriage, you're trying to change the English language."

The archbishop's comments, which were denounced by the gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, precede the start of the government's consultation on gay marriage in March.

Sentamu said it was not the role of the government to alter social structures that had been in place for centuries.

"I don't think it is the role of the state to define what marriage is. It is set in tradition and history and you can't just [change it] overnight, no matter how powerful you are," he told the Daily Telegraph.

"We've seen dictators do it in different contexts, and I don't want to redefine very clear social structures that have been in existence for a long time and then overnight the state believes it could go in a particular way."

Tatchell, the co-ordinator of the Equal Love campaign, said: "Archbishop Sentamu is a religious authoritarian who wants to impose his personal opposition to same-sex marriage on the rest of society.

"It is not a Christian value to demand legal discrimination against gay couples and to treat them as inferior, second-class citizens with fewer rights than everyone else."

The issue of homosexuality is divisive in the Church of England. Sentamu expressed concern over the "gay marriage" of homosexual clergy after two ministers exchanged rings and vows at a service in London in 2008.

In a joint statement with the archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, he said: "Those clergy who disagree with the church's teaching are at liberty to seek to persuade others within the church of the reasons why they believe, in the light of scripture, tradition and reason, that it should be changed. But they are not at liberty simply to disregard it."

Sentamu, who fled Uganda in 1974, also said the church was failing to represent black and working-class Britons. He said: "The church should be a sign of the kingdom of heaven and should be telling us what it will look like.

"Heaven is not going to be full of just black people, just working-class people, just middle-class people – it's going to be, in the words of Desmond Tutu, a rainbow people of God in all its diversity."

The murder of Stephen Lawrence in London in 1993 had forced many organisations to address institutional racism, Sentamu said, but others – such as media and football – had failed to be so effective, he added.

"Football never did it, so I'm not surprised [by allegations of racism on the pitch]," he said. "I didn't hear that the media ever said: 'Let's put a mirror to ourselves and see whether there isn't this tendency of stereotyping, or being prejudiced, of advantaging people because they went to the same school.'"

Clerics told not to wed homosexual couples

2012-01-28T21:06:00.000-08:00

Church leaders under their association of Born Again Faith Federation insist fellow clerics should not wed any gay couples should government give in to donor pressure to drop the proposed Anti-homosexuality Bill.
Dr Joseph Serwadda, the leader of the federation, said recently that there are signs that the government will be “forced to soften on the demands by the gay movement” in order to throw away the already-shelved Bill which was brought forward by Ndorwa West MP David Bahati.
“The church needs to be assured that government will stand its ground, and this evil be kept where it belongs – in the secret closets of those who practice it,” Dr Serwadda told this newspaper.
The Marriage Act of 1904 does not provide for same-sex marriage.
The comments come at the same time former South African president Thabo Mbeki said the anti-gay proposed law does not make any sense.
Recently, US President Barack Obama and the UK warned they would use foreign aid and asylum conditionalities to push for homosexuality to be decriminalised in Uganda and other “conservative countries”.
Uganda relies heavily on the US, receiving military help to fight the Lord’s Resistance Army and has sent troops to Somalia to fight the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab group.
When contacted, the Bill’s architect, Mr Bahati, said late last year: “Our position as a country is clear. Our Constitution prohibits homosexuality and we are not in a trade of values.”
Mr Bahati also advised Mr Mbeki to first read and understand his Bill.
“The Bill was brought to curb a several issues including inducement, recruitment and funding homosexuality. His excellency (Mr Mbeki) needs to read the Bill and understand the spirit in which it was brought and the context in which we are talking about,” Mr Bahati said.
jtugume@ug.nationmedia.com

2011-12-16T00:50:00.000-08:00

Buganda Road Court Grade One Magistrate Patrick Wekesa yesterday ruled that the four pastors who accused Pastor Robert Kayanja of sodomy have a case to answer.

The quartet, Solomon Male of Arising for Christ, Martin Sempa of Makerere Christian Centre, Robert Kayiira and Michael Kyazze of Omega Healing Ministries are jointly charged with Ms Dorothy Kyomuhendo, former State House aide, and artiste David Mukalazi.

The accused persons have been witnesses and accusers of Pastor Kayanja over allegations that he sodomised a member of his Rubaga Miracle Centre cathedral.

Magistrate Wekesa held: “Investigations yielded contrary results but the accused persons are hereby put on defence. You are free to make sworn statements but you be warned that if you do so, you will be cross-examined.”

He ruled after the state closed its case with 21 witnesses having testified in the controversial case whose trial started in January.

However, yesterday’s proceedings were laced with drama after Mr Wekesa declined to hear an application by lawyers representing the four pastors, describing their submissions as “nonsense and rubbish.”

Mr Wekesa’s statement was prompted by Mr Kato Sekabanja’s request to make an application before the ruling of no-case-to-answer in the sodomy trial. The magistrate, who threatened to throw Mr Sekabanja out of court, said: “No, no! no, keep quiet; you are talking nonsense, I want to deliver my ruling. Sit down.”
He, however, later directed Mr Sekabanja to make the application on December 19.

East Africa dares UK on homosexuality

2011-11-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Zanzibar President Ali Mohammed Shein argues, “Changing the law simply because we need aid is next to impossible. We have our values….That is not acceptable; we would rather do without it.”

Dar es salaam. Tanzania, Zanzibar, and other East African states have said they will not accept overtures from United Kingdom to grant legal rights to homosexuality.

Zanzibar President Ali Mohammed Shein on Thursday said his government will not abide by demands from Britain to introduce laws to protect members of the gay community.

“That is an issue not acceptable in this society and we are not going to amend or introduce any laws to grant such rights,” Shein told journalists.

The Zanzibar President spoke on a day that Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Mr Bernard Membe and his Gender, Children and Community Development counterpart, Ms Sophia Simba, spoke strongly against the UK’s push for the common wealth to officially embrace gays.

Like Dr Shein, the two ministers said Tanzania will not yield or succumb to pressure of any kind following UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s threats to cut development aid to countries that did not recognise gay rights.
“Changing the law simply because we need aid is next to impossible. We have our values. That is not acceptable; we would rather do without it,” declared Dr Shein.

The Zanzibar President was speaking at a meeting in State House during a wide ranging interview during which he gave an overview of his administration’s performance in the one year of Zanzibar’s Government of National Unity.
In Dar es Salaam, Mr Membe, said Tanzania will not listen to any country that tried to influence its decisions regarding whether to accept the unnatural sex relations.
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“We have our own culture and it should be known and understood that we shall not receive any command from anywhere using whatever sanctions to undermine our way of living. UK should understand this,” the minister said at a press conference in his office.

It was the first major statement by the State following recent remarks attributed to Mr Cameron, who was quoted as threatening aid cuts to countries that continue to ban the practice which has taken root mainly in the western world. The UK position was raised informally during the recent meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of State in Perth, Australia. President Jakaya Kikwete and Mr Membe represented Tanzania.

On Wednesday, Mr Membe termed as “dangerous,” the move by UK to tie aid to the gay issue.

UK’s Queen Elizabeth II is the custodian of common wealth club comprising 54 states that were formally colonised by Britain. It was reported that during the Perth meeting, only 13 countries were receptive of the Cameron advances.
Kenya and Uganda have also voiced opposition on the same matter. Officials in these countries said they would rather miss aid than approve gay movement.

UK Premier threatens to suspend aid over anti-gay Bill

2011-10-31T04:18:00.000-07:00

By Richard Wanambwa

Kampala

United Kingdom has warned countries that have banned homosexuality, saying UK aid to such nations is likely to end if such discrimination is not checked. Uganda being inclusive on the list of nations that have or intend to ban homosexuality stand to lose the annual foreign aid from UK.

During his tenure in office as UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown announced Britain’s aid amounting to 70 million pounds each year for a period of 10 years which would stand at 700 million pounds. But David Cameron has threatened to withhold aid from governments that do not reform legislation banning homosexuality.

The UK prime minister said he raised the issue with some of the states at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia. “Britain is one of the premier aid givers in the world. We want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to proper human rights. It is one of the things that determine our aid policy, and there have been particularly bad examples where we have taken action,” Mr Cameron said.

Human rights reform in the Commonwealth was one of the issues that leaders failed to agree upon at the summit. Mr Cameron said those receiving UK aid should “adhere to proper human rights”. Ending the ban on homosexuality was one of the recommendations of an internal report into the future relevance of the Commonwealth.

Mr Cameron’s threat applies only to one type of bilateral aid known as general budget support, and would not reduce the overall amount of aid to any one country. Malawi has already had some of its budget support suspended over concerns about its attitude to gay rights.

No pressure
Concerns have also been raised with the governments of Uganda and Ghana. But he conceded that countries could not change immediately, and cautioned that there would be a “journey”. “This is an issue where we are pushing for movement; we are prepared to put some money behind what we believe in. But I am afraid that you can’t expect countries to change overnight,” he said.

Cameron said he had spoken with a number of African countries and that more pressure had been applied by Foreign Secretary William Hague, who deputised him during parts of the summit. Some 41 nations within the 54-member Commonwealth have laws banning homosexuality. Many of these laws are a legacy of British Empire laws.

Malawi recently had £19m of its budget support suspended following various infractions including poor progress on human rights and media freedoms and concern over the government’s approach to gay rights.

The Bill to ban homosexuals in Parliament was brought forward by Ndorwa West MP David Bahati. However, midway, it raised controversy leading to both internal and external supporters of the gay rights to question Uganda’s interest in enacting such a law.

Mr Bahati, the mover of the Bill, was at one point locked out of the conference in America because of his perceived anti-gay stand. Information Minister Mary Karooro Okurut refused to comment on the issue while referring this paper to Fr. Simon Lokodo, the Minister of Ethics and Integrity whose mobile phone was switched off.

Ugandan MPs pass motion to retain Bills

2011-10-31T03:56:00.000-07:00

By Alfred Wandera

Bills that were tabled in the Eighth Parliament but were not passed into laws will be saved and retained in the Ninth Parliament, thanks to the motion MPs approved last week.
The motion to save the 23 Bills was tabled in the House by the UPDF representative Sarah Mpabwa and seconded by Oyam North MP Krispus Ayena (UPC).

“Much as there are strong arguments advanced for the lapse of Parliament Bills upon dissolution of Parliament, these arguments should be applied with exception to the Bills before Parliament. Before a Bill is tabled in Parliament for first reading, it has been subjected to so many processes including consultations.

A lot of time and resources are committed to these bills at these stages, let alone the cost of publishing and gazetting them,” said Mpabwa in her motion.

She added: “We also know that the practice in most Parliaments is to save the Bills of the previous Parliament. It is for these reasons that this Parliament (Ninth) should find it fitting and proper that the bills of the Eighth Parliament are saved and considered by the relevant committees.”

Seconding the motion, Ayena said a lot of resources had been invested in the Bills, and argued that some of the Bills are based on common sense and therefore their importance ought not to be overemphasized.
Workers MP Sam Lyomoki moved an amendment to the motion saying Bills that had not been included in Mpabwa’s motion should not be left out.

Speaker Kadaga said there is no rule, as quoted by Mpabwa that says that a Bill lapses with the end of a session of Parliament.

Isingiro Woman MP Grace Byarugaba Isingoma said there should be an amendment to the rules of procedure to provide for automatic carrying forward of the Bills of the previous House without moving a motion.

Kadaga approved the idea and directed the chairman of the committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges to consider the proposal.

The saving and retaining of the Bills of the Eighth Parliament gives a life line to some of the controversial draft legislations that drew heated debates from human rights activists and moralists like the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2009 that was privately sponsored by Ndorwa West MP David Bahati.

Other Bills returning to the House are the Anti-money Laundering Bill, 2009; the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Bill, 2007; the Regional Governments Bill, 2009; the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Bill, 2007; the Geographical Indications Bill, 2008; the Implementation of Government Assurances Bill, 2008; the Industrial Property Bill, 2009; the Chattels Securities Bill, 2009; the Prohibition and Prevention of Torture Bill, 2010; the Plant Variety Protection Bill, 2010; the Plant Protection and Health Bill, 2010; the HIV/Aids Prevention and Control Bill, 2010; and the Uganda National Metrological Authority Bill, 2010.

Others are the Pharmacy Profession and Pharmacy Practice Bill, 2006; the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2010; the National Council for Older Persons Bill, 2010; the National Council for Disability (Amendment) Bill, 2010; the Uganda Forestry Association Bill, 2010; the Retirement Benefits (Sector Liberalisation) Bill, 2011; and the Anti-Counterfeit Bill, 2011.

The handling of the Bills forms the core business of the House committees that scrutinize the draft laws before they tabled in Parliament for debate and final passing into laws.

Caught between a male personality and female body

2011-10-23T02:36:00.000-07:00

By Yazid Yolisigira

Makutu village, about 30kms from Iganga town is quite popular because of one person, Nabirye,whose first name I later learn is Fauza. When you ask what is special about Nabirye, laughter follows as the person delves into explaining her double-gender - male and female. It is obviously very complicated to explain that the said Nabirye, could easily pass for a woman or man because she has two sexual organs. The dictionary word for people like her is hermaphrodite.

In Busoga culture, the name Nabirye is often given to a woman who has given birth to twins. The parents of the 20-year-old, say that they named their child Nabirye because of her two sexual organs, an explanation other elders on the village concur with.

According to the father Mohamed Gadonya, Nabirye, the youngest of their seven children was born in 1989 at Makutu health centre III with two sexual organs. The male organ is said to be on the top and the female one below. Surprisingly, when urinating, both organs function.

“After normal delivery, the nurse told us that the baby had two organs. She then advised us to go to Iganga hospital for consultations, possibly for an operation to remove one organ. But when we came back home to mobilise money, my mother refused, claiming that her grandchild was going to die in the process. We abandoned the plans to take her back to hospital,” says Mr Gadonya.

It was on that day that they named the child Nabirye. “ The three of us resolved to keep it a secret, but when he went to school posing as a female, one of his school mates noticed the male organ while in the female urinal, then the whole village came to know,” says the father.

Nabirye’s mother, Fatina says he has never suffered any serious illness since his childhood. According to her, the child was like other children.
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He went to school at Makutu Primary School from 1997 to 2006 where he completed primary level.
In 2007, he joined Bunalweni Hillside Mission for secondary education. “When he was there, the teachers liked him very much because he was a footballer and a musician. He passed O’ level with good grades, but I couldn’t afford to take him to the next level,” Mr Gadonya, a peasant farmer narrates in a low tone.

Meeting Nabirye
I reached the Gadonya’s home at around 10am and when I asked for Nabirye, they told me he had gone to the farm with his wife. After interviewing the parents, they asked one of the children to accompany me to the farm where the couple had gone. Fortunately, as we were on our way there, the two returned.

Nabirye, who I had learnt had a wife and two month’s old baby, dressed in a blouse and a skirt was carrying a hand hoe on his shoulders while the wife, also dressed in a blouse and a skirt, had their child on her back.

His appearance is very confusing. He looks like a woman and wears a bra for his big breasts and yet has short hair like a man.
As Nabirye’s father introduced me to the couple as a journalist, his wife picked a jerrycan and ran away to the water source laughing.

Nabirye who is a businessman trading in farm produce asked me to wait until “he” finished up with his customers who were selling maize to him.

After ten minutes he settled down, laughing and asking what exactly I wanted.

On asking whether it was true that he bears two sexual organs, he affirmed, talking very freely in a soft female voice.

“Yes I have. God created me wrongly, but I am happy. I don’t feel hurt about my appearance because that is how I was created and will never change. I socialise freely in the community and people like me very much. That wife you have seen knows everything and loves me,” he explained.

He says that he only suffered discrimination at secondary school for a short while, but later the students grew to appreciate him. He boasts that he even got into a relationship.

From Senior two, many girls started falling for him because of his appearance vis-à-vis his talent in playing football and leading the school music choir.

“I was a good goalkeeper. I started wearing skirts in my childhood and even when in the goal post, I used to wear my skirt with shorts inside. To fellow students, it looked funny, but I had nothing to do. The opponents hardly scored a goal against my team and that is why the teachers liked me so much. It was also as a result of this that many girls fell in love with me.”

One of his former teachers at Bunalweni Hillside Mission acknowledged that Nabirye was a very talented student. The teacher recalls the time when Nabirye as a striker, scored the winning goal in a match against Green Hill School in Iganga.

Businessman
To earn a living, he trades in farm produce. He rides a bicycle to different villages looking for maize, coffee, beans, rice and other farm produce which he sells to manage his family.

Although Nabirye denies having other children, there are claims in the village that he has twins which he got after impregnating one of the girls in the village when he was still at school.

He however dismisses the allegations saying that he introduced that girl to his friend, a one Sadat who impregnated her. But Sadat and his parents denied responsibility of the twins claiming that they were for Nabirye. They went to the office of the district probation officer and resolved to go for a DNA test. According to the probation officer Daniel Nyende, the results showed that the twins were not fathered by Nabirye. Nonetheless, Nabirye who no stranger to talk in the village lives a contented life with his family. He has accepted himself and learnt how to live an ordinary life as a husband.

UK Chogm delegates ask Uganda to resist gay push

2011-10-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

By BETTY NDAGIRE

A British Christian pressure group has asked African, Caribbean and Asian nations to oppose a motion to legalise homosexuality at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting slated for next week in Australian city of Perth.

The motion, tabled by Australian delegate Michael Kirby, will be supported by the UK delegation.

Mr Stephen Green, the director of Christian Voice, said: “Across the West, homosexual rights is now mainstream in every political party and is promoted by the public sector. The Church is fighting a rear-guard action in nations such as Australia and the UK, and few are found who will support those countries in the world where homosexual acts are rightly against the law.”

Mr Green said sex tourism is already a problem in African, Asian and Caribbean nations.

“Legalising sodomy and other obscene homosexual practices would make matters even worse. Young people across the world deserve to be protected from the moral and physical dangers of homosexual activity,” Mr Green said.

‘Neo-colonialists imposition’
According to the activist, the last thing Uganda needs is the neo-colonialist imposition of homosexuality from countries such as Britain, whose society is described as ‘broken’ even by our own Prime Minister.

The activists say PM David Cameron’s obsession with homosexuality to the extent of promoting gay marriage and using foreign aid to export Western depravity.

Mr Green asked the churches of Uganda to come together and pray for their delegations to Chogm and for righteousness to flow as a river in Uganda to the glory of God.

This year Cabinet threw out the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 on the advice of Mr Adolf Mwesige, the ruling party lawyer, saying the Bill was unnecessary since government has a number of laws in place that criminalise homosexual activities.

But Ndorwa West MP David Bahati, the architect of the Bill, insists the proposed legislation is a property of Parliament and that the Executive should stop “playing hide-and-seek games” on the matter.

UGANDA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY BAR CLOSES AFTER ONLY ONE YEAR

2011-10-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

Uganda’s first openly gay bar, Sappho Islands closed down last Sunday after just over a year in operation.

Jacqueline Kasha the Ugandan LGBTI activist who was instrumental in setting up Sappho Islands told behind the Mask in Kampala that she is determined to open another one soon.

The bar was reportedly closed down because the landlady complained about the appearance of revellers who frequented the venue. The seemingly spooked landlady was quoted as saying, “The bar brings people who look strange.”

The closure of the bar continues to highlight Uganda’s homophobic tendencies. Many people are denied rental accommodation because of their suspected or actual sexual orientation.

Kasha, the leader of human rights group Freedom and Roam Uganda, said on Wednesday in Kampala that the closure of Sappho Island arising from complaints by the landlady would not stop gays from having a social life in Uganda and promised a new bar would be opened.

Kasha said “The closure of Sappho doesn’t mean it’s the end of us having a social space. The way I managed to open Sappho in the first place is the way I will open it up elsewhere.”

She said she was not giving up on her dream of creating a social space for the LGBTI community.

A defiant Kasha said, “More than ever I am very determined. The next one will be bigger and even better. It’s one way of intimidating us but we shall overcome.”

Sappho Island was situated in Ntinda, a middle class Kampala neighbourhood. When BTM visited the place on Wednesday afternoon, there were sign posts advertising for new tenants to come and occupy the premises.

Once a lively and cordial welcoming hide out with immense ambience, Sappho now rests in ruins. The grass thatched hut has been pulled down to make way for new tenants. The entrance gate is closed.

But the Sappho Island rainbow coloured signpost continued to mark the entrance.

Until last Sunday the bar was one of the best known hang out spots for Uganda’s gay community and provided a focal point for the community. It was here for example murdered LGBTI activist David Kato’s funeral party set out from. According to a BBC report filed last year it was “where gay people feel safe, where they can be themselves.”

The closure of Sappho Island also highlights the fear among some Ugandans created by the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2009 in which every person is meant to report a suspected gay person within 24 hours.

Although the bill has stalled in Uganda’s Parliament, many Ugandans who are not keenly following the development of the bill, think the proposed bill is already law and enhances their earlier homophobic tendencies

UGANDA’S LGBTI FINALLY GET THEIR DAY IN COURT WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION

2011-10-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

Uganda’s Constitutional Court on Monday October 3 heard a petition filed by local LGBTI activists challenging a law that bars homosexuals from employment and accessing equal opportunities. Activist Adrian Jjuko, who is also the Executive Director of Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), petitioned the court two years ago asking it to nullify section 15(6) d of the Equal Opportunities Commission Act 2007.

The section states that the “Commission shall not investigate any matter involving behaviour which is considered to be immoral and socially harmful; or unacceptable by the majority of the cultural and social communities in Uganda.”

While homosexuals are not mentioned by name as one of the groups in the Act, during the debate to pass the law, the Parliamentary Hansard of December 12, 2006, records Ms Syda Bbumba, the former Finance Minister saying homosexuals should be targeted using the disputed clause. She was supported by other legislators.

Ms Bbumba was reported saying, “It is very important that we include that clause. This is because the homosexuals and the like have managed to forge their way through in other countries by identifying with minorities,”

It is this clause that gay rights activists are disputing in the case. They say that amongst other things, the Commission is tasked with ensuring that all Ugandans have access to equal opportunities, irrespective of tribe, religion, political opinion, race or any other such considerations.

The petition was heard by five judges of the Constitutional Court led by deputy chief justice Alice Mpagi Bahigeine. The other judges are Steven Kavuma, Arach Amoko, Remmy Kasule and Constance Byamugisha.

In the respondent’s submission, the Attorney General maintained that such a law was necessary and justified under Ugandan constitution. Ladislus Rwakafuzi, a Kampala gay friendly lawyer is representing Mr Jjuko.

Minorities are not defined in the Constitution of Uganda. However, vulnerable groups have been defined in the National Equal Opportunities Policy of 2006 as categories of people who lack security and susceptible to risk.

Mr Jjuko maintains that that such a law was not good for human rights in Uganda, and called on all activists to stand and defend the rights of minority groups in Uganda.

Rwakafuzi said his client wants the section of the law declared unconstitutional. A date for the ruling will be set by the court.

Uganda’s judiciary has in the past shown some level of independence when handling matters brought by groups advocating for homosexuals. One of the judges handling this petition also faulted government in another case in which local village officials and the police intruded the privacy of LGBTI activist, Victor Mukasa and searched his home allegedly to find evidence of homosexuality.

UGANDA GAY GROUP GETS NORWEGIAN HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD

2011-10-02T02:48:00.000-07:00

The Professor Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize (Raftostiftelsen) is a human rights award established in the memory of the Norwegian human right activist, Thorolf Rafto.

A press release issued Thursday by the official Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website said SMUG, under the leadership of Mr Frank Mugisha, had played an important role to stop the controversial Anti Homosexuality Bill 2009 from being passed by Ugandan Parliament.

Norway’s Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said, “I would like to congratulate Sexual Minorities Uganda on winning this important prize. It is a recognition of SMUG’s courageous efforts to promote the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Uganda.”

Norway’s Minister for the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim added, “We see this as a tribute to all those who dare to stand up against the discrimination and hate crime sexual minorities are often subjected to. SMUG is working to dispel myths and prejudice so that, in the long term, society will realise that human rights are for all.”

On a number of occasions Norway has raised the issue of the situation of sexual minorities with the Ugandan authorities, including in talks between President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni and Mr Støre.

Mr Mugisha told Behind the Mask in Kampala that he was excited about the prize. He said, “Although the work of speaking against injustices to homosexuals is not recognized in Uganda, it is receiving attention internationally. That’s why Uganda should be proud of us for speaking out against injustices. This prize is not only given to LGBTI activists, it is recognition across sectors.”

He said the award would offer “Protection because of the international high profile it brings with it”. He said SMUG deserved the award because it has come along way defending minority groups.

Mr Mugisha recently won the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award created by the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial in 1984 to honour individuals around the world who show courage and have made a significant contribution to human rights in their country.

The Rafto prize is awarded annually by the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights, which was founded in the humanistic tradition of the Helsinki Accords in order to promote the fundamental human rights of intellectual and political freedom.

Today, the foundation is based at the Human Rights House in Bergen, Norway. The major work of the foundation, including the organization of the award ceremony is done by a small team of professional staff and volunteers. The award ceremony takes place at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen annually in November.

The initial idea of the Rafto Prize was to provide a basic informative platform for the laureates that would help to receive further attention from the international media and support from political and non-political organisations.

By awarding the Rafto Prize, the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights seeks to bring attention to independent voices that due to oppressive and corruptive regimes are not always heard. For example, four Rafto Laureates have subsequently received further international assistance and were subsequently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. They are Aung San Suu Kyi, Jose Ramos-Horta, Kim Dae-Jung and Shirin Ebadi.

Uganda posts dismal record on human rights scorecard

2011-09-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

By Victor Bwire

Finally, Uganda submitted its human rights report to the UN Human Rights Council after failing to meet the July 4, 2011 deadline and causing anxiety as to whether the State was going to participate in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) or not. So far, it is only South Africa that has failed to submit its state report globally.

The submission of the government of Uganda report sets the stage for the country’s review by peers in October in Geneva before the UN Human Rights Council. The process aims to establish how far Uganda has implemented its human rights obligations as required by the UN. The review will be conducted by all the 47 member states of the Human Rights Council with other states participating as observer states.

When Uganda takes to the stage at the Human Rights Council working session in Geneva in October, it is expected to explain, in a three hour session, what steps it has taken in fulfilling its international human rights obligations and what intentions it has in improving the same. The UPR in analysing each country’s human rights situation relies on the report prepared by the State being reviewed, the UN office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other non-state actors. Nearly 27 organisations submitted reports on Uganda ahead of the review.

Stakeholders have already identified several weaknesses with the report in terms of concrete measures and actions the government has taken or intends to take to rectify the violation of fundamental human rights that have occurred in the country.

Lingering queries
Human Rights members and stakeholders are likely to raise the issue of lack of an independent judiciary, as seen in the government’s failure to honour court decisions including retaining the sedition law even after the Court declared it null and void, the intention to introduce the Public Order Management Bill 2009, use of military courts on civilians, long period time suspects spent in pre-trial detention, lack of legal representation, overcrowding and congestion in detention places, that the Rapid Response Unit detained people without charge and extracted confessions through by torture and why the Government is reluctant to establish a truth commission.

The government gives very flimsy reasons for retaining laws that criminalise sexual relationships between same-sex consenting adults including public mood and morality and ignoring the respect for human rights of the parties concerned. While the government recently passed regulations to guide the implementation of the Access to Information Act, there still exist a number of laws that hindered access to information and press freedom which the Government report is silent on.

Such laws include Penal Code Act, which still criminalised materials alleged to be seditious, sectarian and defamatory, and the Anti-Terrorism Act 2002, which prohibits “promoting” terrorism but did not expressly define those acts which constituted the promotion of terrorism.

The retention of the Media Offences Department within the police force charged with the responsibility of undertaking daily monitoring of the media with the resultant crease in the number of journalists criminally charged, assaulted and having their equipment seized is an issue that the government must be ready to provide answers to.

Government interference in the operations of non-governmental organisations especially the stringent registration process will come up during the review. The actions against members of the opposition whenever they plan public events will obviously be raised and what intention the government has to remedy the situation raised. Of particular concern will be the intention behind the government-proposed bill on Public Order Management, which stakeholders say could further imperil the right of freedom of assembly.

ARTICLE 19 in its submission to the UN had stated that freedom of expression was unjustly restricted by provisions in the Ugandan Penal Code, the Press and Journalist Act 1995, the Suppression of Terrorism Act 2002, and the Regulation of Interception of Communications Act 2010, the Electronic Media Act 1996 provided the Broadcasting Council with excessively broad powers and disregarded due process. The Government report did not address these concerns .The State will also be put to task to explain what measures it is taking to address general insecurity in the country.

Significance
The UPR is a process that brings objectivity and transparency in the analysis of human rights situations. Since no State likes to be blamed by the world community for failure to heed generally international standards, the UPR becomes an important tool of a world policy for the protection of human rights.

Through this process, citizens are able to monitor their government’s performance in human rights. Countries that are eager to have a positive balance sheet in the field of human rights will carefully evaluate any recommendations which have been addressed to them at the review, seeking to remedy any deficiencies to the greatest extent possible. Commitments that Uganda makes this October will form the basis of its human rights agenda for the next four years, when it will be time for another review in the world stage.

Parents launch bid to pass shelved gays Bill

2011-09-05T00:28:00.000-07:00

Parents under the Family Life Network and Uganda Coalition for Moral Values (UCMV) have opened a fresh campaign to force the government abandon economic and foreign policy considerations and pass the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009.

Mobilising under the ‘Uganda National Parents Network,’ the “Pass the BILL Now Campaign” the parents addressed journalists in Kampala yesterday and outlined their course of action, following revelations lately that Cabinet had abandoned the bill owing to international pressure from donor countries.

“We urge you to do what is right even if it is not politically correct. Remember that your first obligation and loyalty should be to the citizens of Uganda and our children who are our future,” they urged government in a statement signed by Mr Steven Langa, the executive director Family Life Network.

“We ask you not to betray and abandon the parents who voted you into public office. Remember that is the Ugandans who elected you and not donors or foreign governments,” the statement added, noting that Uganda should make friends with nations that share common values. The parents called for formation of an African coalition with common cultural norms and values.

Mr Langa noted that they were dismayed to read in the press that Cabinet had succumbed to international pressure to drop the Bill. Mr David Bahati, the Ndorwa West MP, was the brainchild behind the private member’s Bill that eventually became a thorn in government’s foreign policy as donors opposed it.

“We sound a serious warning that we will recall any MP who betrays our children, our people and our nation,” Mr Langa warned, promising that parents would be organised for recall of MPs who betray this cause.

emulondo@ug.nationmedia.com

Uganda’s Cabinet and Parliament At Odds Over Anti-gay Bill

2011-08-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

Posted on August 22nd, 2011 by Warren

Today, in the face of reports that Uganda’s Cabinet tossed out the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, Parliament spokesperson, Helen Kawesa, said that the bill ”is in the Parliament now. It’s Parliament’s property.” She added the Cabinet ministers will “have to argue it out in the Parliament” since the bill is controlled by Parliament and has not yet had a vote.

Kawesa added, “If the Cabinet has issues with it, they will be brought in to the floor of the House.”

Currently, budget meetings are on the agenda but a budget is slated to get a vote by next Wednesday. After that, other business, including the anti-gay bill could be considered. As of now, according to Kawesa, there is no official action scheduled for the Anti-Homosexuality Bill but she said the bill could come up at any time after the budget has been passed.

In 2010, a Cabinet committee chaired by Adolf Mwesige called for removal of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill and made recommendations to enforce existing law. Those recommendations were detailed in a report to Parliament. Many observers believed at the time that the bill had been shelved. However, the bill remained under the jurisdiction of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee. That committee then wrote a report recommending that the bill be passed. However, for reasons that remain unknown, the Parliament placed the bill on the daily agenda but then failed to act on the measure. Currently, the bill remains in the hands of Parliament and is one of several measures considered in the last session which is alive in this session.

FORMER EX-GAY UGANDAN MAN NOW REGRETS PAST WANTS TO APOLOGIZE

2011-07-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

A man who in 2009 renounced homosexuality at a public forum in Kampala has now told Behind the Mask that he regrets his previous actions and would like to be forgiven by the LGBTI community.

Saying that he felt “there is a fire in the belly saying gay is really who you are,” Mr George Oundo, known amongst Uganda’s LGBTI community as “Ms Georgina,” said that although he had renounced homosexuality on national media, at an opportune time he would ask the Kuchu community (Ugandan slang for LGBTI) to take him back.

Speaking on Wednesday July 27, 2011 to Behind the Mask outside the magistrate’s court in Kampala where three Christian evangelist preachers have been charged with making homophobic smears against a rival preacher, the now former ex-gay Oundo said he once again believed, “being gay is natural and inborn.”

The accused preachers, their lawyers, Henry Ddungu and David Kaggwa, together with David Mukalazi and Deborah Kyomuhendo (agents of the accused) face charges of conspiring to injure Pastor Robert Kayanja’s reputation by claiming that Kayanja sodomised boys in his church. The two lawyers are charged with allegedly commissioning false affidavits.

In March 2009 Oundo spoke at a Christian seminar and said he previously supported homophobic preacher Martin Sempa and legislator Mr David Bahati in their claims that homosexuals recruit children in schools and deserve the death penalty.

Speaking on Wednesday however, the now former ex-gay man said that he regrets the comments.

Looking sad, Mr Oundo, who once helped to establish an LGBTI human rights advocacy group in Kampala, said that although the preachers had given him some money and built him a house in Muyenga-Bukasa, a posh suburb of Kampala, he still had gay feelings. “I have never even become born again. I just do not want to be born again.”

He said the born again Christian anti-gay preachers had dumped him. “Can you imagine I have not been to any of their churches in the last one year?” he said.

Asked whether an interview with Behind the Mask would not cause him to be seen in a bad light by the born again community, Mr Oundo said he did not care what they believed.

However, when asked why he had come to court and was showing solidarity with Sempa and the other accused preachers, Mr Oundo said he had to be there as he had promised the three that he would see them through the trial.

Asked whether he does not feel he betrayed the Ugandan LGBTI community by making false allegations that almost saw the anti homosexuality bill 2009 passed into law, Mr Oundo said he “would understand and respect” people calling him a traitor.

Mr Oundo claimed back in March 2009 that donors gave him and fellow homosexuals “much money” and training abroad and that he would target mostly the needy children who had problems of tuition and pocket money and “others who like outings.”

During that occasion Oundo warned parents to know their children’s friends. Homosexuals, he added, were targeting mostly children “because they are easy to initiate and they like easy things.”

Oundo claimed then, that he got seriously involved in “promoting homosexuality” in 2003. “I was taken to Nairobi for training,” he said. “I used to supply pornographic materials in form of books and compact discs showing homosexuality to young boys in many schools.”

The training, he said, was facilitated by the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya. “I also got the pupils’ telephone contacts. We used to meet with both girls and boys in schools during ceremonial parties,” he had claimed.

He claimed in 2009 that he only stopped his activities after becoming a born again Christian. On that occasion he was speaking to about 50 parents who had been attending a seminar at a Kampala hotel. The seminar had been organised by the Family Life Network, a local charity which promotes family values.

UGANDAN ANTI-GAY PREACHER LOSES TEMPER AFTER SEXUAL TAUNTS

2011-07-27T03:50:00.000-07:00

An adjournment in the on-going homophobic smear case against three Ugandan Christian evangelist preachers became chaotic when one of the accused clergymen lost his temper with members of the public who were jeering him and his co-accused.

Mr Martin Sempa became angry in the Kampala court on Tuesday (July 26, 2011) when after losing his temper, he said he could no longer stand insults from his rival, Pastor Robert Kayanja’s followers who were taunting him in court. Women believed to be members of Kayanja’s choir hurled insults and taunts of a sexual nature at pastors Sempa, Solomon Male and Bob Kyazze.

The accused preachers, their lawyers, Henry Ddungu and David Kaggwa, together with David Mukalazi and Deborah Kyomuhendo (agents of the accused) face charges of conspiring to injure Pastor Robert Kayanja’s reputation. The two lawyers are charged with allegedly commissioning false affidavits.

One woman shouted that Kyazze and Sempa had tiny sex organs, while making graphic illustrations with her hands of her words. Another person said Pastor Sempa was diseased. This infuriated the accused preachers, prompting Sempa to ask a police officer in the court to restrain the crowds.

The magistrate, Mr John Patrick Wekesa had to emerge from his chambers to warn the warring parties. He said those who were interested in quarrelling could go to their churches or to Kampala’s Nakivubo Football Stadium to face off.

Earlier before the adjournment, the Uganda Police Head of Special Investigations Unit, Ms Grace Akullo told the court that she brought charges against the three anti-gay evangelists after discovering, “intrigue and blackmail” in accusations they made against their fellow clergyman, Pastor Robert Kayanja concerning sodomy.

Ms Akullo said she opened the case after realising that Pastors Sempa, Male and Kyazze were bent on spoiling the reputation of Pastor Kayanja, the lead pastor of Miracle Centre Cathedral, Lubaga with claims that Kayanja sodomised boys in his church.

She was testifying in the on going homophobic smear case in which the three preachers, their agents and lawyers are accused of conspiring to make false accusations that Kayanja sodomises boys.

Ms Akullo told the fully packed court room that she realised during investigations that a one Samson Mukisa had made several statements at a police station, accusing Kayanja of sodomising him.

“But then he kept retracting the statements and denied making the complaint in the first places,” Ms Akullo told the magistrate.

She said at one point, Mr Mukisa said he had been promised Sh50 million (about US$10,000) by agents of Mr Sempa, namely Mukalazi and Kyomuhendo to make false allegations against Kayanja. “But at another point, he (Mukisa) said he was promised [only] Sh6million (about US$2,400). It is not easy to sustain a lie,” the police officer told court.

Ms Akullo said after the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kale Kayihura instructed her to take on investigations, she could not understand why Mr Mukisa who had complained to police that Sempa wanted to harm him would go ahead to appear on national television with Sempa repeating the allegations against Kayanja. She said Mr Mukisa was at one point moved to a high security house in Bweyogerere, a Kampala suburb, by police under the witness protection measure, after claiming that Sempa wanted to harm him.

“They (Mukisa and Sempa’s agents) even had lunch together at Mommo Gallery, but he continued claiming that they wanted to harm him,” the officer told court. Mommo Gallery is an art exhibition centre in Kampala that also has restaurants.

Court was adjourned for an hour after the prosecution protested to the magistrate that the original statements made by the accused and Pastor Kayanja handed to prosecution lawyers had been handed over to the accused persons.

State prosecutor Stephen Asaba said the accused pastors have a history of changing documents and adjourned court so that photo copies could be made and shared.

It was during the adjournment that the drama described above, ensued.

If convicted, the accused pastors and their agents face a five year jail term each under Uganda’s penal code, according to State Prosecutor Stephen Asaba.

The accused pastors have strong links to The Family, a US-based anti lobby group, which is associated with funding Mr David Bahati, a Ugandan legislator to author and present the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2009 calling for the killing of homosexuals.

Uganda: LGBTI Rights are Human Rights

2011-07-12T01:46:00.001-07:00

Sylvia Tamale
Dr. Sylvia Tamale, a feminist professor of law at Makerere University, was confronted by Ugandan MPs at a seminar on 24 June 2011 for her stance on LGBTI rights in Uganda. The seminar focused on the role of women in politics and veered off course when Major General Katumba Wamala (representative of the armed forces in parliament) asked Tamale why ‘she encourages women to marry women and men to marry men’.

I thought this was something Tamale could easily dismiss as outside the context of her discussion. However, the chair of the session, John Nasasira (the MP for Kazo County and the government chief whip) took the intrusion a little further by deciding that the plenary discussion should take Tamale to task for her advocacy in defence of gay rights. Instead of following the practice of picking MPs who had raised their hands, Nasasira called on David Bahati (head crusader of the anti-homosexuality lobby in parliament) to ask a question to Tamale: ‘Honourable Bahati, I will give you a chance to ask a question, and you know why.’

Was it necessary for Nasasira to call such a debate? Was he doing this in good faith or was he making fun of Tamale? That question became more complicated when, after Bahati said he would ask a different question not related to gay rights, Nasasira made a remark that during a women’s conference in Nairobi, a female speaker took to the floor and lashed out at men. One of the ministers he attended with commented, ‘I did not know women hated men like this!’ Apparently, another colleague responded, ‘Those are lesbians.’ This was meant to be a joke that turned out to be a tasteless remark.

Tamale finally took the floor to respond to all questions, including the one on gay rights. She reminded members of parliament that not long ago colonialists, slave traders, missionaries and others used their power, the bible and science to justify that we [Africans] were less human, less intelligent or less deserving. She implored MPs to reconsider their actions before seeking to criminalise the lives of fellow humans. However, once we were outside the conference room, it became clear that the battle raging inside the minds and ‘selective moral consciousness’ of MPs had not waned.

Human rights activist Doreen Lwanga was confronted by MPs during the lunch break for inviting Dr. Sylvia Tamale. She tried to reason with MPs including asking the question, "What would you do if you found out that among the people you have legally criminalised and sentenced to death, as proposed by the Anti-Homosexual Bill, are your children, family or dear friends?" MP David Bahati, the author of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, responded that he would hand over his child to the police for punishment.

At lunch hour, an MP asked me, ‘Why would they invite such people, like Tamale?’ His colleague (another MP) responded, ‘People should know where human rights stop and on what continent!’ I asked her if in fact similar charges have not been levied at African women about where they belong and when they should talk in their struggle for recognition as humans. She did not respond to that.

Most arguments I have heard by the anti-homosexuality lobby are framed in the language of upholding societal values based on religion, African culture, western infiltration and being against sinful and abnormal behavior. However, the same people laying the charge that homosexuality has its roots in western culture are comfortable in their Swiss Rolex watches, German Mercedes cars, Finish Nokia phones and Gucci suits.

The tense and seemingly unwelcoming environment did not sway me from the opportunity to debate gay rights with MPs. I reminded those who erroneously accuse the United States of pushing its homosexual behavior onto Ugandans that, until 2003, when the Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas struck down the remaining sodomy laws in 15 US states, same sex couples in the US were prosecutable for the crime of sodomy.

Secondly, what is African culture and what is African about homophobia? Cecilia Ogwal (MP for Dokolo) asked why those people (in the west) are against our African culture of marrying ten wives yet they want to force [our] men to marry fellow men? Then again, in the US state of Utah, and in Canada and Mexico a section of The Church of the Latter Day Saints (commonly referred to as Mormons) practice polygamy, which is conveniently referred to as ‘plural marriage’. Ironically, the same bible-wielding people in Uganda casting stones at homosexuals seem to have no problem engaging in other social ills including adultery, pedophilia, prostitution, pornography, economic exploitation and political exclusion.

I asked several MPs I spoke to: ‘What would you do if you found out that among the people you have legally criminalised and sentenced to death, as proposed by the Anti-Homosexual Bill, are your children, family or dear friends?’ Bahati told me that as someone committed to eradicating such evil behaviour from our society, he would hand over his child to the police for punishment.

Yet, how many of us think of our children as capable of committing ‘those vices’ we disavow? We tend to think that criminals are ‘those people, far away from our good-natured children and families’. We do not want to believe that our children might grow up to realise that their identities are not heterosexual.

A lawyer working with the Ugandan parliament told me she is going to teach her children the ‘right morals’. She, like several others I spoke to, does not believe that homosexuals are born and not made. From her experience in attending a single-sex boarding school in Uganda, ‘girls recruit others into homosexuality’.

On the percentage of MPs who would vote in favour of ‘The Bahati Bill’, my lawyer friend told me that it would pass with about 95 per cent support. I wondered who the other five per cent were. Could they be, as I have since learned from a gay rights scholar, those male MPs having sex with fellow men but not pronouncing themselves as gay?

Dr. Sylvia Tamale recently published African Sexualities: A Reader at Pambazuka Press. It looks at African sexualities through the lens of history, feminism, law, sociology, anthropology, spirituality, poetry, fiction, life stories, rhetoric, song, art, and public health. The volume is written by a large group of authors who live their own sexualities across the diverse possibilities of desire, attraction, family creation, political activism and identity in 16 of Africa's 54 countries. African Sexualities adopts a feminist approach that analyses sexuality within patriarchal structures of oppression while also highlighting its emancipatory potential.

The Law, Gender & Sexuality Research Project at the Makerere University School of Law founded by Dr. Sylvia R. Tamale is putting together a book on the life, work and legacy of David Kisule Kato. David was murdered in his home in January and is considered a founder of Uganda's LGBTI human rights movement.

UGANDA’S TOP LAWYER SAYS, HOMOSEXUALITY IS A SOCIAL ISSUE NOT A LEGAL ONE

2011-07-12T01:44:00.000-07:00

Mr James Mukasa Sebugenyi was recently elected the new President of Uganda Law Society. Behind the Mask Kampala correspondent, Kikonyogo Kivumbi spoke to him about access to justice for all Ugandans, irrespective of their sexual orientation. Below are excerpts from the interview

BTM: ULS is crucial in the management and administration of justice in Uganda. Briefly what role are you playing in this regard?

ULS: The Uganda Law Society is a professional body of all lawyers in the country whose objectives include, among others, to maintain and improve the standards of conduct and learning of the legal profession in Uganda; to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge by members of the legal profession; to protect and assist the public in Uganda in matters touching, ancillary or incidental to the law and to assist the Government and the courts in all matters affecting legislation and the administration and practice of the law in Uganda.

In pursuit of its mandate, the ULS has worked and continues to work with the judiciary together with other Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) stakeholders to ensure proper administration of justice. In addition, the Legal Aid Project of the Uganda Law Society and the Pro bono scheme [Lawyers offering free legal services to the public or at a minimal fee] are both focused on ensuring access to justice for those who cannot afford.

The ULS also continues to come out on topical issues of concern, including taking on public interest litigation cases, dialogue, proposals for legislative reform to parliament in form of position papers to ensure adherence and observance of the rule of law in Uganda.

BTM: Homosexuals often face challenges in accessing justice in Uganda. Why?

ULS It is not correct to say that homosexuals face challenges in accessing justice. Our constitution is clear under the Bill of Rights, specifically on equality and non-discrimination. The courts are independent in the adjudication of all manner of disputes. If there are any challenges, then these challenges are structural and affecting the judiciary and litigants alike. [They are not] based on sexual orientation.

BTM: What plans do you have to enhance equal access to justice for all irrespective of sexual orientation?

ULS: [That is] already enumerated above [where I mentioned] the legal aid and pro-bono.

BTM: ULS took position to oppose passing the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2009. But section 145 of the Penal Code still criminalises consensual adult same sex relationships. What do you plan to do about this?

ULS: ULS opposing the Anti-Gay Bill had nothing to do with the content of the Bill (substantive law), because the Penal Code already outlaws and penalises homosexuality. The ULS’ concern was mainly to do with the proposed offences and sanctions, some of which were really draconian.

The argument is really that human rights, while inherent, are not absolute and must be promoted with the context in mind. Homosexuality is a social and not a legal issue, and all its proponents must look at it from that perspective.

BTM: The judiciary in Uganda has shown exemplary independence in administration of justice in cases filed by gay activists. But some forces get discomfort when lawyers, some of whom are members of ULS making legal representation for homosexuals in courts of law. Why? What do you plan to do about this?

ULS: In the exercise of judicial power, the courts are guaranteed independence under article 128 of the constitution, this independence is for all manner of disputes brought before the courts and not only those brought by gays, to say so would imply discrimination by the courts on grounds of sexual orientation which is outlawed by our constitution. The courts shall not be subject to the control or direction of any person or authority.

Regarding involvement of advocates in these cases [brought by or against gays] Article 28(1) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995 provides for a right to a fair hearing; it states that: in determination of civil rights and obligations or any criminal charge, a person shall be entitled to a fair, speedy, and public hearing before an independent and impartial court or tribunal established by law.

This Article continues to provide for the Presumption of Innocence under clause (3)(a), it states:, every person charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until proved guilty or until that person has pleaded guilty, additionally clause (3)(d) of the same article permits such a person appear before court in person or, at that persons own expense, by a lawyer of his or her choice;

From the above Article, it is notable that every person is entitled to legal representation by an advocate of his or her choice and at his or her own expense. Therefore, when individual members of ULS represent homosexuals in the courts of law, they do so in pursuit of fair trial and rule of law principles enshrined in our constitution and most importantly the presumption of innocence for persons charged with criminal offences.

Ugandan MP says new anti-gay bill could be law soon

2011-07-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

Posted on July 5th, 2011 by Warren

After a tumultuous end to business in the last session involving the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, the current Ninth Parliament of Uganda continues to organize itself for business. Last week, committees were formed and rules or order are being devised. Jockeying for power and influence occupy the efforts of those in the ruling party and those in the opposition.

Lawmaking is probably a month away but one legislator is predicting that a re-introduced Anti-Homosexuality Bill will be law within two months. Otto Odonga, a member of the committee which Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee in the 8th and now again in the 9th Parliament told me via Skype that he expects David Bahati to reintroduce the bill as soon as possible. He predicted that the bill will come to the floor of Parliament as soon as rules allow.

“It will be expedited this time around and passed within one, maybe two months time,” the MP said. Odonga also told me that Stephen Tashobya, the chair of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee, was re-appointed to that same post in the new Parliament. While Bahati will need to start from scratch on the bill, the committee will be able to use the report issued last session as a basis for their work this time around. That report called for minimal changes and retained the death penalty for certain offenses. Odonga said the bill has wide support in the Parliament.

As a follow up on a prior story, Odonga also said that David Bahati was selected to be the coordinator of the Parliamentary Prayer Fellowship.

Thank You Note

2011-07-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG)
P.O. Box 70208, Clock Tower,
Kampala, Uganda
Telephone: +256 312 294 859
Email: info@sexualminoritiesuganda.org
Website: www.sexualminoritiesuganda.org

To All Comrades

Sexual Minorities of Uganda (SMUG) would like to extend its sincerest gratitude for your support and encouragement in combating the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Due to your hard work and dedication, the Ugandan
Parliament ended without the passing of the Bill, allowing the LGBT community of Uganda to take one step closer towards freedom. Had the Bill passed, every homosexual within Uganda would have been subject to the death penalty for practicing gay sex with people under 18, with disabled persons, when the accused party is HIV-positive or for those previously convicted of homosexuality-related offences. David Bahati’s desires to “kill every last gay” would have been far from impossible. Thankfully the 8th Parliament closed without the passing of this legislation, and while SMUG was hard at work advocating against this bill, the conclusion reached would not have been possible without the domestic and international support given by all of you.

As SMUG persists in its work to free the LGBT community in Uganda, we request that you continue to support our work and the lives of those who daily live within the fear that state sponsored homophobia creates. The threat of the Bill being proposed again remains on the minds of all those who advocated against it. Even without the threat of the Bill being redrafted, there is work to be done to change the hearts and minds of Ugandan society and rid Uganda of current laws that allow for the arrest and imprisonment of up to 14 years for homosexuals. Combating the homophobia within Ugandan society becomes even more important as we remember the death of our beloved friend and fellow advocate, David Kato, who was brutally murdered in his
home simply because of his steadfast commitment to the rights of the LGBTI community. These atrocities and the threat of future legislation that would further criminalize homosexuality can only be stopped by continuing to advocate for the recognition of equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender interpretation. Your continued support of our organization, other human rights groups, and all sexual minorities within Uganda is extremely appreciated. it is our hope that one day, all those in Uganda, across Africa, and around the world will not live in fear because of who they love.

SMUG also welcomes the recent UN Resolution on Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity which identifies the need for investigating the discrimination and violence that affects the LGBT community around the globe. Because of this important step made by the international community, David Bahati can no longer support his homophobia through the absence of sexual orientation and gender identity within the international legal system.

We continue to stand with you for justice and equality for all.

In Solidarity

Sexual Minorities of Uganda

Human Rights Council Passes First-Ever Resolution on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

2011-06-29T01:35:00.000-07:00

(Geneva, June 17, 2011) In a groundbreaking achievement for upholding the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the United Nations Human Rights Council has passed a resolution on human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity (L.9/Rev.1).

The resolution, presented by South Africa along with Brasil and 39 additional co-sponsors from all regions of the world, was passed by a vote of 23 in favour, 19 against, and 3 abstentions. A list of how States voted is attached. In its presentation to Council, South Africa recalled the UDHR noting that “everyone is entitled to all rights and freedoms without distinction of any kind” and Brasil called on the Council to “open the long closed doors of dialogue”.

Today’s resolution is the first UN resolution ever to bring specific focus to human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and follows a joint statement on these issues delivered at the March session of the council. It affirms the universality of human rights, and notes concern about acts of violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This commitment of the Human Rights Council sends an important signal of support to human rights defenders working on these issues, and recognizes the legitimacy of their work.

“The South African government has now offered progressive leadership, after years of troubling and inconsistent positions on the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity. Simultaneously, the government has set a standard for themselves in international spaces. We look forward to contributing to and supporting sustained progressive leadership by this government and seeing the end of the violations we face daily”. (Dawn Cavanagh, Coalition of African Lesbians)

The resolution requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a study on violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and calls for a panel discussion to be held at the Human Rights Council to discuss the findings of the study in a constructive and transparent manner, and to consider appropriate follow-up.

“That we are celebrating the passage of a UN resolution about human rights violations on the basis of sexual orientation is remarkable, however the fact that gender identity is explicitly named truly makes this pivotal moment one to rejoice in,” added Justus Eisfeld, Co-Director of GATE. “The Human Rights Council has taken a step forward in history by acknowledging that both sexual and gender non-conformity make lesbian, gay, trans* and bi people among those most vulnerable and indicated decisively that states have an obligation to protect us from violence.”

"As treaty bodies, UN special procedures, and national courts have repeatedly recognized, international human rights law prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.” (Alli Jernow, International Commission of Jurists)

The resolution is consistent with other regional and national jurisprudence, and just this week, the 2011 United Nations Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS recognised the need to address the human rights of men who have sex with men, and the Organization of American States adopted by consensus a resolution condemning violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Earlier in this 17th session of the Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Rashida Manjoo, reported to the Council that:

“[C]ontributory factors for risk of violence include individual aspects of women’s bodily attributes such as race, skin colour, intellectual and physical abilities, age, language skills and fluency, ethnic identity and sexual orientation.”

The report also detailed a number of violations committed against lesbian, bisexual and trans women, including cases of rape, attacks and murders. It is therefore regrettable that a reference to "women who face sexuality-related violence" was removed from the final version of another resolution focused on the elimination of violence against women during the same session.

"Despite this inconsistency, we trust the UN resolution on sexual orientation and gender identity will facilitate the integration of the full range of sexual rights throughout the work of the UN." (Meghan Doherty, Sexual Rights Initiative)

A powerful civil society statement was delivered at the end of the session, welcoming the resolution and affirming civil society’s commitment to continuing to engage with the United Nations with a view to ensuring that all persons are treated as free and equal in dignity and rights, including on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“Now, our work is just beginning”, said Kim Vance of ARC International. “We look forward to the High Commissioner’s report and the plenary panel next March, as well as to further dialogue with, and support from, those States which did not yet feel able to support the resolution, but which share the concern of the international community at these systemic human rights abuses.”

ARC International, John Fisher (Geneva) +41 79 508 3968 or john@arc-international.net

Amnesty International, Peter Splinter (Geneva) +41 (0) 22 906 9483 or Emily Gray (London) +44 (0) 20 7413 5865
CAL – Coalition of African Lesbians, Dawn Cavanagh (South Africa) + 27 11 918 6115 or dawn@cal.org.za COC Nederland, Björn van Roozendaal(Netherlands) +31 6 22 55 83 00 or BvanRoozendaal@coc.nl

Council for Global Equality, Mark Bromley (Washington) +1.202.719.0511 or Mark@globalequality.org

GATE - Global Action for Trans* Equality, Justus Eisfeld (New York) jeisfeld@transactivists.org, +1-646-341-1699 or Mauro Cabral (Argentina) mcabral@transactivists.org or +54 9 351 5589876
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, Stefano Fabeni (Washington) +1 312-919-3512 or sfabeni@heartlandalliance.org

Human Rights Watch, Siphokazi Mthathi (South Africa) mthaths@hrw.org or + 27 82 777 1319/ +27 11 484 2640 or Juliette De Rivero (Geneva) +41 079 640 1649 or derivej@hrw.org

IDAHO - International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, Joel Bedos (France) jbedos@dayagainsthomophobia.org

IGLHRC - International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, Jessica Stern (New York) + 1 212 430 6014 or jstern@iglhrc.org

ILGA- the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, Renato Sabbadini, +32 474 857 950 or renato@ilga.org

International Campaign Stop Trans Pathologization STP 2012, Amets Suess, stp2012@gmail.comInternational Commission of Jurists, Alli Jernow (Geneva) +41(0)22 979 3800) or allison.jernow@icj.org

International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), Bjorn Pettersson (Geneva), b.pettersson@ishr.ch, +41 22 919 7117
Sexual Rights Initiative, Meghan Doherty, Sexual Rights Initiative, +41 (0)78 871 6713 or meghan@acpd.ca Thailand's Sexual Diversity Network, Paisarn Likhitpreechakul +66 81 634 3450 or forsogi@gmail.comTransgender Europe (TGEU), Carla LaGata (Germany), mana@zedat.fu-berlin.de

Attachment (Records of Vote and Co-Sponsorship)

States supporting the resolution: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Thailand, UK, USA, Uruguay

States against the resolution: Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Moldova, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Uganda.

Abstentions: Burkina Faso, China, Zambia

Absent: Kyrgyzstan, Libya (suspended)

Co-Sponsors of the resolution: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, and Uruguay.

A Christian Response to Homosexuality

2011-06-29T00:39:00.000-07:00

By Rev. Stephen R. Parelli, Executive Director of Other Sheep
December 27, 2010, Bronx, New York
www.othersheep.org; email: sparelli2002@yahoo.com
Prepared for Trivandrum Theological Forum (TTF), Trivandrum, Kerala, India
TTF website: www.ttftupm.webs.com; TTF email: ttftvpm@yahoo.co.in

Sexual traditions of India suppressed by British colonizers
Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which makes it a crime to engage in “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal”, and which was read down by the Delhi High Court judgment in the Naz Foundation v. Union of India on 2 July, 2009, so that gay sex between consenting adults was decriminalized, was originally “drafted by Lord Macaulay and enacted in 1860 during British colonial rule.”
In the years leading up to the 2009 Naz decision, the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India, in its 2003 affidavit supporting the retention of Section 377, argued that the law “was brought under the statute as an act of criminality [because] it responded to the values and mores of the time [1860] in the Indian society,” to which the petitioners, in their reply to the court, countered by saying Section 377 evinced only “the British Judeo-Christian values of the time.”
Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai, in their book Same-Sex Love in India: A Literary History, provide an invaluable anthology of Indian writings from ancient times to the present on the subjects of the love of a man for a man, and of a women for a women. Robert Goldman calls the collection “a powerful corrective to the often expressed opinion that the Indian tradition is either unaware of or openly hostile to same-sex love.”
According to Dr. George Nalunnakkal of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, “India’s traditional silence on ‘sexuality’ is nothing but a celebrated myth. In fact, the Indian mind had always engaged sexuality in a very open and radical manner. It was, in fact, the colonizers who had brought to India their ‘values’ and ethos, which suppressed the Indian tradition.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), regarded by many to be one of the most important thinkers in the West, wrote with some wit: "The unnatural, that too is natural." The “British Judeo-Christian values” of the 19th century, and well into the 20th century, on homosexuality, are in keeping, not with the wit of von Goethe, but with a literal reading of the Epistle to the Romans by the Apostle Paul, so that, for the British, same-sex sex-acts were most assuredly “against nature.”
The problem is how we read the Bible

“The ‘problem,’ of course, is not the Bible, it is the Christians who read it. . . . No credible case against homosexuality or homosexuals can be made from the Bible,” says Peter Gomes, “unless one chooses to read Scripture in a way that sustains the existing prejudice against homosexuality and homosexuals.”
As a young man in my early teens, I was conditioned to think a certain way – to think Biblically. I would attend church three or more times a week. On a daily basis I would engage myself in systematic Bible study. With paper and pen I would write out my thoughts on the Scripture I had read for the day. In the course of my religious experience, while still at a very young age, I came to believe that the Bible condemned same-sex sex acts. I was terrified by those Bible passages that appeared to undoubtedly condemn me for my homoerotic feelings and my desire to act upon them. Some of these texts were: “Bring them out to us that we may know them,” Genesis 19:5; “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination,” Leviticus 18:22. “And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another,” Romans 1:27a.
During my years in Bible college and seminary, and as an ordained Baptist minister, my spiritual discipline and the vigilance I kept were constant, but by the time I reached my mid-40s I was weary and weak. I put myself into reparative therapy with counselor Joseph Nicolosi of NARTH and began attending area “ex-gay” support groups. Once these attempts for change ran their course, and having rigorously put into practice my spiritual disciplines for more than twenty years, I found myself thinking critically. “What if the church is wrong about homosexuality,” I asked myself. It was an astounding thought, something like an epiphany. I had never thought like this before, that a way of thinking, almost universally received, could be flawed. I found my new open-mindedness exciting as I considered the possibilities of study, and yet somewhat unsettling as I began to consider the ramifications of my new direction in thinking, i.e., ‘what if the universe is wrong?’
I began to read authors, who like me, questioned the church’s teaching on homosexuality. I read every book I could find. I began to build a library of books on the topic of faith and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) concerns. I was amazed to find that serious theologians and scholars, most of them gay, had already been addressing the topic for about twenty-five years or more. I had never seen their books before. How isolated I had been. I was a recluse in my own spiritual, ecclesiastical, evangelical waist land.
Against Nature – Romans 1:26, 27
The second major critical thought I remember having at some later point in time was this: The only way Romans 1:18-32 could be about me was if I were to read the chapter backwards, beginning with verses 26 and 27, the “against nature” part. This realization was a new beginning for me; I was no longer under the condemnation of Romans 1. I had memorized Romans 1:18-32 as a young man and would quote this passage as a means of spiritual defense whenever tempted by homoerotic thoughts or desires. Now, in my late 40’s, I was free: nothing in this passage leading up to verses 26 and 27 (“against nature”) was descriptive of me, and therefore, verses 26 and 27 did not apply to me. It was my second epiphany. I was somewhat transformed by it. It was an intellectually violent upheaval, an about-face, a metamorphosis, a radical change in my thinking: Romans 1, including verses 26 and 27, isn’t about me.
Elizabeth Stuart says the Apostle Paul uses this phrase, against nature, “to describe, not homosexual people, but Gentiles who characteristically engaged in same-sex activity, a characteristic that distinguishes them, not from heterosexuals, but from the Jews” [emphasis mine].
“Certainly, biblical writers knew of homosexual acts, but they apparently understood those acts as being done by heterosexual people (they assumed everyone was heterosexual). Thus, when persons engaged in same-sex genital behavior, they were departing from their natural and given orientation.”
Mr. Shyam Divan, in his Outline of arguments submitted to the Bench in The Naz Judgment, says “Section 377 criminalizes ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature.’ For a homosexual male or female, his or her sexual orientation is ‘natural’. The sexual orientation of an individual arises from the depth of his or her being and it is not an aspect of his or her conduct that can be termed as ‘unnatural’ or ‘against the order of nature’. In most reported studies, persons have either no choice or very little choice in their attraction to members of their own sex.”
Sodom and Gomorrah – Genesis 19
Dale Martin, in his book Sex and the Single Savior, says that in interpreting Biblical texts, “we read [them] certain ways because we are socialized to do so; . . . we read [them] differently on a second reading because we ourselves have been (socially!) changed in the meantime.”

The now somewhat popular “second reading” of the Biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah, a paradigm shift witnessed in my own life time, from the traditional “Sodomy” interpretation to the “inhospitality” interpretation (cf. Mark 6:7-11) is a striking example of the fact that different “social and psychological constraints” were evidently brought to bear on this text. Michael Carden, in his book Sodomy: A History of a Christian Biblical Myth, says “my engagement with the texts will not pretend any dispassion.” Gay theologians, having brought their queer selves to the Sodom and Gomorrah story, have concluded, and widely published, that the sin of Sodom (cf. Ezekiel 16:49 ) was “oppression and injustice, not sexual sin” [emphasis mine].

So effective has “gay theology” been since its beginnings in the 1970’s that, as early as 1993, Bob Davies and Lori Rentzel, two popular evangelical “ex-gay” authors who maintain that all same-sex sex-acts are forbidden by Scripture, dismiss Gen. 19 as a text that can support their view. In Coming Out of Homosexuality: New Freedom for Men & Women, they admit “pro-gay theologians are correct in saying that this passage [Sodom and Gomorrah] does not provide a strong argument against prohibiting all homosexual acts” [emphasis mine].

The lyings down of a woman – Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13

The Hebrew text of Leviticus 18:22 reads “And with a male (וְאֶת־זָכָר ve’et zakhar) you shall not lie (לֹא תִשְׁכַּב lo tishkav) the lyings down of a woman (מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה miskab issah).” To lie “the lyings down of a woman” (מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה miskab issah, Lev. 18:22 and 20:13) is, according to Saul M. Olyan, a reference “specifically to intercourse and suggest[s] that anal penetration was seen as analogous to vaginal penetration on some level.”
Therefore, the prohibition is against male-to-male anal intercourse, nothing more. Strictly speaking, other forms of homoeroticism between men are therefore permitted, such as oral sex, mutual masturbation, and intercurural sex.

Beyond the literal rendering of the verse itself, and in the greater context of Israel’s “strategy to survive,” Nissinen sees the Leviticus prohibition as a prohibition against confusing gender roles. “Interpretation of gender,” says Nissenin, was “a fundamental factor of social structure and control.” On the other hand, Miner and Connoley understand the Leviticus prohibition to be “clearly directed at homosexual temple prostitution.” In either case, it would be difficult to show how Israel’s Holiness Code – of which Lev. 18 and 20 is a part – fits the context of same-sex lovers today. Nissinen notes, “in no way can the code be likened to civil or criminal law in the modern sense of the word.”

Malakoi and arsenokoitai – I Corinthians 6:8-10 and I Timothy 1:10

The list of sins in these two Pauline texts include malakoi (I Cor. 6:9) and arsenokoitai (I Cor. 6:9 and I Tim. 1:10). Both words have been sorely mistranslated as “homosexuals” (malakoi, NKJV ; arsenokoitais, I Tim. 1:10, NAS, HCSB, LEB ).

Malakoi literally means soft; it is a “type of moral weakness.” Because it is listed in I Cor. 6:9-10 with sins that are clearly sexual, malakoi might best be rendered, as it is by quit a few versions, as “male prostitute” (see NRSV, NIV, NLT, HCSB, NCV, ISV, and TNIV for this rendering).

One can easily see that there is a radical difference between “homosexuals” and “male prostitute.” “Homosexual” is a modern term in common use today which identifies a person’s sexual orientation as being attracted to the same sex. “Homosexual,” like “heterosexual,” says nothing of a person’s lifestyle as being moral or immoral which raises the question as to why would “homosexual” be placed in a list of sins along with thieves, drunkards, adulterers, murderers and liars, which is what the Bible translators do here. “Male prostitute,” on the other hand, says nothing about one’s sexual orientation. A male prostitute could be homosexual or heterosexual. His lifestyle is prostitution, but his sexual orientation is not known. That modern Bible translators can translate each of these words, malakoi and arsenokoitai, using words with such wide-ranging differences in meaning, indicates that the meaning of the original Greeks words are difficult to discern, and/or the translators are culturally biased in their translation work.

Arsenokoitai is, in fact, a difficult word to translate. It occurs only 73 times over a period of around 600 years following Paul and generally occurs in lists, in which case there is little to no context by which to provide a sense of meaning. In one such list, “the term is used by a Greek author when cataloguing the sins of the Greek gods” and is, perhaps, a reference to Zeus, who, by force, abducted and raped Ganymede, a young man. There is a second text which gives us a further indication as to the possible meaning of arsenokoitai. According to Greek legend, Naas (the name given to the snake in the garden once it became a Satantic figure) commits “adultery” with Adam. Hippolytus writes that it is by this act of “adultery” that arsenokoites enters into the world, and compares Naas and Adam with Zeus and Ganymede. In this context, arsenokoitai conveys the idea of a strong individual taking sexual advantage over a weaker individual by use of position and power.

Miner and Connoley make the observation that arsenokoitai in Paul’s two lists of sins (I Cor. 6:9-10 and I Tim 1:10) comes at the end of a list of sexual sins (male prostitutes and fornication ending each list respectively) and at the beginning of a list of economic sins (thieves and slave traders heading each list respectively), suggesting that arsenokoitai “describes a male who aggressively takes sexual advantage of another male.” Tom Hanks notes that “Paul’s vice list” in I Cor. 6:8-10 is “headed with the reference to oppression (akikia), implying that the homoerotic acts condemned [there] are those characterized by exploitation, injustice and violence (rape), all especially experienced by slaves.” Hanks further notes that the oppression heading is paralleled in Romans 1:18, 29; 2:8; and 3:5, which, again, implies that the homoerotic acts in Romans are “characterized by exploitation, injustice and violence (rape).”

There is no biblical sex ethic; only a love ethic

James B. Nelson, Professor of Christian Ethics at United Theological Seminary, Minneapolis, from 1963-1995, says it is problematic to use “direct guidance from Scripture” for determining “specific sexual behaviors” because “the Scriptures are multiform and inconsistent in the sexual moralities endorsed therein” such as “polygamy, levirate marriage, concubinage, and prostitution. . . .

“Even on such a major issue as sexual intercourse between unmarried consenting adults there is no explicit prohibition in either Hebrew Scripture or the New Testament (which John Calvin discovered to his consternation). Indeed, the Song of Solomon celebrates one such relationship. . . I believe that our best biblical scholarship reaches Walter Wink’s conclusion: ‘There is no biblical sex ethic. The Bible knows only a love ethic, which is constantly being brought to bear on whatever sexual mores are dominant in any given country, or culture, or period’” [emphasis his].

Purity codes and Outcasts

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day – the Sadducees, Pharisees, and priests – were strict adherents and guardian of the purity codes. This meant they were concerned with a certain “habitual arrangement of things.” The arrangement was what was valued, not the people (Mark 2:27 ). In this context, the religious leaders had “narrowed the love of God until it included only themselves.”

In their arrangement of things, the Jews had reduced the Samaritans to the “lowest degree” within the social order, ranking them with Gentiles. After the Israelites, at the top of the strata, were the despised trades, like tax collectors. Then after them, in a general descending order, were Jewish and Gentile slaves; proselytes; freed gentile slaves; and – just above the stratum of the Samaritans and Gentiles – were Israelites with serious blemishes like bastards, the fatherless and eunuchs.

By repeatedly recounting a discriminating story-of-origin about the Samaritans, and by observing day-to-day ritualized actions against them, the Jews had ostracized the Samaritans socially and religiously. They “cursed the Samaritans in their synagogues and considered their touch as pollution. . . . Their very name became a term of abuse, ‘Thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil’, John 8. 48. The Jews were “righteous,” while the Samaritans were “outcasts.”

The need to belong

In their book What God Has Joined Together: The Christian Case for Gay Marriage, the authors show that, essentially, you and I, straight and gay, are social beings created with the innate desire to belong. To be avoided, shunned, ignored or excluded can have damaging effects on our emotional well-being. “Those who’ve experienced the silent treatment” from family, groups, or society, “have called it ‘emotional abuse’ and ‘a terrible, terrible weapon to use.’”

Social exclusion can result in depression, loss of self-esteem, delinquency, violence, and suicide. This is especially true for LGBT youth who, according to one American report released in 2006, “are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers.” Findings in another American study released in 2009 showed that “adolescents who were rejected by their families for being LGBT were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide.”

In the morning sessions of Day 3 (25 September 2008) of the proceedings before the Delhi High Court in the matter of Naz Foundation vs. Union of India, Mr. Shyam Divan, in his arguments for Voices Against 377, said, “Homosexuals suffer tremendous psychological harm. Fear of discrimination leads to a concealment of true identity. . . . [I]n the case of homosexuals it is the tainting of desire, it is the attribution of perversity and shame to spontaneous bodily affection, it is the prohibition of the expression of love, it is the denial of full moral citizenship in society because you are what you are, that impinges on the dignity and self worth of a group.”

In the “habitual arrangement of things” today, where “humans use ostracism to control social behavior,” in too many cases, LGBT people have been placed outside the circle of inclusion by their local church and by their devout families. An eminent African American civil rights activist of the 1950’s and 60’s, who was doing LGBT faith-based activism with me with Soulforce in 2008, told me this: “Something the African American had in his struggle for civil rights was his family and his church. When society would reject the African American in his struggle for equality, he or she could repair to their family and church and there find solace, belonging, love and hope. Not so for the LGBT person,” he said. “For them, family and church, two basic units for belonging and empowerment, have joined society in ostracizing the LGBT person in his struggle for equality and acceptance, and he or she is left with the realization that they are completely cut off.”

The reign of God on earth

When Jesus was brought before Pilate, he was charged with subverting the nation (Luke 23:2, NIV). He had brought into question the existing value system. He had crossed social boundaries and had disrupted the “habitual arrangement of things.” By his subversive teachings and actions, he had freed things and people from their “proper” broken places in the arrangement of things. He had “widened the love of God until it reached out to all men.” He was creating the reign of God. His was the message of inclusion.

Criminalizing HIV/AIDS care and support: Discrimination laws threatening the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa

2011-06-29T00:38:00.000-07:00

A paper presented to a workshop organized by Salud por Derecho on
“Challenges on the road to Universal Access on the 30th Anniversary of HIV/AIDS”
By
Wamala Dennis Mawejje
Since it was discovered over two decades ago, HIV/AIDS has claimed so many lives and attracted a lot of attention. In this regard, so many interventions have been designed and implemented to curb this epidemic. However much multi-pronged the interventions claim to be, there are still areas where a lot of work still needs to be done- some of these areas have actually slowed or retarded progress in this fight. One such area is the majorly ignored issue of sexual minorities.
These have been ignored in many countries and some have even argued that the LGBT community does not exist. This has meant discrimination in the application of interventions for prevention, treatment and care in combating HIV/AIDS.
Discrimination against the LGBT community is also multi-pronged; it comes from cultural, religious, economic and legal angles to mention but a few. Today I will look at the legal angle of discrimination and how it is impacting on the fight against HIV/AIDS in the world generally but with specific interest in Uganda where discrimination is at unprecedented levels.
Despite the call for non-discrimination by different documents like the yogyakarta principles on the application of international human rights law in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity, Universal Declaration Human Rights, African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, HIV/AIDS declaration and many others, many countries still treat LGBT people if not as second class citizens then as worthless members of society. This is reflected even when it comes to dealing with HIV/AIDS.
Like is the case that a medical practitioner should report any bullet wound they treat, practitioners in some countries where same sex relations are criminalized tend not only to shy away from dealing with such people as they believe it to be abetting crime but are also not well trained in dealing with MSM issues since these are seen as illegal. Today over 80 Countries around the world still criminalize same sex relations and Uganda is one of them.
These laws mainly affect men having sex with men (MSM).
Uganda was one of the first African countries to respond aggressively to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, moving rapidly to introduce measures to prevent HIV transmission. Thus, in Uganda HIV prevalence rates that once hovered around 30%, declined to under 10 % over the last two decades (Okero et al, 2004). Nevertheless, there is presently some concern that HIV prevalence rates are once again on the rise or at best reached a plateau where the numbers of new HIV infections match AIDS-related deaths. Reasons advanced for this state of affairs include increasingly active restrictive legislation to HIV related issues like same sex relations, the government’s shift towards abstinence-based prevention programs, general complacency (‘AIDS-fatigue’) and the changes in the perception of AIDS as a treatable and manageable disease with the availability of ART.
Though the constitution of Uganda calls for the establishment of rights and freedoms for all, the LGBT community has not been able to enjoy these freedoms as a minority group.
• Section 140 of the penal code of the republic of Uganda criminalizes “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” with maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Also, Section 141 prohibits “attempts at Carnal knowledge” with maximum penalty of 7 years’ imprisonment. Section 143, punishes acts of procurement of or attempts to procure acts of gross indecency” between men in public or private with up to 5 years imprisonment
We even saw a push further in the wrong direction by an MP belonging to the ruling party who introduced the anti-homosexuality bill 2009 with severe punishments for same sex relations including a death penalty, jail terms for issues like mandatory reporting and many other extremely ridiculous provisions.
Restrictive legislative environments in some countries hinder effective HIV service provision to MSM. In fact, sexual acts in private between consensual adults of the same sex are still criminalized in most of Africa.
These restrictive legislations have meant that most LGBT people live their lives underground (very secret lives) and it makes provision of care and support in terms of LGBT health initiatives very difficult and unlikely because you cannot provide care to someone you are not aware of.
Also using the law, we have seen security personnel arresting LGBT people with the intention of extortion. Some of these people are raped in detention and this worsens the HIV/AIDS situation as well as bringing down their self-esteem to deal with the infection.
LGBT activists who have braved the storm to advocate for equal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care have many times been arrested like was the case in the HIV/AIDS implementer’s meeting held in Kampala where three activists were arrested. This discourages other activists from coming out against discrimination as they find the issue tricky hence worsening the HIV/AIDS situation both for LGBT people and female partners to MSM.
Also during post-test counseling and treatment of STIs, individuals are encouraged to bring their partners along but the laws against same sex relations make it difficult for people in such relations to benefit from this. This means that the counselors will not do their job well and the fight against HIV/AIDS becomes even more difficult.
Because anti-homosexuality laws basically legitimize discrimination, those who come out to defy this order face isolation not only from the public but also from the LGBT community itself. You find that some LGBT people shun service providers who openly work with same sex loving couples for fear that they might get exposed and face the stigma that comes with being a known homosexual.
Since the law does not recognize same sex relations, the health sector establishment in its bid to fight HIV/AIDS does not include consumables for MSM and WSW like lubricants, IEC materials, etc, meaning that they use all types of crude and dangerous consumables which ultimately expose them to HIV.
Worst of all, to evade the law, some LGBT people live double lives. A man will get married to a woman to hide the fact that he is sleeping with men. This means that if because of the reasons I have mentioned above he catches HIV from his male partner, he will pass it on to his female partner and the chain of HIV transmission then becomes endless. This is a serious issue in Uganda and that is why we argue that protecting MSM from being infected and affected by HIV and AIDS means we are protecting the whole community.
To achieve this, we need to rethink our restrictive legislations against same sex relations and embrace a more broad based approach.
I thank you.
denkross@gmail.com

Obama says gay couples deserve same rights as all

2011-06-24T05:50:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK – Treading carefully, President Barack Obama praised New York state lawmakers who were debating landmark legislation Thursday to legalize gay marriage, saying that's what democracy's all about. But as expected, the president stopped short of embracing same-sex marriage himself, instead asking gay and lesbian donors for patience.

"I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country," the president said at a Manhattan fundraiser, his first geared specifically to the gay community. Coincidentally, the long-planned event occurred just as lawmakers in Albany were debating legislation that would make New York the sixth and by far the largest state to legalize gay marriage.

That served to spotlight the president's own views on same-sex marriage, a sore point with gay supporters who've otherwise warmed to Obama. The president has said his views are "evolving," but for now he supports civil unions, not same-sex marriage.

Obama said progress will be slower than some people want, but he added that he was confident that there will be a day "when every single American, gay or straight or lesbian or bisexual or transgender, is free to live and love as they see fit.

"Traditionally marriage has been decided by the states and right now I understand there's a little debate going on here in New York," he said to laughter. New York's lawmakers, he said, are "doing exactly what democracies are supposed to do."
[ For complete coverage of politics and policy, go to Yahoo! Politics ]

The lawmakers ended their session late Thursday in Albany without voting on the bill.

As Obama spoke a handful of people shouted out "marriage!" And Obama said, "I heard you guys." He never directly mentioned gay marriage.

Obama said there were those who shouted at him at events about other causes of the gay community, such as the need for anti-hate crimes legislation and for the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on openly gay military service, and both of those have since been achieved.

Obama also has won favor by instructing the Justice Department to stop defending in court a law defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

Obama told of receiving a letter last year from a teenager in a small town. He said the boy was a senior in high school who was gay and was afraid to come out. The boy wondered to the president why gays shouldn't be equal like everyone else.

"So, yes, we have more work to do," Obama said. "Yes, we have more progress to make. Yes, I expect continued impatience with me on occasion."

He said teenagers such as the one who wrote to him "remind me that there should be impatience when it comes to the fight for basic equality. We've made enormous advances just in these last two and half years. But there's still young people out there looking for us to do more."

In a direct appeal for votes, Obama said: "With your help, if you keep up the fight, if you will devote your time and your energies to this campaign one more time, I promise you we will write another chapter in that story. ... I'll be standing there, right there with you."

Overall the reaction Obama got was warm from the crowd of nearly 600 who paid up to $35,800 each to hear him speak at a midtown hotel. And only a small group of protesters showed up to demonstrate outside for marriage equality. It was a measure of how much the gay community has warmed to Obama since earlier in his administration when donors threatened to boycott Democratic fundraisers to pressure Obama on "don't ask, don't tell."

If Obama were to endorse gay marriage, it would give a jolt of enthusiasm to his liberal base and perhaps unlock additional fundraising dollars from the well-heeled gay community. It's not clear it would get him too many additional votes in 2012 though, because the Republican field's general opposition to gay rights gives activists no alternative to Obama.

At the same time, supporting gay marriage could alienate some religious voters that the politically cautious White House might still hope to win over for Obama's re-election campaign.

Obama has indicated support in the past for states allowing gay people to marry. As a presidential candidate, he went so far as to congratulate gay couples in California who married during the short period when gay marriage was legal in that state before voters shut it down.

The president also signed a questionnaire in 1996 as a candidate for Illinois state Senate saying he supported gay marriage, something the White House hasn't fully explained.

Even as the president deliberates, public sentiment is marching decisively in the direction of supporting gay marriage. Depending on the poll, people are now about evenly split or narrowly in favor.

"There's been a noticeable shift the last couple of years," said Carroll Doherty, associate director of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. In March, the center found that 45 percent of those surveyed favored gay marriage and 46 percent opposed it. That was the first time that the survey found an essentially even split instead of majority opposition.

It's something the president has noted, telling liberal bloggers in October that "it's pretty clear where the trend lines are going."

The question is when, how and if the president goes there too.

Today, we defeated you

2011-05-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

Activists in Uganda have done a stunning job. You can look at your opponents and say “Today, we defeated you.” There will be another fight tomorrow but recognizing the power that you have built is important for everyone. You have really shown the world what is possible. You have worked with allies in sectors of human rights, legal services, refugee rights, women’s rights, faith organizations, sex work, lesbian, gay, intersex, trans,. There has also been impressive work between the Ugandan community and embassies in Uganda on a level that has been challenging in the past and in other parts of the world. Activists have had to immerse themselves in the workings of the parliamentary process and become familiar with legislative procedure. Activists have become intimately familiar with the inner working of media houses, the process of getting stories accepted or rejected. Groups have delved into the relationships between courts, the media, the public and the legislature.

Ugandan activists are now better known to those in other countries at much greater level than before. Activists have had to make tough decisions about how strong to push or how much to hang back, whether to argue equality or government transparency or human rights or traditionalism or faith. Folks have had to decide who is the best messenger in one moment or another, be it a law professor, someone who has been victimized, a gay person, a straight person, a clergy person or someone else. Activists have acquired new skills, writen web pages, press releases, budgets, appeals for assistance, all sorts of things that will continue to serve the community. Activists have worked at the level of the Ugandan government, the UN, with Special Rapporteurs, at the Commonwealth, at the African Commission and with allied governments. It has really been a tremendous achievement.

This is really a tremendous achievement. Bahati, anti-gay evangelicals and supporters had the goal of passing this bill. They did not achieve it. Of course they will come back again but clearly their goal was passage now and they lost and they know it. This is a moment when the Ugandan community can face them and say “Today, we defeated you.” Social change will also require changing hearts and minds, but part of that is simply showing that LGBTI people and their allies have the willingness and ability to successfully enter into the battle. This was a battle fought over 2 years, since the time the first version of the bill left Bahati’s office. It has required persistence, the ability to survive arrest and murder, and a view past the short term.

I want to make a case for a declaration of victory. It will show our opponents that victory is not always theirs. It will also show others in the LGBTI community that despair is not the only option. This is a defensive victory, and temporary, but unless one knows that ultimately victory is possible then you might as well fold up and go home. It is victories like the current defeat of the Bahati Bill that lets us know that ultimate victory is possible. A declaration is victory is also a claiming of power and of rights and a statement that the community is willing to be persistent.

Congratulations to all.

Andrew Park

US legislators push for aid cut to Uganda over gays bill

2011-03-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

A United States legislator has introduced a piece of legislation to an influential committee of the American Congress calling for an aid cut to Uganda and other countries deemed to be persecuting people “on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or religious belief.”

Congressman Barney Frank, who introduced the amendment in the House Financial Services Committee, said in a statement on Tuesday the amendment received unanimous backing from the legislators “although most votes in the committee have broken along party lines.”

Highlighting Uganda as one of the countries where the persecution of gays is high, Mr Frank said the committee now urges the Treasury to advocate that governments receiving assistance from the multilateral development institutions do not engage in gross violations of human rights.

“What we have seen in recent years is a pattern of gross violation of human rights in some countries–extreme physical persecution and even execution,” said Congressman Frank.

“In Uganda for example, which was the major beneficiary of our Heavily Indebted Poor Countries debt initiative, there has been physical persecution of people who are sexual minorities,” he added.

Anti-homesexuality Bill
Mr Frank said the US has a fairly influential voice in the development area and should not be supportive of providing multilateral bank development funds to countries which engage in the physical persecution of people because of their religious beliefs, sexual orientation or gender identity,” he added.

The statement says Congressman Frank’s amendment will now be included in the language of House Financial Services Committee Bill, which outlines budget priorities for issues under its jurisdiction.

The US, which is one of the leading donors to Uganda, has been very vocal about what its officials describe as persecution of ordinary Ugandans because of their sexual orientation since legislator David Bahati tabled an anti-homosexuality Bill before Parliament in October 2009.

This is the first time a US official is formally proposing an aid cut premised on the alleged persecution of gays.

The aid cut would heavily affect Uganda, which receives substantial amounts in public and project support, though the country’s donor funding to the budget has reduced from more than 70 per cent in the early 1990s to less than 30 per cent in the current budget.

Buturo takes parting shot at homosexuals : Push for its Passing

2011-03-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

Compelled by a decision of the Constitutional Court and having received instructions from the Office of the Prime Minister, Ethics and Integrity Minister James Nsaba Buturo yesterday stepped down from office, a post he has held since June 2006 when he replaced Miria Matembe.

But in the five years Dr Buturo has held the docket, he has been labelled “controversial” by a cross section of the public, often due to his scratchy fight over ethics in the country, but at times, because of the controversies in which his ministry, or Buturo the person, was allegedly caught in.

Yet even as he left office, Dr Buturo took a parting shot at the gays and lesbian community in Uganda, urging Ugandans to support government to ensure the anti-homsexuality Bill is passed.
“I urge you to put pressure on Parliament to debate, amend the anti- homosexual Bill and pass a law that will serve the interest of Ugandans and not our friends,” Dr Buturo said.

‘Advise from above’
Others say Dr Buturo took this decision after being advised by ‘higher authorities’ to do so to avoid a ‘public humiliation’ from the ‘appointing authority’. More resignations are expected, they add.
“He resigned from what?” a very senior government official asked this newspaper last evening, adding that Dr Buturo knew his fate well in advance. He, however, refused to further comment about him as a former colleague. “I do not want to be among the commentators on Buturo,” he added.

A few months after his appointment as Ethics minister, Parliament in October 2006 ordered Dr Buturo to pay back Shs20 million he received from Mega FM, a local radio station in Gulu. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was told he had received the money while he was Information Minister. Dr Buturo, who put up a spirited defence against the allegations, eventually bowed to public pressure and paid the money in installments.

The outgoing MP for Bufumbira County East in Kisoro District, Dr Buturo recently lost his bid to return to Parliament as an independent candidate. He had lost the party ticket for his constituency in the NRM primaries.

Dr Buturo last year attributed his NRM primaries loss to ‘robbery from within’ his party, necessitating him to stand as an independent although others say he never delivered sufficiently to his electorate during his tenure. “My decision to run as an independent is not because I was disgruntled. I simply wanted to make a statement that immorality/wickedness should never be allowed to pay. I realised that if I had accepted the fraud, it would be allowing wickedness as a means to promotion and acquisition of whatever one may want in life in our nation,” Dr Buturo said in an interview with another daily newspaper, adding that his party president had shown what he called a “positive attitude to his candidature at the time”.

“His resignation means nothing,” former Ethics minister Miria Matembe told Daily Monitor. “He should have resigned immediately after being robbed by his corrupt colleagues in the NRM primaries,” she added.
Ms Matembe said although she thinks Dr Buturo may have genuinely wanted to fight corruption, he never clearly declared his stand on the vice.
“The Ethics ministry is no longer relevant to the NRM government,” Ms Matembe said. “While I was Ethics minister I did not hesitate to come out openly to condemn corrupt people and institutions. Yet I never clearly heard his stand on corruption.”

She added: “He never openly condemned his fellow ministers who were implicated in corruption scandals. He played it safe, taking political responsibility for collective corruption that thrives in that government. Corruption is the engine that drives the NRM. You only get persecuted when you fall out with government. Buturo facilitated it.”

Notwithstanding his alleged failure to deal with corruption within government, Dr Buturo will be remembered for his fire-fighting stance against what he chose to call a “perverted Ugandan society and an irresponsible media”. He often got in head-on battles with the Red Pepper, a tabloid, which to him published photographs of pornographic nature.

Dr Buturo had no kind words for the tabloid although, as fate would have it, his office shared the same floor and is directly opposite the tabloid’s sales and marketing office on Social Security House in Kampala.

The man who once wrote: “Uganda’s media and the entertainment industry should treat immorality as a subject that deserves our total rejection”, even advocated the publication of names and pictures of people who engage in prostitution as a way of deterring others from engaging in the vice. Fresh in the minds of many, however, is his contribution to the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

But in the five years Dr Buturo has held the docket, he has been labelled “controversial” by a cross section of the public, often due to his scratchy fight over ethics in the country, but at times, because of the controversies in which his ministry, or Buturo the person, was allegedly caught in.

Yet even as he left office, Dr Buturo took a parting shot at the gays and lesbian community in Uganda, urging Ugandans to support government to ensure the anti-homsexuality Bill is passed.
“I urge you to put pressure on Parliament to debate, amend the anti- homosexual Bill and pass a law that will serve the interest of Ugandans and not our friends,” Dr Buturo said.

‘Advise from above’
Others say Dr Buturo took this decision after being advised by ‘higher authorities’ to do so to avoid a ‘public humiliation’ from the ‘appointing authority’. More resignations are expected, they add.
“He resigned from what?” a very senior government official asked this newspaper last evening, adding that Dr Buturo knew his fate well in advance. He, however, refused to further comment about him as a former colleague. “I do not want to be among the commentators on Buturo,” he added.

A few months after his appointment as Ethics minister, Parliament in October 2006 ordered Dr Buturo to pay back Shs20 million he received from Mega FM, a local radio station in Gulu. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was told he had received the money while he was Information Minister. Dr Buturo, who put up a spirited defence against the allegations, eventually bowed to public pressure and paid the money in installments.

The outgoing MP for Bufumbira County East in Kisoro District, Dr Buturo recently lost his bid to return to Parliament as an independent candidate. He had lost the party ticket for his constituency in the NRM primaries.

Dr Buturo last year attributed his NRM primaries loss to ‘robbery from within’ his party, necessitating him to stand as an independent although others say he never delivered sufficiently to his electorate during his tenure. “My decision to run as an independent is not because I was disgruntled. I simply wanted to make a statement that immorality/wickedness should never be allowed to pay. I realised that if I had accepted the fraud, it would be allowing wickedness as a means to promotion and acquisition of whatever one may want in life in our nation,” Dr Buturo said in an interview with another daily newspaper, adding that his party president had shown what he called a “positive attitude to his candidature at the time”.

“His resignation means nothing,” former Ethics minister Miria Matembe told Daily Monitor. “He should have resigned immediately after being robbed by his corrupt colleagues in the NRM primaries,” she added.
Ms Matembe said although she thinks Dr Buturo may have genuinely wanted to fight corruption, he never clearly declared his stand on the vice.
“The Ethics ministry is no longer relevant to the NRM government,” Ms Matembe said. “While I was Ethics minister I did not hesitate to come out openly to condemn corrupt people and institutions. Yet I never clearly heard his stand on corruption.”

She added: “He never openly condemned his fellow ministers who were implicated in corruption scandals. He played it safe, taking political responsibility for collective corruption that thrives in that government. Corruption is the engine that drives the NRM. You only get persecuted when you fall out with government. Buturo facilitated it.”

Notwithstanding his alleged failure to deal with corruption within government, Dr Buturo will be remembered for his fire-fighting stance against what he chose to call a “perverted Ugandan society and an irresponsible media”. He often got in head-on battles with the Red Pepper, a tabloid, which to him published photographs of pornographic nature.

Dr Buturo had no kind words for the tabloid although, as fate would have it, his office shared the same floor and is directly opposite the tabloid’s sales and marketing office on Social Security House in Kampala.

The man who once wrote: “Uganda’s media and the entertainment industry should treat immorality as a subject that deserves our total rejection”, even advocated the publication of names and pictures of people who engage in prostitution as a way of deterring others from engaging in the vice. Fresh in the minds of many, however, is his contribution to the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

Dr Buturo told the international community that Uganda would never give equal rights to gays and lesbians nor has plans to legalise homosexuality. The Bill brought Uganda on the spotlight since some of its provisions demanded the death penalty.

Do gays have power to bring down a politician?

2011-03-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

Mr. Buturo: Will he stop vilifying gays to win back his constituency in 2016

By Robert Atuhairwe

Mr. Buturo: Will he stop vilifying gays to win back his constituency in 2016

By Robert Atuhairwe

A Ugandan politician claims gays and lesbians caused his loss at the polls in General Elections held on February 18, this year.

Hon. James Nsaba Buturo has been a Minister of Ethics and Integrity resigned this week in the capital, Kampala after being caught in web of losing elections in Bufumbira East, crossing from his party (NRM) to the independent ticket and a Government plan to sack him and other ministers like him.

Buturo has been MP for his constituency since 2001. In the last election in 2006, he was unopposed. For all his misfortunes which have now brought him down to an ordinary MP who will soon be a private citizen come May, 12, the PHD holder blames his woes on gays. He says gays supported his opponent to defeat him.

Of course every loser in a contest can blame even the flimsiest of factors but Buturo is serious on what he is saying. He has been a leading crusader against gays in line with his Ministry’s docket.

Actually, the NRM party to which he belonged was behind the world-rattling Anti-Homosexual Bill that was almost passed into law by Uganda’s Parliament last year if it were not for worldwide condemnation. Fellow NRM legislator, David Bahati, tabled the Bill. The intended law prescribed the death penalty in some of its clauses.

Now this is where Buturo’s predicament gets more puzzling. As a Minister, he was simply acting as a government representative to manage the morals of Ugandans. He targeted not only gays, lesbians and bi-sexuals but also prostitutes, drunkards, the corrupt and thousands, perhaps millions, of other “immoral” people.

How interesting that of all the foregoing groups, it is the gays and lesbians that descended on him in Bufumbira East, decampaigned him and funded his opponent! As far as I know, many MPs on the NRM side and even on the opposition side supported the Bill. Many of them got re-elected and likewise, many of them lost.

Have the other losers feared to speak out on their cause of election misery or is Buturo simply crying foul using a weak excuse? Perhaps we should say the gays also campaigned for some MPs.

If that were the case, Hon. Bahati would have been the first casualty of the gays’ political prowess. They would have pumped billions into his constituency to crush him and pitched camp there. However, Bahati won a clean victory at the NRM primaries and was unopposed at last.

May be Hon. Buturo needs to take time and read the political trends in Bufumbira East. Is it a gay-dominated area? May be Bahati needs to educate the world on how to hate and fight gays but still win an election.

If the gay movement indeed has the power to bring down a politician in Uganda where the practice is said to be as alien as the extraterrestrials, then its membership figures have been grossly underestimated. Since no census has ever carried out to establish who is gay and who is not, may be the majority are. That being the case, governments (even elsewhere) need to beware what laws they enact as the gays will soon overpower them if they continue being fatally threatened.

I am only basing my assumption on the hope that Buturo’s case is genuine.

Four pastors charged in Kayanja case

2011-01-05T03:32:00.000-08:00

By Edward Anyoli

FOUR city pastors were yesterday charged with conspiracy to injure the reputation of their colleague, Pastor Robert Kayanja of Rubaga Miracle Centre.

Those charged are Moses Solomon Male of Arising for Christ Church; Dr. Martin Sempa of Makerere Community Church; Michael David Kyazze of Omega Healing Centre; Bob Robert Kayira of Omega Healing Centre and Anita Deborah Kyomuhendo, a State House employee.

The accused appeared before Buganda Road Court before Grade One Magistrate John Wekesa, but denied the charges. Court also issued criminal summons for David Mukalazi for failing appear in court to answer to the charge.

They were later granted a cash bail of sh200, 000 each and their sureties were to execute a non-cash bail of sh1m. The pastors were represented by Paul Rutisya, Isaac Walukagga and Edward Akankwasa.

Prosecution, led by Stephen Asaba, alleges that the four pastors, between December 2008 and 2009 at various places within Kampala, conspired to cause injury to the personality, reputation and trade of Pastor Kayanja.

Asaba did not oppose their bail application, but asked court to impose stringent conditions that would compel them to attend court whenever they are required.

The accused, according to prosecution, conspired to injure Kayanja’s reputation when they alleged that he was engaged in homosexual practices.

Pastors Kyazze and Kaiira are facing other charges at Mwanga II Court in which they are accused of entering Kayanja’s premises at Rubaga Miracle Centre with intent to intimidate and insult him. The offence, prosecution added, was committed on April 17, 2009.

Charges against two city advocates, Henry Ddungu and David Kaggwa, who had earlier been accused of conspiring with the pastors, were dropped due to lack of evidence.

Uganda LGBT Community Gets Landmark Court Win Against Rollingstone Tabloid

2011-01-03T07:00:00.001-08:00

The Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law in
Uganda warmly welcomes and applauds today’s decision by High Court
judge, Justice V.F. Kibuuka Musoke in the case of Kasha Jacqueline, Pepe Onziema & David Kato v. Giles Muhame and The Rolling Stone Publications Ltd. Through its members Kasha Jacqueline, David Kato and Patience Onziema, the Coalition filed a complaint in the High Court against the Rolling Stone.

The Court issued an interim order restraining the editors of the newspaper from any further publication of information about anyone alleged to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender until the case could be finally determined.

After an initial postponement, the merits of the case were heard on 23
November, 2010. The final ruling was read today, 3rd January 2011.
In considering whether the Rolling Stone’s publication of alleged homosexuals’ names, addresses and preferred social hang-outs constituted a violation of the applicant’s constitutional rights, the Court, ruled that:

1) The motion is not about homosexuality per se, but ‘...it is about
fundamental rights and freedoms,’ in particular about whether ‘the
publication infringed the rights of the applicants or threatened to do
so’.

2) The jurisdiction of Article 50 (1) of the Constitution is dual in nature, in that it extends not just to any person ‘whose fundamental rights or other rights or freedoms have been infringed in the first place,’ but also to ‘persons whose fundamental rights or other rights or freedoms are threatened to be infringed.’

3) Inciting people to hang homosexuals is an attack on the right to dignity of those thus threatened: ‘the call to hang gays in dozens tends to tremendously threaten their right to human dignity.’

4) Homosexuals are as entitled to the right to privacy as any other citizens. Against the ‘objective test’, ‘the exposure of the identities of the persons and homes of the applicants for the purposes of fighting gayism and the activities of gays...threaten the rights of the applicants to privacy of the person and their homes.’

5) Section 145 of the Penal Code Act cannot be used to punish personswho themselves acknowledge being, or who are perceived by others to be homosexual. Court ruled that ‘One has to commit an act prohibited under section 145 in order to be regarded as a criminal.’ Clearly this applies only to a person who has been found guilty by a court of law.

In terms of the relief sought by the applicants, court issued a ermanent injunction preventing The Rolling Stone and their managing editor, Mr. Giles Muhame, from ‘any further publications of the identities of the persons and homes of the applicants and homosexuals generally.’ The injunction thus provides broad protection to other Ugandans who are, or who are perceived to be homosexual, and the ruling provides an important precedent should any other media attempt to publish similar information. The court further awarded UGX. 1,500,000/= to each of the applicants, as well as ordering that the applicant shall recover their costs from the respondents.

The human rights community welcomes this ruling as a landmark in the
struggle for the protection of human dignity and the right to privacy
irrespective of one’s sexual orientation. According to Professor J. Oloka- Onyango, Director of the Human Rights & Peace Centre at the Faculty of Law, Makerere University, “This ruling serves as an important warning to anyone—Minister, Pastor or Boda-Boda rider—who believes that they can abuse, or threaten to abuse, the fundamental rights of fellow citizens with impunity. It also serves as a wake-up call to media houses that are making a mockery of the principles of freedom of speech and responsible
reporting.”

According to Adrian Jjuuko, Coordinator of the Coalition on Human Rights & Constitutional Law which sponsored the case, “The ruling also builds on the earlier High Court decision in Victor Mukasa & Another vs. Attorney
General (High Court Miscellaneous Cause No 24 of 2006), and firmly
establishes the principle that constitutionally protected rights belong to all Ugandans, whatever their perceived sexuality.”.

“While this injunction is a positive step for gay people in Uganda, the fact remains that the government of Uganda has for long been mute about the discrimination, threats and violence faced by LGBTI people in Uganda,” said Kasha Jacqueline, one of the applicants and also Director of Freedom & Roam Uganda.

The Rolling Stone is a tabloid which issued its fifth publication on 2 October, 2010. Its front page carried the headline “100 Pictures of Uganda’s Top Homos Leak” which included the words “Hang Them!” Bullet points under the headline read, “We Shall Recruit 100,000 Innocent Kids by 2012:
Homos” and “Parents Now Face Heart-Breaks [sic] as Homos Raid Schools.”

The paper contained the names and in some cases the pictures and
description of where certain activists and human rights defenders live.

A later edition of the newspaper published on 31 October contained a further 17 photos of alleged LGBT people, with personal details of those identified, including where they lived. The Ugandan government made no response following either publication.

The Coalition believes that these developments are not accidental:

“The climate of fear created by the simple tabling of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in 2009 has already adversely affected not just Ugandan nationals, but also LGBTI asylum seekers. It is really time for the Government to explicitly reassure all people in Uganda, wherever they come from, that they intend to protect people against threats and violence regardless of their real or alleged sexual orientation,” said Dr Chris Dolan, Director of the Refugee Law Project at Makerere University. “This important ruling goes at least some way in the right direction”.

This ruling is a landmark not only for sexual and other minorities living in Uganda, but also an important precedent for other countries facing similar issues of state and media sponsored homophobia. As a Coalition concerned with human rights and constitutional law, we applaud the High Court for taking this principled step. In standing up for the rights of Uganda’s most marginalised they have at the same time strengthened the protection by the law of all people in Uganda.

Source : CIVIL SOCIETY COALITION ON HUMAN RIGHTS &
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

Uganda LGBT Community Gets Landmark Court Win Against Rollingstone Tabloid

2011-01-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sodomy case: Pastor Male arrested, Sempa flees

2010-12-28T02:35:00.001-08:00

By Chris Kiwawulo
and Edward Anyoli

PASTOR Solomon Male of Arise for Christ Ministry was arrested yesterday over reports that Pastor Robert Kayanja sodomised young boys.

Plain clothes detectives stormed Male’s office on the second floor of Span House in Kampala at around 1:30pm and asked him to go with them to Central Police Station (CPS).

Male’s pleas that he was busy attending to his clients, who needed counselling services, fell on deaf ears.
He was later driven to CPS in a Saloon car with private registration numbers.

At CPS, the detectives informed Male that he was heading to Buganda Road Court to be charged. That is when he demanded to notify his lawyers.

His arrest followed advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecution that Male, together with seven others, be charged for reportedly making false allegations against Pastor Robert Kayanja.

In a letter to the director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), principal state attorney Margaret Nakigudde said pastors Male, Martin Ssempa, Bob Kayira, Michael Kyazze, their lawyers, Henry Ddungu and David Kaggwa, together with David Mukalazi and Deborah Kyomuhendo face charges of conspiring to injure Pastor Kayanja’s reputation.

The two lawyers were included for allegedly commissioning false affidavits.

Nakigudde said four sodomy files opened against Kayanja at CPS were closed for lack of evidence to warrant prosecution, and that Robson Matovu, together with all the alleged sodomy victims were medically examined but no evidence of anal penetration was found.

When the cops whisked Male from CPS to Buganda Road Court at around 3:20pm, he was instead locked up in a cell up to 5:00pm when the Resident State Attorney Baxter David Bakibinga informed them that his (Male’s) file had not been sanctioned.

Male’s lawyer, Ddungu, who earlier responded to Police summons, was also locked up in the cell until Bakibinga broke the news.

The cops then took Male and Ddungu to CPS. Ddungu was released immediately since he had earlier been granted Police bond. Male spent about an hour with the Police as they processed his bond papers.

Male kept on chanting: “We shall stand firm against sodomy.”

Unconfirmed reports indicated that Police had earlier in the day been hunting for Pastor Ssempa, but he reportedly eluded them.

SIU head Grace Akullo said Male was arrested because he had failed to honour several Police summons.

Buturo blasts human rights body over film

2010-12-20T03:42:00.000-08:00

By Anne mugisa

ETHICS minister Dr. Nsaba Buturo has accused the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) of promoting homosexuality using a human rights documentary.

The commission attacked Buturo after he banned the documentary titled Do not Discriminate. Buturo insisted the documentary contained controversial material.

In a press conference yesterday, the minister scoffed at the UHRC, saying the organisation that should protect Ugandans’ interests had fallen by allowing themselves to be used by those promoting western vices.

He said the people showing the documentary at the National Theatre had refused to divulge its contents or allow the officials to have a preview.

About 500 people, including school children, had been invited to watch it.

Buturo observed that when UHRC realised that the Government would not allow them to show the documentary, they reluctantly allowed an official and the theatre management to view it.

Those who viewed it, he said, reported offensive material in the documentary. He said worthy themes like women’s rights were added to justify the documentary.

“We told them that if they wanted to show that documentary, they had to edit it and remove the controversial material. We also took offence that young people were invited to watch.”

In a historic vote, the Senate overturns ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’

2010-12-19T10:02:00.000-08:00

After years of contentious debate, the Senate on Saturday voted to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that blocked gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

While critics, including Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain, said the repeal would cause a deadly distraction on the battlefield at a time of war, the lawmakers backing repeal equated the vote to other historic moments including the end of racial segregation among troops in the 1950s and the decision to allow women to attend military service academies in the 1970s.

"It is time to close this chapter in our history," President Obama said in a statement hailing the vote's passage. "It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed."

Yet the repeal is far more than just a single policy shift. The overturning of "don't ask, don't tell" is likely to create a ripple effect in addressing other gay-rights issues, as many states continue to debate issues including same-sex marriage and the right of gay partners to share benefits the same way legally married couples do. With gay service members serving openly, it will become difficult for policy makers to justify, say, withholding visitation rights or survivor benefits to the same-sex spouse of a wounded or fallen soldier.

Still, such questions will surface over the longer term. For now, the Pentagon will address the shorter-term issue of how to go about implementing repeal. Obama is expected the sign the repeal into law this week, but the actual lifting of the ban doesn't yet have a timetable. Under the bill, the repeal will go into effect at the discretion of top military leaders, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has been previously supportive of overturning the ban.

But per NBC's Jim Miklaszewski, Defense Department officials said Saturday that the repeal could take in upwards of a year to be fully implemented.

Logistics aside, however, opponents of the gay ban called Saturday's vote a historic victory. Since 1993, when President Bill Clinton signed the ban into law, more than 13,000 troops have been discharged under the policy.

But there's been a dramatic shift in public attitudes toward gays in the military over the last 17 years. In 1993, a Washington Post poll found just 44 percent of the public thought gays should have the right to serve openly in the military. Now 77 percent of Americans believe gays and lesbians should have that right, according to a Washington Post-ABC poll released last week.

In 2008, Obama campaigned on overturning the ban, but he was slow to push that policy in his first year in office, a move that angered the gay rights community and many of his liberal supporters.

While Obama will get some credit for overturning the ban—especially when it comes to wooing moderate Republicans on the issue—Democrats in Congress were the people who really led the charge.

The Senate vote was 65-31, with eight Republicans—Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, John Ensign of Nevada, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mark Kirk of Illinois and George Voinovich of Ohio—voting "yes."

"We righted a wrong," Sen. Joe Lieberman, who led the fight to overturn the ban, told reporters afterward. "Today we've done justice."

Maddow Confronts Author of Ugandan “Kill the Gays” Bill

2010-12-14T05:57:00.000-08:00

The Ugandan Parliament member appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show [video below] this week to defend his “kill the gays” bill.

Maddow set up the segment by recounting America’s long slide down the slippery slope of anti-gay rhetoric pushed by such religious right figures as Anita Bryant and Jerry Falwell. The thrust of the argument made against gays and lesbians in this country is that “they do not reproduce, so they must recruit.”

That argument against gay and lesbian rights has been quashed by medical and psychological professionals who have long studied the issue and found that no such thing happens. Gays and lesbians are who they are and no one “recruits” them to a “lifestyle.” But, good propaganda never dies—it simply moves to a new location when it’s no longer welcome in its old home.

David Bahati channeled Anita Bryant as he patiently answered Maddow’s probing questions, insisting that there is a “huge problem” in Uganda from foreigners who are spending money to “recruit” children into homosexuality. He says his bill, that includes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” is simply a way to “protect the children” from those recruiters. He also insisted, like anti-gay propagandists before him, that homosexuality is a “learned behavior that can be unlearned.” His rationale is based, not on facts, but religion.

“We believe that man was created to marry woman and that is the purpose for which God created us. The purpose for procreation, and that’s the higher purpose we believe in. Children should not be recruited into something they don’t believe in. […] I am not in a hate campaign. I do not hate gays. I love them but at the same time I must protect children who are being recruited into this practice.”

Bahati has claimed that people outside Uganda are recruiting school children to be gay by paying them. Yet despite promising to send Maddow video proof of this practice she has yet to receive a single piece of evidence. While Maddow did an excellent job of asking Bahati tough questions, it was clear that he had little but his own propaganda to go on—as well as a bit of a persecution complex. At one bizarre moment, after Maddow asked about the fate of gays and lesbians in the country should the bill pass he told her that he was “not a Hitler, Saddam Hussein, or Idi Amin.”

“I’m just a simple young man who lost both parents at the age of three years, grew up as an orphan, I have a passion for children and this is what is really motivating me. I am a God fearing person. I want to make sure this law is consistent with God’s law.”

Perhaps he doesn’t know what gays and lesbians will do if this bill becomes law, and perhaps he doesn’t care, but it’s clear he’s tired of being attacked for supporting something he sees as “God’s law.” He even took issue with Maddow when she referred to the death penalty part of the bill as “execution” but later continued to clearly advocate for such a measure:

“God’s law is always clear that the wages of sin is death whether that is implemented through legislation like mine or by a mechanism of a human being whatever happen is the end result that we need to turn to God if we have sinned.”

What makes me almost sorry for Bahati is how sincerely he believes his own propaganda, even pleading at one point with Maddow for people outside of Uganda to respect their laws and opinions just as they respect the laws and opinions of others.

But, when lives are on the line, and lies are being told to terrorize and perhaps euthanize an entire minority within a country, the law and opinions of the country pursuing such actions cannot simply be “respected.” This is what Bahati doesn’t understand. He’s proposing a law that has the potential to put many people to death—and even if that clause is removed, as Bahati says he’s open to—it would still sentence many people to life in prison for something that they simply are, not that they were “recruited” into. In addition, how does one prove that a person is engaged in homosexuality other than catching them in the act? It seems that the law could be abused further and used to imprison those falsely accused.

There is no way to “respect” that kind of law or opinion, no matter how sincere the motivation behind it. That doesn’t mean that Bahati should be attacked as promoting hatred for gay people. He sincerely does not see his actions as motivated by hatred; and to use my dad’s old phrase, “He’s sincere, but he’s sincerely wrong.” He has been so blinded by propaganda against gays and lesbians that he is unable to see any other side. Many religious right figures in the U.S., including The Call’s Lou Engle and former American Family Association leader Scott Lively, who have traveled to Uganda to fan the anti-gay flames, have convinced people like Bahati that they are doing God’s work, even if it means that people will die.

What gives me hope is that, unlike homosexuality, bigotry is a learned behavior that can be unlearned.

MP Bahati ordered out of USA

2010-12-14T04:30:00.000-08:00

Written by URN Reporter
Friday, 10 December 2010 06:12

Ndorwa West MP, David Bahati, who authored the Anti- Homosexual Bill in Uganda, calling for the death sentence of gays and their allies, has been ordered out of the United States of America.

Bahati obtained a single event visa to the USA to attend the International Consortium of Governmental Financial Management conference.

But on Tuesday he was denied entry into the conference venue, despite the fact that other MPs from Uganda had been allowed to participate.

The conference organizers cited the fact that they would not associate themselves with the author of what became known as the Kill Gays Bill, officially The Anti-Homosexual Bill; which Bahati hopes will pass.

Reports from the US state that Bahati, who was taped for Thursday’s Rachel Maddow TV Show, was told to get out of the USA by the authorities Thursday.

Bahati who had planned on staying in the USA and to leave over the weekend, was asked to leave right away by department of State officials.

The US authorities informed Bahati that he was no longer welcome and nor was he legally entitled to remain in the USA. He was put on a plane for Paris and is probably on his way back home.

A large group of activists were planning to protest today - Friday. But now that Bahati has left , the protests have been called off and the activists assert they are happy he is gone.

Buturo blocks documentary

2010-12-14T04:28:00.000-08:00

By Andrew Bagala
Kampala

Ethics Minister James Nsaba Buturo yesterday blocked the showing of a documentary, saying the organisers wanted to indoctrinate the youth on homosexuality.

The programme was organised by United Nation Human Rights office of the High Commissioner (UNHR), Uganda Human Rights Commission and Human Rights Centre Uganda at the National Theatre. But when organisers arrived at the theatre, it was locked.

The UNHR representative in Uganda, Ms Birgit Gerstenberg, described the ban as a pity but said they were intending to meet Mr Buturo over the issue today. The show was aimed at highlighting what human rights defenders go through while stopping discrimination in Uganda.

Mr Buturo told Daily Monitor that the organisers refused to delete homosexual contents in the documentary. “Some people are determined to change the morals of our country and are using all tactics. We shall put up resistance because Uganda doesn’t believe in homosexuality,” he said, adding that 40 pupils were invited to watch the documentary.
“This is terrible. I told those people to shut up because they are supposed to defend our country,” Mr Buturo said.

Anti-Homosexual MP from Uganda, David Bahati Booted out of USA

2010-12-10T05:40:00.000-08:00

Melanie Nathan – Dec 09-2010 Bye- Bye Bahati. Sources have informed LGR that David Bahati ,who was taped for yesterday and today’s Rachel Maddow Show, was told to get out of the USA by authorities Thursday.

Bahati had planned on staying in the USA; he could leave over the weekend, but he was asked to leave right away by Department of State officials. He had been banned and refused entry to the conference which was the basis for his his single event VISA to enter the USA. When he showed up for the Conference he was asked by Organizers to leave and refused entry, despite the fact that other MP’s from Uganda had been allowed to participate.

The organizers cited the fact that they would not associate themselves with the Author of what became known as the Kill Gays Bill, officially The Anti-Homosexual Bill; which Bahati hopes will pass in Uganda in the Spring.

Authorities informed Bahati that he was no longer welcome and nor was he legally entitled to remain in the USA. He was put on a plane for Paris and is probably in the sky as we speak. So while you are watching him on Maddow, he is gone! A large group of activists were planning to protest tomorrow. However now that he is gone – protests have been called off and the activists assert they are happy he is gone.

Now perhaps our protests will be with our US dollars. Did you know that we use a great deal of Ugandan coffee. Nest time you are in Starbucks ask what Coffeee they use.

GOOD MORNING UGANDA

By the way Dear – Ugandan Readers – we love the people of Uganda – I have two beautiful children and I am a lesbian – I will never hurt my children or yours. American society accepts me, its only the fringe like the Fellowship that Bahati Belongs to that put out false information about people like me. None of it is true. Bahati spent the entire say shopping in the most expensive part of DC USA today. Whose money is he using. Do not vote for BAHATI he is spending your money on luxury in the USA. If the anti homosexual bill passes, I expect Uganda will be isolated by the International community and it will loose all friends. Because Bahati says that Gay people have no human rights. That is against the International Declaration of Human Rights

College Student Assaulted for Using the “Wrong” Bathroom

2010-12-08T04:33:00.000-08:00

by Jordan Rubenstein November 26, 2010 12:15 PM
Figuring out which bathroom to use is often a difficult problem for transgender people. Gender-specific bathrooms are sometimes unsafe for transgender people, who can face harassment regardless of which bathroom they use.
On a college level, more and more universities are installing gender-neutral bathroom facilities, in an attempt to make life safer for transgender students. But that certainly isn’t the case for Michelle Rayner, a student at St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, Canada.
Rayner is a female, but he identifies as transgender and often passes as a guy. He has been carded in public bathrooms and treated with disrespect because of his gender presentation. And he’s found that using the bathroom on campus is just as troubling and dangerous as it is off campus.
One particular incident solidified the need for the university to address transgender bathroom access. Recently, Rayner was called a “faggot” and punched in the lower lip in a women’s bathroom after class.
Some may ask: why was Rayner in the women’s bathroom if he’s coming out as transgender? This question implies that society should be able to enforce specific gendered bathroom use on a transgender person, without regard for their own preferences or safety. Rayner is a female; why shouldn’t he be able to use a women’s bathroom?
Rayner said: “It simply comes down to a basic question of safety rather than which gender I identify with... by having washrooms clearly marked by gender lines it becomes a safety issue for those who fall between.”
Transgender people -- including Rayner -- have a right to equal, safe access to bathrooms. St. Thomas University should ensure that they have safe bathrooms for transgender students by making some of their bathrooms gender-neutral. Please ask St. Thomas University to take action to prevent future harassment against transgender students by educating students on transgender issues and improving the restroom options.
Photo credit: Gregg O'Connell

KENYA'S PRIME MINISTER SAYS GAY SHOULD BE ARRESTED

2010-12-08T03:55:00.000-08:00

Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga has told a large crowd in Nairobi that gays and lesbian should be arrested.

"Any man found engaging in sexual activities with another man should be arrested," he was quoted as saying at a rally on Sunday.

"This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated in this country. Men or women found engaging in those acts deserve to be arrested and will be arrested."

His comments were reportedly greeted with approval by the crowd.

Odinga, who assumed office in 2008, also denied suggestions that the country's newly adopted constitution supports LGBT equality.

"Those were lies from leaders who wanted to confuse Kenyans to reject the new law. The Constitution is very clear on that matter. It does not state anywhere that same sex marriage is legal in Kenya," he said.

Last month, the country’s Special Programmes Minister, Esther Murugi, said that Kenyans should learn to co-exist with gay men.

“We need to learn to live with men who have sex with other men… we are in the 21st century and things have changed,” she told delegates at an HIV/AIDS conference.

Her statement led to religions leaders calling for her to be sacked.

Homosexuality, referred to as "carnal knowledge against the order of nature", is illegal in Kenya with penalties of up to 14 years' imprisonment.

--
COMMUNICATIONS DESK
Freedom and Roam Uganda
Tel:+256(0) 31229 4863
Hotline: +256 (0) 771840 233
URL: www.faruganda.org

Gays petition Clinton to stop Bahati

2010-12-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

By Risdel Kasasira (email the author)

Send Cancel
Posted Monday, December 6 2010 at 00:00

Kampala

Gay activists have petitioned US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to stop Ndorwa West MP David Bahati from attending a conference in Washington.

In a statement issued yesterday on Lez Get Real website, gays said Mr Bahati should not be allowed to enter the US because of his anti-homosexuality bill that seeks life imprisonment, and in certain cases, death by hanging for homosexuals.

“…As it is within the Secretary of State’s lawful discretion to deny entry to the United States to any person who represents a threat to internal security and orderly administration, it is our respectful request that Mr Bahati be denied permission to enter the United States, and that a visa for that purpose, if already issued, be withdrawn,” the statement said.

Convening tomorrow
Mr Bahati and five other MPs are scheduled to attend a financial management conference of practitioners in the US starting tomorrow. The gays also want to demonstrate at the venue of the meeting to show their distaste of the Bill and Mr Bahati. But Mr Bahati said he would continue with his trip.

“I know US as a defender of democracy in the world and can differentiate between the efforts of a legislator in a democratic parliament from acts of dictatorship,” he said. Unlike other MPs, the American mission in Kampala gave him a single-entry visa specifically for the event.

COMMUNICATIONS DESK
Freedom and Roam Uganda
Tel:+256(0) 31229 4863
Hotline: +256 (0) 771840 233
URL: www.faruganda.org

Report from the African Commission on Human and people’s Rights

2010-11-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

Banjul

24 years after its inception, the African Commission on Human and People’s rights had its 48th 0rdinary session in Banjul the Gambia on 10th November 2010. The commission was started in October 1986.
The countries under review in this session were the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar.
As is the custom, the NGO forum took place before the commission, starting 7th to 9th November 2010.
The issue of denying the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) observer status at the commission was the most contentious issue with NGOs demanding an explanation from the commission for their decision. In line with this, a demonstration by African LGBTI activists was held on 8th at the forum, this prompted the forum to give five minutes of their time for the activists to make their case. It is within this time that Fikile Vilakazi and Kasha Jacqueline asked for the continued support of the NGO forum to the LGBTI community in Africa – it should be noted that this forum has been supportive and provided space for dialogue on LGBTI issues.
Ironically some people were still asking about procreation in the context of same sex relations with someone suggesting that since LGBT issues are so un-African, they (LGBT) should be shipped to Europe where it all came from.
On the morning of November 9th 2010, there was a meeting to discuss how best the LGBTI people of Africa could benefit from the newly formed HIV/AIDS working group at the commission. This meeting was attended by Commissioner Malila who is also the focal point for Uganda at the ACHPR and is one of the three commissioners on this working group.
This working group was established to bring HIV/AIDS to the fore at the ACHPR hence we wanted to find ways of maximizing benefits to the LGBT community from this working group and it was agreed that we come up with a working paper which we will use to initiated dialogue with the commissioners and committee members on this working group.
A taskforce was formed to draft a document and work plan for dealing with the working group and a list serve was started for consultations around this document.
The NGO steering committee on 9th November 2010 decided against homophobia and homophobic attacks in response to repeated attacks from some individuals on the flour. A copy of the code of conduct of the NGO forum will now be given to every participant to ensure that participants are respectful of others and diversity.
On 10th November 2010, the 48th ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights was opened by the chairperson commissioner Gansur Alapini in the presence of the attorney general of the Gambia and several government and NGO representatives from all over Africa. The NGO report was read and it twice mentioned LGBT issues.
The NGO report indicated that the NGO forum had passed a couple of resolutions which included resolutions on children, disability, death penalty, freedom of association, human rights defenders, indigenous people, torture prevention, refugees, sexual orientation, African court and the SADC tribunal.
Meddy Kagwa of the Uganda Human Rights Commission represented national Human Rights organizations but said nothing about LGBT issues.
Hon. Freddie Ruhindi represented the Ugandan government and tried rather unconvincingly to defend the government actions in different aspects.
As far as NGO statements are concerned, almost all of them stated their disappointment at the commission’s refusal to grant the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) observer status without giving any reason. It overwhelming support for LGBT people from the NGOs.
A book about LGBT issues and suffering in Cameroon was launched on 11th November 2010.
On 12th November 2010, there was a ceremony to Commemorate of 30 years of the African Charter on Human and Peoples rights which came into effect in 1970.
There after it was straight to private sessions.
From Banjul the Gambia, aluta continua.
Prepared by Dennis Wamala
Icebreakers Uganda

2010-11-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

Uganda's Rolling Stone paper told to stop outing gays
Man holding copy of the Rolling Stone The two-month-old newspaper says it will continue printing the photos in a "diplomatic" way

A judge in Uganda has ordered the local Rolling Stone newspaper to stop publishing the names and photographs of people it says are homosexual.

The judge granted a request by gay rights group Sexual Minorities Uganda (Smug).

The group says some homosexual people were attacked after a previous issue.

Homosexual acts are illegal in Uganda but last year an MP introduced a bill which would mean some gay people could face the death penalty.
Continue reading the main story
Related stories

* Outed gay Ugandans 'are attacked'
* Petition opposes Uganda gay bill

Giles Muhame, editor of the two-month-old Rolling Stone paper, told the AFP news agency that he would defy the ban.

"We will publish more pictures but in a diplomatic way, so that we can dodge the law," he said.

He says he is trying to protect Ugandans from those seeking to "recruit children to homosexuality".

On Monday, it published a further 14 names and photographs, after saying last month it would reveal 100 homosexual Ugandans.

Fifteen names were identified last month, next to a headline which read: "Hang them".

High Court judge Vincent Musoke-Kibuuka said the publication was "an infringement or invasion of the right to privacy" of those identified, AFP reports.

Smug said several of its members were attacked or harassed after the first issue.

The group's Frank Mugisha said one woman was almost killed after her neighbours started throwing stones at her house.

The proposed Anti-homosexuality Bill sparked an international outcry after it was introduced to Uganda's parliament a year ago.

It has not been formally debated, amid reports the government is trying to quietly get it shelved.

Rollingstone Court update

2010-11-03T02:54:00.000-07:00

Since it first published names, addresses and pictures of people it perceived as homosexuals in Uganda, many people have been hurt physically and emotionally.
It is against this background and many more publications in the redpepper, the onion, etc that three individuals (names withheld) decided to sue the rolling stone in miscellaneous cause 163/2010 before Justice Kibuuka Musoke.
After apologizing for the delay in listening to this case (he said he gave a time and date before looking at his schedule hence he postponed the hearing from 10 AM on 01/11/2010 to 3 PM on the same date).
The court found that the newspaper breached the right to privacy of the individuals named and shown and that it had (the court) to intervene immediately or else these individuals might suffer physical or emotional harm.
The court also found that if it did not act immediately, this publication might continue with this very disastrous act (the Judge was afraid that anyone including himself can be implicated in the press as being homosexual).
The court found that even if someone is actually a confessed homosexual, they should not be published in the press as this.
Hence the court allowed application 163/2010 and gave a restraining order for ROLLING STONE or any other publications by the respondents , their agents or servants, the identities by name or pictures or any relevant implication of the person or person perceived by the respondents to be gay, lesbian or homosexual in general from being published.
This order stands until the case is disposed off. Hearing is scheduled for 23rd November 2010 at 9 AM.
The court decided that the respondents pay costs for the injunction.
Till 23rd November 2010
Wamala Dennis Mawwejje

Does Oral Roberts University Support Killing Gays in Uganda?

2010-11-03T02:52:00.000-07:00

Does Oral Roberts University Support Killing Gays in Uganda?
by Michael A. Jones

You've probably heard of Oral Roberts University before. The school, located in Oklahoma, was founded and named after one of the 20th century's most prominent evangelical leaders. Back in the day, Oral Roberts was a force to be reckoned with, having been one of the first ministers to make it big using television as a form of evangelism. His success led him to found the university in 1963, and though the school has gone through some major financial scandals in recent years, it still boasts a student population of close to 4,000 students.

Given the political beliefs of Roberts himself, it probably doesn't come as much of a surprise that Oral Roberts University's identity is closely wrapped up in social conservatism. Students are required to attend religious services at least twice a week, and there are chaplains for each floor of on-campus housing. Roberts himself used to say that he was told by God to build the school.

"Raise up your students to hear my voice, to go where my light is seen dim, where my voice is heard small, and my healing power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth. Their work will exceed yours, and in that I am well pleased," Roberts documented as the message he received from on High.

Of course, one has to wonder if the God that Oral Roberts was speaking to would be pleased today, given that Oral Roberts University champions a minister in Uganda who wants to slaughter LGBT people. That minister? His name is Martin Ssempa, and he's one of the leading pastors in Uganda pushing the country to enact a harsh Anti-Homosexuality Bill that would criminalize homosexuality with life prison sentences, and in many cases, the death penalty.

Oral Roberts University recognizes Pastor Ssempa as a member of the school's Board of Reference. The position seems rather symbolic, but those who are recognized as members of the Board of Reference are considered by Oral Roberts University to be among the most influential and respectable figures in the world. These are folks who help spread word about Oral Roberts University, and according to a school spokesperson, are used "for the purpose of credibility, for reputation, and for influence."

It's kind of odd, to say the least, that Oral Roberts University would want their reputation tied to a man like Martin Ssempa. Here is a person who advocates violence against LGBT people in Uganda. A person who shows pornographic images to families and even children, in order to stir outrage over homosexuality. A person who travels from community to community in Uganda arguing that homosexuality is an import from the west, and that anybody who is gay should be murdered or jailed. And a person who is pastor to the editor of a local paper, Rolling Stone, which continues to publish the names, faces and locations of people they believe are LGBT, with a call for these people to be hung.

Now that's some figure to have on your Board of Reference, Oral Roberts University.

Ssempa's work to demonize LGBT people has been condemned by many religious organizations, including some of his former partners. Pastor Rick Warren has distanced himself from Ssempa for the work Ssempa is doing to harm LGBT people. The Philadelphia Biblical University, which had previously awarded Ssempa an honorary degree, also blasted his anti-gay work as dangerous and harmful. And one Las Vegas megachurch, Canyon Ridge Christian Church, has continued to come under fire for their financial support of Martin Ssempa. Recently, they too have expressed concern about Ssempa's work.

That's a lot of international condemnation for the work of Pastor Ssempa. Yet Oral Roberts University continues to celebrate the guy. Reached earlier this year to comment on why they have someone like Ssempa on their Board of Reference, the university issued nothing but deafening silence.

Let's fix that. Send Oral Roberts University a message that by having someone like Martin Ssempa on a prominent university board, the school is sending a message that it supports his work to criminalize homosexuality in Uganda, and murder and imprison LGBT people. Ssempa has been completely transparent about what he wants to accomplish: he wants to see police round up LGBT people, he wants to see community members report people who are LGBT, and he wants to see straight people who support gay rights punished.

Now let's see if Oral Roberts University can be transparent. Will they condemn the work of Martin Ssempa, and remove him from their Board of Reference? Or will they lend credence, and their name, to the work that Ssempa is doing in Uganda to imprison and/or kill gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people?

Statement: Canyon Ridge Christian Church does not support efforts to pass Anti-Homosexuality Bill

2010-10-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

Posted on October 24th, 2010 by Warren Throckmorton

This afternoon, Mitch Harrison at Canyon Ridge Christian Church sent me a statement about church support for Martin Ssempa. The statement, in full, reads:

Canyon Ridge Christian Church began work in Uganda with the intent of helping address the HIV/AIDS pandemic that was wiping out generations of people in that country and other parts of Africa. Our partnership with Pastor Martin Ssempa began in response to this intent.

Because of the current controversy in Uganda over the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, and because of Pastor Ssempa’s involvement in the support of the bill, we have been in regular communication with him to clarify his positions and opinions. While we have come to understand that Pastor Ssempa advocates for an amended version of the Anti-Homosexuality bill that removes the death penalty and reduces other severe penalties, he is still supports passage of this bill.

We, however, do not support him in this effort.

We are in the process of determining how we can redirect our support in Uganda to activities specifically related to addressing HIV/AIDS issues.

Further, we condemn acts of violence against any person regardless of sexual orientation.

Our desire is to see God’s purposes lived out in Uganda, and for the redemption and abundant life he gives to be experienced by everyone.

While CRCC is not directly acknowledging the errors in their earlier statement (still up but probably not for long), they do so implicitly by condemning acts of violence which the AHB would lead to and which has been recently incited by Uganda’s Rolling Stone.

Background for this story is here, here, here, here, and here (all of my articles at Salon.com)

UPDATE: CRCC has replaced their former statement with the one above on their website. The Ssempas are no longer referenced as mission partners but rather a link to this statement has replaced their page. The former page is archived here (page 1, page 2, page 3).

Attacks reported on Ugandans newspaper 'outed' as gay

2010-10-24T04:57:00.000-07:00

BBC REPORT
The Rolling Stone says it will continue to publish the names of homosexuals
Several people have been attacked in Uganda after a local newspaper published their names and photos, saying they were homosexual, an activist has told the BBC.
Frank Mugisha said one woman was almost killed after her neighbours started throwing stones at her house.
He said most of those whose names appeared in Uganda's Rolling Stone paper had been harassed.
Last year, a local MP called for the death penalty for some homosexual acts.
The proposed Anti-homosexuality Bill sparked an international outcry and a year later has not been formally debated by parliament.
Homosexual acts are already illegal in Uganda and activists say the gay community still lives in fear.
"We have got people who have been threatened to be thrown out of work, people who have been threatened by their own family members, who want to throw them out of their own houses," said Mr Mugisha of the Sexual Minorities Uganda.
In the past, the government has accused homosexual groups of using claims of harassment to seek attention and funding, but this was strongly denied by Mr Mugisha.
Moral fabric
Giles Muhame, editor of the two-month-old Rolling Stone paper, denied that he had been inciting violence by publishing the names next to a headline which read "Hang them".
He said he was urging the authorities to investigate and prosecute people "recruiting children to homosexuality", before executing anyone found guilty.
He also said he was acting in the public interest, saying Ugandans did not know to what extent homsexuality was "ravaging the moral fabric of our nation", and he vowed to continue to publish the names and photographs of gay Ugandans.
It has so far identified 15 of the 100 names it said it would reveal.
The BBC's Joshua Mmali in Kampala says a newspaper that was barely known in a country with a poor reading culture, has now grabbed international headlines, while attracting wide condemnation from gay and human rights groups.
Mr Mugisha said he had written to both the Ugandan Media Council and police asking them to take action against the Rolling Stone but had not had any response.
The police said they had not received any formal complaints of any attacks.

SHAPE UP OR CLOSE SHOP- ANTI GAY TABLOID TOLD

2010-10-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

Rolling Stone, a Ugandan Tabloid which recently published images and personal details of alleged top 100 homosexuals in Uganda, has been ordered stop publishing by the Ugandan Media Council which said that it has contravened section 5 of the Press and Journalist Act, prohibiting any publication which improperly infringes on the privacy of an individual or which contains false information.

This, after the newspaper, in its 02 October article “Hang them, they are after our kids” named and shamed alleged homosexuals in the country, following on the footsteps of The Red Pepper, another Ugandan tabloid infamous for previously running the same campaign against Ugandan homosexuals.

In a letter signed by Secretary Paul Mukasa and addressed to The Rolling Stone’s Managing Editor Giles Muhame, the Ugandan Media Council said “The requirements of the law must be adhered to, before you [The editor] can publish a newspaper and orders you to stop publishing The Rolling Stone until all requirements of the law are met.

Meanwhile gay rights activists have strongly condemned the tabloids’ alleged apparent homophobic stance of naming and shaming Ugandan homosexuals saying, “It is disturbing that in Uganda homosexuals continue to be subjected to such degrading and inhumane treatment.”

In a statement endorsed by delegates from all over the world who were attending the 4th Gender and Media Summit in Boksburg, South Africa recently, The Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) said “The actions of the Rolling Stone tabloid have grossly violated the privacy and dignity of the individuals concerned and therefore violate the constitution of Uganda and various International Human Rights Instruments to which the state of Uganda is subscribed including Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 2 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Banjul Charter) of 1981 and Article 1(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966.”

Article 2 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Banjul Charter) of 1981 states that “every individual shall be entitled to the enjoyment of rights and freedoms recognized and guaranteed in the present charter without distinction of any kind such as race, ethnic group, colour, sex, language, religion, political or any other opinion, national and social origin, fortune, birth or other status.”

CAL further argued that this “outing of homosexuls” is happening in the context of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, tabled on 14, October 2009 in the Ugandan parliament which makes provisions for life imprisonment of homosexual crimes, a death sentence for repeated crimes of homosexuality and about 5 to 7 years in prison for failing to report such crimes to the authorities.

“This Bill is an expression of prejudice, intolerance, discrimination and violence. It has promoted hate speech in churches, schools and the media. It has led to defamation, blackmail, evictions, intimidation, arbitrary arrests and unlawful detention, physical assault, emotional and mental assault of LGBT activists, our families and allies”, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) said.

A Ugandan source who is also Programmes Coordinator for Kuchus [Homosexuals] Living with HIV/Aids (Kulhas), whose picture was also featured in newspapers said, “When my neighbours saw my picture in the paper, they were furious. They threw stones at me while I was in my house. I was so terrified but somehow I managed to flee my home to safety.”

CAL has called on media regulators to counter the “impunity and detest” in which minority groups are portrayed in media in that continent, particularly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.

According to media reports the Ugandan tabloid may have obtained some of the photos from Facebook profiles of ordinary LGBT people in Uganda and abroad.

“The sad truth is that most evil in Uganda is done by people who end up never being held accountable for their deeds. The Rolling Stone publication has incited violence against a group of minorities making them seem like less of human beings”, Gerald Sentongo of SMUG.

CAL has welcomed the decision of the Uganda Media Council to stop the operations of the Rolling Stone tabloid in terms of section 5 of the Press and Journalist Act of Uganda.

SMUG has also acknowledged the support from Human Rights Institutions, activists and civil society all over the world for the “enormous” support to the Ugandan LGBTI community and requested for continued support calling for African governments to repeal the ‘sodomy laws.”

COMMUNICATIONS DESK
Freedom and Roam Uganda
Tel:+256(0) 31229 4863
Hotline: +256 (0) 771840 233
URL: www.faruganda.org

Uganda newspaper publishes 'gay list,' calls for their hanging

2010-10-21T05:40:00.000-07:00

By Faith Karimi, CNN
October 20, 2010 --

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* Next to the list was a yellow strip with the words "hang them"
* "We are all terrified," an activist says
* Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries

(CNN) -- A Ugandan newspaper published a story featuring a list of the nation's "top" gays and lesbians with their photos and addresses, angering activists who say the already marginalized group risks facing further attacks.

Earlier this month, Rolling Stone newspaper -- not affiliated with the U.S. magazine with the same name -- featured 100 pictures of Uganda's gays and lesbians. Next to the list was a yellow strip with the words "hang them."

The story comes about a year after a Ugandan lawmaker introduced a measure that calls for the death penalty or long jail terms for those who engage in some homosexual activities.

The proposal was shelved after an international outcry.

"For me, the first thing that crossed my mind was, 'how can this country allow such things to happen?" said Julian Pepe, who was also named in the story.

"They were calling for our hanging, they are asking people to take the law into their hands. We are all terrified."

The 29-year-old said she's a lesbian.

"I came out when I was 12, I have supportive parents who have been there for me," said Pepe, a program coordinator for Sexual Minorities Uganda.

Those named in the story are living in fear, she said. Some have had to change jobs and move to new places.
Video: Gay activists fear for their lives
They were calling for our hanging, they are asking people to take the law into their hands. We are all terrified.
--Juilan Pepe

"We are providing some with psychological support," she said. "People have been attacked, we are having to relocate others, some are quitting their jobs because they are being verbally abused. It's a total commotion."

Uganda's ethics and integrity minister Nsaba Buturo dismissed the activists' accusations.

"They [the activists] are always lying," Buturo said. "It's their way of mobilizing support from outside, they are trying to get sympathy from outside. It's part of the campaign."

Buturo said the anti-gay measure will be addressed and passed "in due course."

"Of course I hope it passes," he said.

Calls to David Bahati, the member of parliament who introduced the anti-gay bill, went unanswered Wednesday.

The paper's editor, Giles Muhame, defended the list and said he published it to expose gays and lesbians, so authorities could arrest them. The weekly paper has been publishing for about six weeks.

After the list was published, the federal Media Council sent a warning to Muhame and ordered the newspaper to cease operating.

But the warning was "not related to the list at all," said Paul Mukasa, secretary of the Media Council. Rather, he said, the letter warned the paper that it was publishing without required permits.

"Until they fill in the required paperwork, they are breaking the law," Mukasa said.

The secretary said the newspaper has initiated the process "to put their house in order."

"Some rights groups have complained that the newspaper is inciting people, but the council is focusing on its lack of paperwork," Mukasa said.

Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in the region, including in nearby Kenya, where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism.

In Uganda, homosexual acts are punishable by 14 years to life, Pepe said.

"Half the world's countries that criminalize homosexual conduct do so because they cling to Victorian morality and colonial laws," said Scott Long, director of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights program for Human Rights Watch. "Getting rid of these unjust remnants of the British empire is long overdue."

The role religion plays in Africa has a lot to do with the ban, others say.

Olatune Ogunyemi, a professor at Grambling State University in Louisiana, has said that some African constitutions are based on religion, making it possible to justify criminalizing homosexuality.

A post-apartheid constitution bans discrimination against gays in South Africa, the first African nation to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Journalist Tom Walsh in Kampala, Uganda, contributed to this report.

One Year of the draft Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2009

2010-10-15T00:52:00.000-07:00

by Pepe Julian Onziema on Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 5:07pm

October 14, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KAMPALA - UGANDA

On October 14, 2009 the draft Anti Homosexuality Bill was introduced to the Parliament of Uganda by Ndoorwa West MP David Bahati. Mr Bahati’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill stipulates the death penalty for repeated same-sex relations and life imprisonment for all other homosexual acts. A person in authority who fails to report an offender to the police within 24 hours will face 3 years in jail. Likewise, the promotion of homosexuality carries a sentence of 5 to 7 years in jail.

This Bill is an expression of prejudice, intolerance, discrimination and violence. The bill abuses the dignity, privacy and equality of people with a different sexual orientation and identity other than heterosexual. If passed into law, it will further legitimize public and private violence, harassment and torture.

It has promoted hate- speech in churches, schools and the media. It has led to defamation, blackmail, evictions, intimidation, arbitrary arrests and unlawful detention, physical assault, emotional and mental assault of LGBT activists, our families and allies.

The bill has further led to increased violence incited by local media, particularly The Red Pepper tabloid and recently launched Rolling Stone newspaper. The headline of the Rolling Stone viciously screamed “100 pictures of Ugandan’s top homos leak- Hang them” in their Vol. 1 No. 05 October 02-09, 2010. They published pictures, names, residences and other details of LGBT activists and allies.

“When my neighbors saw my picture in the paper, they were furious. They threw stones at me while I was in my house. I was so terrified somehow I managed to flee my home to safety.” said Stosh [Programme Coordinator- Kulhas Uganda]

“The sad truth is that most evil in Uganda is done by people who end up never being held accountable for their deeds. The Rolling Stone publication has incited violence against a group of minorities making them seem like less of HUMAN BEINGS” Gerald [Admin – SMUG].

The bill constitutes a violation of the right to freedom of privacy, association, assembly and security of the person as enshrined in Constitution of Uganda’s and International Human Rights Law.

The impact of such legal and social exclusion is being felt in the lives of LGBTI Ugandans. Sexual Minorities Uganda strongly condemns such laws and media witch-hunt of homosexuals.

We would like to acknowledge Human Rights institutions and activists, local, regional and international Civil Society, Development partners and friends around the world for the enormous support to the Uganda LGBTI community and request for your continued call to African governments to repeal the ‘sodomy laws’.

Issued by: Sexual Minorities Uganda - SMUG

Contacts:

1.Frank Mugisha

fmugisha@sexualminoritiesuganda.org

2. Pepe Julian Onziema

jpepe@sexualminoritiesuganda.org

MPs should take a stand on gays

2010-10-13T06:36:00.001-07:00

AS the term of the 8th Parliament comes to an end, I would like to
raise an issue that Parliament did not handle well. I was surprised by
the utterances of some MPs who were quoted as saying “the
anti-homosexuality Bill is not a priority to Uganda”.

A few weeks ago, we had a meeting with a diplomat from Eritrea. He
told us that when their lawmakers enacted a law against homosexuality
with the highest penalty being a death sentence, the human rights
fellows from the West confronted their president.

But the president was firm. He told them that they can keep
homosexuality to themselves and Eritrea will only allow what it needs.
Our lawmakers need to emulate Eritrea.

George Oduch
Kampala

Uganda May Pass Portions of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill On The Downlow

2010-09-11T02:34:00.000-07:00

Jim Burroway
September 8th, 2010

According to Afrik News, outgoing Ethics and Integrity Minister James Nsaba Buturo has announced that the Ugandan Cabinet is reviewing an Anti-Pornography Bill, with an eye toward curbing “the vice of homosexuality”:

While addressing the press in Kampala on Wednesday, the Minister of Uganda for Ethics and Integrity, Dr. James Nsaba Buturo said that Pornography is the mother of vice and so there is need to stop it immediately.

“Pornography breeds homosexuality. I am happy that finally a bill to curb pornography in Uganda is out to punish the promoters of the vice. The draft bill is already in cabinet for discussion” Nsaba Buturo said.

According to the bill, any person found guilty of dealing in pornographic materials risks paying heavy fines or a 10-year jail sentence or both.

“The days of the homosexuals are over. The bill is good news to all morally upright Ugandans saying that pornography has contributed to moral decay and increased crimes among Ugandans,” he added.

[Update: Daily Monitor has some more details on the proposed legislation:

A proposed anti-pornography law could see journalists and Internet service providers jailed for terms ranging from five to 10 years and their businesses closed, Ethics Minister James Nsaba Buturo said yesterday.

...Under the proposed Bill, pornography is defined as any form of communication from literature to fashion or photography that depicts unclothed or under-clothed parts of the human body (such as breasts, thighs, buttocks or genitalia), that narrates or depicts sexual intercourse or that describes or exhibits anything that can lead to erotic stimulation.

According to the proposed Bill, pornography includes ‘fashion’, implying that women could be arrested for wearing short skirts and skimpy dresses. Mr Buturo said children should also be protected from pornographic materials.

...Only teaching aides, spouses and sportsmen will get exemptions of punishment from the new law. However, analysts say the flaws of the proposed law, lies in the broad definition of pornography.

Daily Monitor quotes Buturo as saying that the new law would extensively expand the definition of pornographic material and the accompanying sanctions. Depending on what those expanded definitions contain, this could be worrisome for LGBT advocates. it is not unusual for African police and prosecutors to take an extremely expansive view of what constitutes "pornography" where homosexuality is concerned. Even mentioning LGBT people can be viewed as "pornography" in Africa's deeply conservative climate.]

Of particular concern is the possible resurgence of Clause 13 of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that was placed before Parliament last year. That clause, which would prohibit “promotion of homosexuality,” was cited in a Cabinet Reportas having “some merit.” That Cabinet report, compiled in response to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s call for a study following international condemnation over the bill, suggested that portions of the bill could be enacted under other bills, preferably with titles that are not “stigmatizing and appears to be targeting a particular group of people.” The Anti-Pornography bill could be seen as a convenient vehicle for passing a measure similar to Clause 13 without rousing suspicions in the international community.

Clause 13 of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, reads:

13. Promotion of homosexuality.
(1) A person who –

(a) participates in production. procuring, marketing, broadcasting, disseminating, publishing pornographic materials for purposes of promoting homosexuality;

(b) funds or sponsors homosexuality or other related activities;

(c) offers premises and other related fixed or movable assets for purposes of homosexuality or promoting homosexuality;

(d) uses electronic devices which include internet, films, mobile phones for purposes of homosexuality or promoting homosexuality and;

(e) who acts as an accomplice or attempts to promote or in any way abets homosexuality and related practices;

commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of five thousand currency points or imprisonment of a minimum of five years and a maximum of seven years or both fine and imprisonment.

(2) Where the offender is a corporate body or a business or an association or a non-governmental organization, on conviction its certificate of registration shall be cancelled and the director or proprietor or promoter shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for seven years.

If this clause is being recycled for the Anti-Pornography Bill, it could be very worrisome for free speech and advocacy in Uganda. Not only would it criminalize pro-LGBT speech and advocacy, it would also hinder medical workers, since providing advice on safe-sex practices to reduce the chance of becoming infected with HIV, for example, could be seen as “promoting homosexuality.” Since it is unclear what the provisions of the new Anti-Pornography Bill would include, Buturo’s characterizing it as a weapon against the country’s LGBT people warrants serious scrutiny.

Uganda’s homosexual debate has gone viral but only one voice is being heard. Does it speak for you?

2010-09-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

Ugandans are well familiar with Western popular culture. Television shows like Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives find their way onto television screens in Ugandan homes; Christopher Nolan’s Inception is in Ugandan theatres, and CNN and the BBC World Service are never more than a channel click away.

But what does the West know of Ugandan popular culture? Stories of riots, elections and international conferences are ubiquitous, but they rarely provide any insight into Ugandan culture itself – that is, into the sort of things that the people of Uganda find funny, surprising, outrageous, or important.

Recently, however, Westerners have been learning more than usual about Ugandan culture. The reason for this is a YouTube video named “EAT DA POO POO,” which has been spreading virally over the internet. The video documents a series of anti-gay tirades by Ugandan Pastor, Dr. Martin Ssempa. Armed with explicit visual aids, Ssempa argues that what homosexuals do in the privacy of their bedrooms is simply far too disgusting to be protected by the law. Homosexual men, he claims, lick each other’s anuses like, “ice cream and even poo poo comes out...This one smears the poo poo all over the other one’s face.”

To date, the video has almost three million hits on YouTube, has spawned an auto-tune remix with some four-hundred-thousand hits, and is listed on Ebaum’s World, a popular archive of internet curiosities.

Westerners watch this video because they find Ssempa’s antics comical, but what few of them realize is how un-comical his views are to many native Ugandans. Homosexuality is outlawed in as many as thirty-eight African countries, including Uganda. In Mauritania, Nigeria, and neighbouring Sudan, it is currently punishable by death. And Ugandan MP David Bahati’s recent effort to push through a comprehensive “Anti Homosexuality Bill” – which would include capital punishment for “aggravated” offences – has received considerable popular support.

With Bahati’s bill still under consideration in parliament, Uganda is one of the few African countries to currently be on the verge of tightening its regulation against homosexuals. Already under Uganda’s Penal Code Act of 1950, those who engage in the “unnatural offence” of gay sex may be imprisoned for life, and those who merely attempt to do so can be imprisoned for up to seven years. But this new piece of legislation expands on the current law to include lengthy prison sentences for anyone who as much as “promotes,” funds, disseminates, or provides a venue for homosexual activities, as well as anyone who fails to publicly disclose their knowledge of a homosexual offense.

With six African countries having decriminalized homosexuality as recently as 2008, nd with South Africa having become the fifth country in the world to recognize same-sex marriage in 2006, why is Uganda moving in the opposite direction?

The short answer is that in contrast to other African nations, powerful people in Uganda have taken collective initiative on anti-gay legislation. In an interview with The Independent, MP David Bahati cited his membership in a Ugandan chapter of “The Fellowship” or “The Family”, a U.S.-based Christian political organization, as the key impetus behind the new bill. Every Thursday the members of the local division of The Fellowship, which include a close circle of Ugandan MPs and religious leaders (led by Ssempa), meet to discuss “how to use godly principles to influence public policy.” About a year and a half ago, Bahati reveals, it was decided in one such meeting that the legal framework as it stands was incapable of addressing the urgency of the problem of homosexuality in Uganda. Bahati was chosen and happily volunteered to be at the forefront of developing new legislation.

http://webmail.icebreakersuganda.org/imp/themes/graphics/spacer_red.pngFor Bahati, the 2009 “Anti Homosexuality Bill” is both a personal and political imperative. It is personal because he is convinced that homosexuality is a sin and that “sin must be fought:” “Though I love homosexuals, I hate the sin in them. I believe that they can be rehabilitated, that they can be counselled and come back to normality.” On the political front, he says, the bill is critical to stop homosexuality from taking over the world. “As a country, Uganda should be able to really provide leadership at this time when the world needs leadership.”

However, the genesis of this new bill cannot be explained solely by the raw initiative of Bahati and The Fellowship. In order to have any chance of passing into law, the bill needs considerable support from parliamentarians, other members of government, and ideally from the public. According to Bahati, it has all of these. Despite strong international pressure to shelve the bill, including threats by some Western governments to cut off aid to Uganda should it finally pass, Bahati believes that the “government supports what I’m doing.” The cause of legislative hesitation over the bill so far, he believes, is strictly political; key government officials remain caught between whether to “stand for what is right, or to compromise and get donor money.” Moreover, for its part, 95% of the population of Uganda, according to Bahati, believes that “homosexuality is a sin and shouldn’t be supported.” A public petition in support of the bill has already gathered four million signatures. Even foreign governments like Canada, which have been very active in expressing criticism of the bill, secretly support it, claims Bahati: “Deep in their hearts, [Canadians] don’t support homosexuality.”

In Kampala, opinions about homosexuality vary: Aida, who owns an inconspicuous hair salon in central Kampala, supports the new bill and claims that homosexuality, “is not part of African culture...It’s a disease and you kill a disease.” At Masala Chat House restaurant, Manager Joseph Onen Bakiti says that he would not fire an employee if he or she was discovered to be a homosexual, but he still believes that all homosexuals should be jailed. If a police officer were found out to be a homosexual, by contrast, not only would they be immediately fired and prosecuted for the crime, they would be subject to additional punitive action under the Police Force’s disciplinary code, explains Uganda Police Force’s Deputy Public Relations Officer Ssekate Vicent.

Others in Uganda believe that the new proposed legislation is excessively cruel despite homosexuality’s unseemliness. Solomon Webalealaari, a civil rights lawyer based in Kampala, does not believe that homosexuality should be criminalized, but notes that many Ugandans who agree with him are afraid to publicly voice their opinion, lest they be stigmatized or branded as un-African, un-Christian, and pro-Gay.

The fact that tolerant views of this sort have been marginalized in Ugandan public culture is a testament to the vehemence and popularity of Ssempa’s campaign. Ssempa and his associates present homophobia in general, and support for anti-gay legislation in particular, as standards of membership in Uganda’s Afro-Christian majority. 84 percent of Ugandans are Christian and according to gay rights activist, Major Rubaramira Ruranga, it is precisely by branding support for the recent bill as an essential aspect of what it means to be a committed Christian in Uganda that the anti-gay lobby has achieved such success.

Major Ruranga argues that, in contrast to Western society, Ugandan society places intense value on communal attachment, even when this comes at the expense of individual expression. As a result, he says, “religion has become more of a culture than a faith.” Instead of promoting sincere belief, the religious establishment promotes outward conformity to standards adhered to by the larger group. In the case of Uganda’s Christian community, Ruranga suggests, the hatred of gays has become one of these unquestioned group standards.

But it was not always so. According to Ruranga, the anti-gay movement in Uganda only gained traction in the 1990s in large part as a reaction to a perceivable rise in gay pride, activism, and the unprecedented occurrence of public disclosures of homosexuality in the Ugandan media. The religious establishment decided this was dangerous and instigated a backlash. It is not clear how much of a role the U.S. based Fellowship had in fomenting that backlash, but what is certain is that it is now fully supportive of it. According to Bahati, one American Pentecostal friend recently lamented to him that “I wish we [in the U.S.] had done what you are doing thirty years ago; we would be much better off.”

What quickly becomes clear from speaking to ordinary Ugandans is that, in fact, they are not all convinced that they would be better off if Bahati’s proposed bill were signed into law. Their reasons are wide ranging, but in some instances, like that of Rafaella, a law student at Makerere University, one of them is the recognition that, “all crimes are sins, but not all sins are crimes.” Yet the constant sense of shame with which Uganda’s gay community is currently made to live is already punishment in its own right.

Others have mentioned that the current law is too far-reaching. For instance, because the bill allocates prison sentences to anyone who fails to report a known homosexual offence, even a parent who discovers that their own son or daughter is gay, but for obvious reasons fails to publicly report this, could be thrown in jail for up to three years.

One rarely hears such reservations and concerns voiced in the mass media. If the country and the world is ever going to see that Ssempa does not represent all Ugandans, and that “EAT DA POO POO” provides only the slimmest window into Ugandan culture, this will have to change and Uganda’s more tolerant and level-headed voices will have to bravely speak up.

Uganda’s homosexual debate has gone viral but only one voice is being heard. Does it speak for you?

2010-09-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

Orombi to meet Archbishop of Canterbury over homosexuality

2010-08-23T01:30:00.000-07:00

Orombi to meet Archbishop of Canterbury over homosexuality

By Stephen Otage

The Archbishop of the Church Uganda is to hold discussions with Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, over his stand on homosexuality and gay Bishops serving in the church.
Dr Williams is expected for the All African Bishops Conference which opens tomorrow in Entebbe. The conference will run until August 29.
While opening a three-day 20th Provincial Assembly of the Church of the Province of Uganda last week in Mukono, Dr Henry Luke Orombi, castigated the divided understanding of the Anglican faith.
While giving the bishops an update on the state of the Anglican Communion, Bishop Orombi said the issues in the Church are much deeper than just homosexuality.
Broken church
He said the issues include the radically different understanding of the authority of scripture, the understanding of sin, need for repentance and how Jesus saves.
“In 2003 the Episcopal church in America consecrated as bishop a divorced man living in a homosexual relationship. The prelates of the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion met prior to that consecration and urged the American Church not to do it, saying if the consecration went ahead, it would tear the fabric of our communion at its deepest level,” Bishop Orombi said.
“Seven years later, what I can tell you is that the Anglican Communion is very broken. It has been torn at its deepest level and is a very dysfunctional family of provincial churches.”
Faithful living
When asked by the bishops about the implication to the church of inviting Bishop Williams to the conference, Bsihop Orombi supported the idea, saying it would be helpful to the church. “It is easier to sit with the Archbishop and confront him face to face than through letters,” he said.
“We know that walking in the light brings you relief and healing. We the prelates, the concerned steering committee want to sit and talk to him. I want him to hear my heart as I look at his face not through a piece of paper.”
He urged the bishops to remain faithful to the faith they inherited and not be swayed by issues that are coming from outside, saying as a church they should know what to choose that is helpful to them and leave out what they do not need.

Anglican Bishop in Uganda Vow to Confront Bishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury

2010-08-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

In a move to reaffirm their opposition to gay rights and gay acceptance in the Anglican church of Uganda, Bishops from all over the country sitting at Mukono vowed to confront the arch-bishop of Canterbury over his stand on homosexuality and gay Bishops serving in the church.
They promised to let him know where they stand with him and also make it clear that they will never agree with him on the issue of homosexuals in the church.
During the meeting, the arch-Bishop of the church of Uganda said they would not break away from Canterbury but would not cooperate with it until after arch-Bishop Rowan Williams has changed his stance on homosexuality in the church or left the position of arch-Bishop.
About 400 Bishops from different parts of the world are expected to attend the All African Bishops Conference (AABC) scheduled from August 23- 29, 2010 in Kampala, Uganda. They will come from Burundi, Central Africa, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Indian Ocean (Seychelles, Mauritius) Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania, Egypt and Uganda will attend.
Additionally, other paticipants will include representatives from Anglican Communion Office, Lambeth Palace, Representatives from Other Anglican Provinces, Heads of other Churches, Representatives of Africa Union, UN Bodies and Regional Blocs such as EAC, SADAC, ECOWAS, Representatives of Diplomatic Missions, Partners in Development and Media Representatives among others.
At the same meeting, Uganda’s principal Judge Ogoola called for love and tolerance to diversity. He said when love met justice in Israel, the nation blossomed.

First Openly Gay Bar Opens in Kampala

2010-08-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

I still get excited thinking about it. Sappho Islands. Yes, the great lesbian Greek poet has come to town. I last took a beer during the October of 2008. This is probably when I last went out to a bar to drink. Most of my friends are socialites and I respect that. Being a Born-Again Christian has made me look at my life differently but I am not the kind of conservative Christian who thinks what I do not do automatically becomes evil if other people are doing it. This is why I still hung out at bars with my friends if I have to. My reason for quitting beer was basically because I have never liked drinking. I don?t like the taste and I have never had a genuine reason to take alcohol.

The opening of Sappho Islands is to me a political statement. Looking how far we have come, I cannot ignore the fact that the Stonewall revolution in the U.S.A sparked off from a bar. When I first heard about Sappho Islands, I saw progress. I celebrated change.

Sappho was a Greek poet whose poems talked about emotions and love between women. She lived on an Island called Lesbos and it is said this is where the word Lesbian came from. Multitudes of lesbians visit Lesbos Island every year in celebration of their identity. Sappho Islands, the bar, may not attract hundreds of lesbians from all over the world but the decision to name it after Sappho gives us a reason to celebrate our identity.

I have lived among LGBT communities for the past eight years and I know how much having a social life means to LGBT folks. I have learned from listening to people?s stories that sometimes anti-gay laws are not what LGBT persons are most concerned with. They are concerned about being able to meet people like themselves, laughing and forgetting their daily struggles even for a single time. I have been to LGBT social evenings and seen how folks do not want to go back home after the party is over. They value the only time they can be happy and have a good time.

It is a beautiful way to end 2010. Three cheers to Sappho Islands.

Posted by Val Kalende at 12:55 PM
Visit VK's blog on http://valkalende.blogspot.com

The day bombs rocked Kampala

2010-07-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

It was the second half of the FIFA world cup final between Spain and Netherlands in soccer city-South africa (the first world cup on African soil). The score was nil for both teams and as the world was waiting for a goal, some people in Kampala had something else on their minds.
First a bomb went off at the Ethiopian village in a Kampala suburb called Kabalagala. (Remember Ethiopia invaded the Al-shabab in Somalia).
Then as the news began trickling in around Kampala, two more blasts in a period of one minute went off in another popular hangout called Kyadondo Rugby Club.
Before we knew it, 76 people were dead and scores more injured. What was left was for us to call around to make sure family and friends are okay.
And then like a hammer, news comes in that a certain man claiming to be a member of Al-shabab in Somalia (an affiliate of Alqeada)was celebrating the death of innocent people-I wonder how some people think.
MAY THOSE INNOCENT SOULS REST IN ETERNAL PEACE.

In pain
Dennis

In the footsteps of a gay man: A journalist’s journey into the Ugandan gay world

2010-07-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

Posted in Sunday Monitor, July 11 2010 at 00:00
In Summary

Gay terms used in the Ugandan gay community

•Top: A gay man that acts as man during intercourse.
•Botton: A gay man that acts as the woman during intercourse.
•Baldwin: An attractive male.
•Gay Curious: Gay-friendly person curious about their degree of homosexuality. This person often feels they may be gay, lesbian or bisexual but confirmation of those feelings may take further emotional or physical exploration.
•Bare backer: Gay men who want to have sex without using condoms.
•Chicken: Young boy that’s gay or a teenage-looking gay man.
•Drama queen: A gay male who reacts to situations in a highly emotional manner.
•Beard: A spouse, partner, or date of a gay person who wants to fake heterosexuality: “His wife is just a beard”.
•Cruise: To look for a sex partner in areas known for this activity; to stare at someone with the intention of attracting his or her attention.
•Down-low; DL: A term once used exclusively to refer to working-class men who live as straight men, are often married and secretly have affairs or one night stands with other men. The closest equivalent is the older phrase rough trade.
•Ex-gay: A person who identified as gay in the past, but who no longer does so.
•Friend of Dorothy: A gay man.
•The glass closet: Used to describe one who is an obvious homosexual but claims to be straight.
•Kept man: An attractive, typically younger male who financially depends on an older male and provides friendship, sexual favours and other personal services in return.
•Meanwhile: A term used mostly by gay men to point out an attractive passerby.

Within a period of three weeks, I learnt that gay relationships are almost like straight ones. Those involved charm, seduce, deceive, try to manipulate with money and even plead with whoever they are interested in to give into them and yes, they also get cheated on It was a hot Tuesday morning and I was seated in front of my computer reading an online article about gays in Uganda. The page had a link to a website called icebreakersuganda.org.

I clicked on it out of curiosity. It is probably one of the boldest gay things I have seen in this country. It’s a website that encourages gay people to come out and embrace their sexuality (thus the name icebreaker) and it connects gay people in Uganda. The website has a guestbook link where visitors of the site can update any comments or ideas on their mind about the website.

However, most of the comments posted on the website’s guestbook are announcements of gay people who want to meet other gays for mere company, sex or love. Consequently, this segment of the website has been turned into a “lonely hearts” of sorts for gay people. Some of the posted messages are darkly explicit and complete with e-mail addresses and phone numbers.
One of the posted messages on the website was an announcement for a gay party of sorts. It had a phone number attached to it.

I was always under the impression that the gay community in Uganda was so air-tight and secretive. I always imagined that they strictly met in secret locations (like world-class spies) and used secret gesture codes to identify themselves. I thought it was next to impossible to infiltrate their circles if one wasn’t gay. I had gotten so easily close to getting in that a part of me thought it probably was a hoax website. I dialled the number.

The calls and text messages
The man on the other line had an ordinary man’s tone (I expected a much softer tone). I told him where I had found his number and that I was gay and that I wanted to come for the party. He told me it happens every Sunday at a house in Nsambya. “Just call me on Sunday, we shall meet in town and go together,” he said to me. I promised him I would. His tone was hard to read; I couldn’t tell whether he was excited another “gay” person was coming to the party, or he had received several calls like this and was simply doing what he did a lot. His tone was indifferent.

The next man I rang was called Ronald (not real name). After telling him where I had found his number, we kicked it off. He was easy to talk to plus he sounded excited. He asked me how old I was and whether I was on Facebook. I hadn’t seen this coming and involuntarily, I hesitated. He probably noticed this because before I could answer, he assured me it was only because he wanted to see my picture.

I told him I wasn’t on Facebook; I lied. I added that I would call him back later; I lied, again. He called for several days after that insisting that he wanted to take me out.

For a few days, because of this man, I understood what it felt like to be pursued so directly and so aggressively by a man on the phone. Even though I was somewhat flattered by Ronald’s persistent ways, he was mainly irritating.

The third call was to a man called Peter (not real name). His posted messages said we was looking for romance and wasn’t yet ready for sex. I imagined he would be less aggressive. From our several text messages, I learnt that he worked with a small-time consultancy along Jinja Road, and that he had begun his gay tendencies in a secondary boarding school. He was living with a friend who, from the way he spoke about him, seemed to be his boyfriend or lover.

He suggested we meet at his place when his lover wasn’t around. When I asked him what was wrong with his lover, he answered, “He is just jealous over nothing.” It was hard to tell whether this was actually the truth. One thing was for sure; he wanted to cheat. It struck me so hard; this was probably when I started to realise that gay relationships are almost like ordinary straight relationships; people cheat on each other.

I told him I would not mind sleeping with him and he agreed. This was a direct contradiction, considering he had said he wasn’t ready for sex in his posted message. Days went by and I spoke to more gay men, some of whom also said they already had lovers and were only looking for a discreet relationship, something secretive that wouldn’t get them in trouble with their other gay partners.

After several calls and text messages, the one that stuck out the most was Moses (not real name). With most of the calls I had made, all I had to do was tell the men where I had gotten their numbers and what usually followed was them asking me when and where I wanted to meet.

When I told Moses where I had found his number, he asked me what I wanted and when I told him I wanted to meet; he asked why. When I asked how old he was; he told me he barely knew. He acted hard to get, always replying my full page text messages with one word or two. He had a certain confidence and self sufficiency about him. He did admit that he was gay, but acted too busy for petty calls and behaved as though he was above it all.

I was intrigued. I wanted to figure him out. What was it about him that made him want nothing? How come everyone else had succumbed and he hadn’t? For a moment, it felt like I was pursuing him. Even though I never got to meet him, he drove me to picture him as a well bred man who had seen it all and was hard to impress. I imagined he was accomplished and had a lot of class.

The meetings
Around the second week, the calls and text messages became dull; it was time to meet. One of the many people I had spoken to had advised me never to go to a gay man’s place if I didn’t trust him because gay men spike the drinks of those they want just like devilishly cunning straight men do to girls when they want to sleep with them.

The first physical meeting was with Paul (not real name). We met at a popular bar and restaurant at Centenary Park at about 10:30p.m. He offered to buy me a drink but I was already nervous so I offered to buy him one instead. We talked about the World Cup and he went on and on about Brazil and France. On the face of it, Paul did not in any way look like the stereotype gay man I had expected. He was a fairly well groomed man and did not strike me as a man who would have a lot of trouble finding a girl. When I asked him how he found out he was gay, he said he had “always been attracted to boys at school rather than the girls.”

At the risk of sounding like a gay man myself, Paul was the perfect gentleman; he probably noticed that I was new to the gay community. He told me not to give myself in to someone I didn’t love. “Sex is intimate, you are still a virgin. Take your time,” he said.

At another popular bar and restaurant along Lumumba Avenue, I met two other men who wanted to take me home so I could see their houses. I always found a way out. They were never pushy. They would use insinuating words, seduce in subtle and delicate ways, at times by simply staring. Most of them wore clean shaven beards; I don’t know if it’s a gay thing. Plus, they were not bad looking, so it was hard to believe they were gay because girls weren’t interested in them.

The party
I am ashamed to admit that I never went for the gay party; I failed to muster the courage for that. After noticing that most gay men looked like the ordinary man seated next to you on an ordinary day, I was probably afraid that I would meet somebody that knew me.

Frank Mugisha
As I interacted further with these men, one common name kept coming up - Frank Mugisha. Most of them bragged about knowing a certain Frank Mugisha. From the way they spoke about him, they somewhat idolised him, occasionally claiming they were Facebook friends with him.

I googled him: Frank Mugisha is an openly gay man living in Kampala. He is the director of SMUG (Sexual Minorities Uganda), a pro-gay and lesbian NGO. He is also the personality behind icebreakersuganda.org. He is a celebrity in the gay circles. I tried asking around about him but most that bragged about knowing him didn’t really know him; the only thing I learnt is that he has a blackberry phone and is a chicken (a gay term to mean a young-looking gay man).

The stereotypes
Most of what we know about gay people is that they are men who dress almost in a feminine way and talk softly or have feminine attributes. All the gay men I spoke to and met were none of these. These people act in the same way straight people do. Like I said, they charm, seduce, deceive, cheat and naturally I would assume there is also heart breaking involved. Plus, they always talked about having protected sex.

I expected to meet insanely rich people like the tales I have heard about the gays but these people are ordinary; they use taxis, eat and hang out in ordinary places and would rather beep or send a text message than make a call. Also, they have an attraction towards white people. Most of those who go to exotic uptown places are mainly activists.

TheCall Uganda Press Release: Part 2

2010-06-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

Posted on June 10th, 2010

June 2010

Three weeks ago I returned from Uganda where I participated in TheCall Uganda. Prior to going I released a statement declaring the intent and purposes of my going there and holding TheCall. In that statement I clearly declared that TheCall was not going to Uganda to promote the Anti-Homosexuality Bill (”Bill”). Instead, the purpose of the event was to pray and fast for this nation in crisis.

I was actually asked to release a petition at TheCall for the people to sign in support of the Bill. I did not allow that to happen because the purpose of the gathering was not a political gathering; it was a prayer gathering. However, I had to leave the prayer meeting early to catch our flight back home. After returning home, I was told that the Bill had been clearly promoted after I left the meeting. I apologize that this took place and that my stated purpose of not promoting the Bill was compromised. I take responsibility for what was done on the stage of TheCall, even in my absence.

That being said, I am grateful that I had the privilege of going to Uganda and meeting Christian leaders who explained their heart concerning the Bill. Not one was carrying even an ounce of hatred for homosexuals. They actually desired to influence the lawmakers in Uganda to lessen the penalties. However, they were committed to raise up a principled stand to protect their people and their children from an unwelcome intrusion of homosexual ideology into an 83% Christian nation, an intrusion that is being pressed upon them by the UN, UNICEF, and other NGOs and Western colonialist powers.

These powers are threatening to withdraw funding from Uganda if they do not open their doors to these ideologies. They shared with me with broken hearts some of the painful stories of the effect of this worldwide pressure, as it is being pushed and promoted into their educational system. I appealed to them that in all their labor and their stand they express the mercy of Christ to broken people, but I also stood with them in their desire to not succumb to the political ideological pressures of the West and many of the voices of the Western Church that have come strongly against them.

These brothers in Uganda will give an account to the Lord on how sternly they stood as a prophetic community in their nation and we, the Church of the West, will give an account for our response when homosexual ideology swept into our nations.

For TheCall,

Lou Engle

Are gays more powerful than Ugandan opposition?

2010-05-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

Few well organised and skilled personalities can achieve what non-organised masses can fail. That is exactly what the global gay-community is doing in regard to Ndorwa West MP David Bahati’s proposed Anti-gay Bill in Parliament.

The inclusion of death penalty for homosexual and non-homosexual offences, totally adulterated the Bill. Organised advocacy can work better for politicians than encouraging the masses to hold street demos which expose them to the risk of being brutalised by armed forces. That is exactly, how the pro-gay community, have managed to cuff the Uganda government to nearly backing off the controversial Anti-gay Bill. There is even now a video on the internet that details how dangerous the anti-gay bill is to everybody, regardless of their sexual orientation.

“I am very grateful to Rob Tisinai for making a master class YouTube video that explains the full horrors of the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill,” says human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell of OutRage when referring to a short video by Rob which explains the full and deadly clauses in the Bill.

The bill currently before the Ugandan Parliament was sponsored by MP Bahati from the ruling party National Resistance Movement (NRM). The bill also has some clauses calling for a death penalty for anybody guilty of homosexual acts.

Ever since the bill was introduced last year, it has attracted worldwide condemnation. Early last month, the US President Barack Obama and his Secretary of State, Ms Hillary Rodham Clinton castigated the bill. Canadian and British prime ministers have also expressed concern.

The bill extends the existing penalty of life imprisonment for anal intercourse to all other same-sex behaviour, including the mere touching of another person with the intent to have homosexual relations and imposes a life imprisonment sentence for contracting a same-sex marriage.

Although, Uganda’s Ethics and Integrity Minister James Nsaba Buturo supports the bill, in an exclusive communiqué to this reporter about the Anti-gay Bill in Uganda’s parliament, the UK Minister of State for Africa, Baroness Kinnock, indicated that the British government is so disturbed by the bill that it has let the Ugandan government know about its objection: “We are very concerned about the bill and have made this clear in numerous representations to the Uganda government. Most recently, the Prime Minister raised the issue with Ugandan President Museveni at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad,” said Ms Kinnock.

President Museveni himself appreciates the power of the West as reflected in his speech last month to members of his party conference about his experience during CHOGM in Trinidad & Tobago: “The Prime Minister of Canada came to see me and what was he talking about? Gays. Prime Minister Gordon Brown came to see me and what was he talking about? Gays. Mrs Clinton [US Secretary of State] rang me. What was she talking about? Gays. There was a rally in New York of 300,000 homosexuals. Now, I would want to challenge you members of Parliament, how many of you, other than me, have had a rally of 300,000 people?

The UK Minister of State for Africa, Ms Kinnock, added: “Likewise, I raised the issue with Uganda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sam Kutesa, also at CHOGM. The UK High Commissioner in Kampala takes every appropriate opportunity to engage Ugandan Ministers on the issue.

“We have also lobbied through the EU, Sweden, who held the EU Presidency in Uganda, led EU demarche to Ugandan Foreign Ministry in December. The European Parliament has also called on the Uganda authorities not to approve the bill in a resolution passed on 17 December,” last year.

Kinnock expressed fears about the Bill saying it’s detrimental to those who offer services for the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda. “Our concerns include the negative impact the bill would have on the rights of homosexual and heterosexual Ugandans through the criminalisation of any action that could be construed as support for homosexuality,” reads part of the letter.

It adds: “This could be extremely detrimental to the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda as, in theory, most donor agencies and international non-governmental organisations could be encompassed under this law. The UK is also in close touch with and is supporting Ugandan civil society organisations campaigning against the bill. We will continue to follow the passage of the bill and to lobby against its introduction,”

Under the current provisions of the bill being a member to organisations advocating and funding gay human rights and providing condoms or safer sex advice to gay people can be construed as supporting or promoting homosexuality and would therefore attract a sentence of between five and seven years in jail.

“It shows that this Bill is far more lethal and wide-reaching than most people realise. Ugandans don’t have to be gay or to have gay sex to be sentenced to death,” said Tatchell.

Under the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, the crime of “serial offender” is punishable by execution. A serial offender is a person who has “previous convictions” for “homosexuality or related offences.”

In other words, if a Ugandan has previous convictions for offences in the Bill and then has a subsequent conviction he or she will be classified as a serial offender and face execution.

“Related offences” in the Bill that can result in a death sentence for serial offenders include non-sexual acts such as: aiding and abetting homosexuality, advocating same-sex relationships or LGBT rights, having a same-sex marriage, publicising or funding pro-LGBT organisations, using the internet or a mobile phone for the purpose of homosexuality or its promotion, being a person in authority who fails to report an offender to the police within 24 hours.

These related offences are crimes that could be also committed by a heterosexual person. It is not just LGBT Ugandans who are threatened by this legislation, potential foreign visitors too are threatened by the bill. Under the bill, all convicted serial offenders are liable to execution, regardless of their sexuality. So who is safe? There might be nobody.

The writer is a Ugandan living in the United Kingdom

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To see the video on the Uganda bill
written by Rob Tisinai, March 10, 2010

Thanks for mentioning the video. Anyone who is curious can see it here:

http://wakingupnow.com/blog/uganda-kill-everyone-video

-1 Mangoes and tomatoes
written by Jespa, March 10, 2010

The writer of this article is mistaken . One should never compare mangoes with tomatoes . The gay movement that is making all this noise and producing videos is operating from outside of Uganda . They are organised as a special interest group . The opposition is based in Uganda where it deals with things that are not easy to judge . There are times when it can be said that the opposition has been smarter than Musevenis government .But that is a small part of a long story Its equally naive for one to declare that the gay community has won this war . It quite unlikely that Uganda will ever embrace homosexuality .
Homosexuals and their supporters are in for a shock if they think that this is over .
+2 Mangoes and tomatoes
written by Jespa, March 10, 2010

The writer of this article is mistaken . One should never compare mangoes with tomatoes . The gay movement that is making all this noise and producing videos is operating from outside of Uganda . They are organised as a special interest group . The opposition is based in Uganda where it deals with things that are not easy to judge . There are times when it can be said that the opposition has been smarter than Musevenis government .But that is a small part of a long story Its equally naive for one to declare that the gay community has won this war . It quite unlikely that Uganda will ever embrace homosexuality .
Homosexuals and their supporters are in for a shock if they think that this is over .
+1 jespa
written by solo, March 10, 2010

Jespa you must be mistaken if you for one moment think that we
Ugandan homosexuals think this war is over. It has just began and
we know we are in it for the the long haul.
-1 Solo
written by Jespa, March 10, 2010

Miwambo`s article gives a wrong impression . That is what my comment is about . If you are a homosexual , you should have read that many homosexuals think that they are so " powerful " they have stopped Uganda government to make very strong ant-gay laws . My opinion is that Miwambo and many homosexuals have failed to realize that the only part of Bahati`bill that some Ugandan organisations are opposed to is capital punishment. You may want to know that these same Human rights blocs are already against the death penalty anyway - regardless of the crime committed. This means that when or if the death penalty is ammended out of Bahatis bill , the homosexuals will have it tough and rough ´not only in Uganda , but allover Africa.

Just watch !.
+1 Jespa
written by gayuganda, March 10, 2010

Maybe what you havent realised, Jespa, is that that terrible bill, and the fact that some Ugandans, our fellow Ugandans think that it is good in the name of god to kill us and that that has galvanised us.

Of course we are a minority. But, we also have lots of stuff on our side. think of us as David against your Goliath. And, with that you might understand what we mean.

to say that most of the larger organisations are against the bill because of the death penalty is to be simplistic. Read the Catholic letter. Read the letter from the UJCC. that video is about only the death penalty. But....

anyway, just know it that also Ugandan, and African homosexuals have had a wake up call.

we are few. I still bet on us winning.

gug
+0 ...
written by Major Adam Kifaliso, March 10, 2010

m7 is a coward afraid of well organised groups , he preffers mengo , seya's DP to his raw brute and premitive insticts ,
+0 Minority
written by Jespa, March 10, 2010

There are many sexual minorities in Uganda and elsewhere, gayman .There is nothing simplist here.. I have read what all these groups ,have written. I n a nutshell they think that you homosexuals are sick or invalids that need treatment or prayer and not prison of death . I am sure that these groups would say the same if Uganda was about to pass a law that may send rapists and other people who practice un-natural sex to the gas chamber. The writer of this article and you gay people should not confuse " sympathy " with " rights " or "power"
+0 Minority
written by Jespa, March 10, 2010

There are many sexual minorities in Uganda and elsewhere, gayman .There is nothing simplist here.. I have read what all these groups ,have written. I n a nutshell they think that you homosexuals are sick or invalids that need treatment or prayer and not prison of death . I am sure that these groups would say the same if Uganda was about to pass a law that may send rapists and other people who practice un-natural sex to the gas chamber. The writer of this article and you gay people should not confuse " sympathy " with " rights " or "power"
+0 Minority
written by Jespa, March 10, 2010

There are many sexual minorities in Uganda and elsewhere, gayman .There is nothing simplist here.. I have read what all these groups ,have written. I n a nutshell they think that you homosexuals are sick or invalids that need treatment or prayer and not prison of death . I am sure that these groups would say the same if Uganda was about to pass a law that may send rapists and other people who practice un-natural sex to the gas chamber. The writer of this article and you gay people should not confuse " sympathy " with " rights " or "power"
+0 jasper
written by solo, March 11, 2010

In my humble opinion those who think that by remov ing the death penalty from this bill
will make a big diffrence are gravely mistaken.
Those opposed to the bill may have used it as a ralling point but I think they are being dishonest at best.

Most of the proponents of this bill genuienly beileve that they are right just like the withe minority in south Africa believed in apartied how ever they were wrong and so are bahati and co.
Shouldn this bill pass we will not only challenge it in court but also lobby the international community to impose sanctions on uganda similar to those given to south africa and Zimbabwe.
Given that there are numerous elected openly gay important figures in the west we are hopeful

+0

Is Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill dead?

2010-05-13T04:10:00.000-07:00

By Gregory Branch — Special to GlobalPost
Published: May 12, 2010 06:43 ET

KAMPALA, Uganda — The harsh Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which calls for the death penalty in some cases, suffered a serious setback when a legal committee advised that it be withdrawn from parliament.

The fate of the controversial legislation hangs in the balance with powerful forces both for and against the bill.

The legislation provoked an international uproar when it was proposed to parliament in October 2009. In addition to executions, it threatens long jail terms to anyone, including family members, who does not report homosexuals to the police.

The bill was proposed by member of parliament David Bahati, a member of President Yoweri Museveni's ruling party, the National Resistance Movement. The bill was backed by a number of influential evangelical ministers, some of whom are associated with and have received financing from American evangelical preachers.

At first it looked like the bill was assured passage and it was supported by demonstrations through the Kampala's streets by large crowds.

However international outrage, criticism from human rights groups and objections from major donors like Sweden, prompted the Kampala government to be wary of the bill. In mid-January Museveni issued a statement distancing himself from the bill. He appointed a cabinet committee to review the bill. The committee on May 7 recommended that the bill be withdrawn.

The committee's report found that the bill has "technical defects in form and content" and that many of the clauses are either unconstitutional or redundant of existing laws. Furthermore, the committee recommends deflecting negative attention away from the bill by changing its title or combining it with Uganda's existing law, the Sexual Offenses Act.

Only Clause 13 of the anti-gay bill — which addresses the promotion of homosexuality — “was worthy of consideration,” according to the report.

The cabinet committee suggests that the “useful provisions of the proposed law” should be incorporated into the existing Sexual Offenses Act. The committee agreed that promotion of homosexuality should be criminalized.

Some Ugandans remain completely against the anti-gay bill, like the Rev. Mark Kiyimba of the Uganda Unitarian Universalist Church, a self-proclaimed bisexual.

“Although the committee has made these recommendations, the bill is still a [Uganda Parliament] private member’s bill and can still be passed, in its original form," said Kiyimba. "Unless you can tell me that Bahati [the author of the bill] has changed his stance and is against the bill, it can still be passed.”

Life for gays in Kampala is difficult.

Bahati Bill will only benefit gay promoters and asylum seekers

2010-05-11T00:38:00.000-07:00

Hon. David Bahati’s Anti-homosexuality Bill, which a cabinet committee was reported to have recently rejected, has generated considerable controversy and debate both within and outside Uganda. Much of the exchange has been rather emotional, akin to a dialogue of the deaf, where neither party listens to nor hears what the other is saying.

Looked at rationally, both sides have legitimate concerns justifying their stand. Ardent supporters of the Bill set out to uphold African cultural values, which without doubt have been greatly eroded not only by the colonial experience but more recently by the onslaught of globalisation. Thus determined efforts have been made to impose Western values and practices on the entire world in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres, regardless of local viewpoints and sensitivities.

Homosexual practices, gambling in casinos, striptease (ekimansulo), prostitution, etc. are examples. On the other hand, centuries old African practices like polygamy are denounced as oppressive and backward.
Those who oppose the Bill, the vast majority of whom are heterosexual themselves, are concerned about the intrusion of the State into the private lives of individuals, the draconian penalties proposed, and the effect the Bill has on Uganda’s standing internationally. Furthermore, the Penal Code Act and indeed the Constitution deal with many of the concerns which the Bill sets out to prohibit.

There is also the argument that in the days of globalisation, a country cannot act or behave as if the views of other countries did not matter.
In the midst of the controversy over this Bill, it is not realised that even in the UK, homosexuality was illegal until comparatively recently. It was not until a private Member’s Bill sponsored by the Labour MP, Leo Abse, in 1967 that homosexual acts in private between two consenting adults were legalised.

My own take on the Bill is that it is a big diversion from the real and critical problems facing our Country. Examples are the all-pervasive and endemic pillage of public funds, the deadly diseases that are a scourge on a large part of the population, and the widespread illiteracy.
Take corruption. If two men or women steal X billion shillings of public funds, their heinous crime will have a considerable adverse effect on the welfare of the nation.

However, if two men or women lock themselves in a room somewhere and, with mutual consent, indulge in some odd pleasures of the flesh, the economic loss to the country is negligible. Why then ignore the corrupt couple and sentence the other to a term of life imprisonment?

So why not sponsor some robust, water-tight and readily enforceable legislation dealing with corruption, providing for lengthy terms of imprisonment for those convicted of such crimes and the confiscation of their ill-gotten assets?

On disease, we all know that malaria, the number one killer in this country, affects the vast majority of households especially in rural areas. Why not sponsor legislation requiring the relevant authorities to carry out mosquito sprays nationally, as happened in the past with no apparent ill effects.

Regarding illiteracy, why not bring in a Bill requiring each MP, out of their allowances and emoluments, to sponsor in their constituencies at least 10 pre-school nurseries and week-end literacy classes for adults?

Ironically there are two categories of unintended beneficiaries of this Bill. Firstly, those who are trying to promote gay rights in Uganda, who will be able to generate more funds from overseas on the grounds that they are fighting for equal opportunities and basic human rights. Secondly those seeking political asylum in the West, who will claim that they are fleeing from homophobic harassment and persecution.

Personally I have not come across any gay individual in Uganda, male or female. They must be a tiny minority. Why crack a nut with a sledge hammer?

I have read in the press that President Museveni has promised to veto this Bill if taken to him for assent. Whether this claim is well founded or not, under Articles 91 (5) and 91(6) of the Uganda Constitution Parliament can, with the support of at least two-thirds of all members of Parliament, override the presidential veto, thereby enabling the Bill to become law.

Consequently, the final responsibility for the passage of this Bill into law rests with MPs. This is a heavy duty that should be exercised wisely, taking into account the overriding national interests, both internal and external.

Mr Kibedi is a consultant with a city law firm
wakibedi@hotmail.com

Let’s swim and sink with Bahati on Gays Bill

2010-05-09T05:28:00.001-07:00

By Beti Olive.Namisango. Kamya

We need to learn something from rich people when their interests are at stake - they have no qualms about principles. Legislators and civil society organisations in the UK, I hear, are working to isolate MP David Bahati, and squeeze him as an individual, having failed to make impact on the Ugandan population with their campaign against his Anti-homosexuality Bill, currently before Parliament.

The champions of democracy, rule of law and separation of powers, through their “fountains of honour”, the highest ranking political leaders in their respective countries, had the audacity to suggest to President Museveni that he should, by crook, interfere in a parliamentary process that had begun by Bahati’s tabling of the Bill before Parliament and that can only end by Parliament’s resolution on the matter.

It was not enough that Speaker of Parliament Edward Ssekandi advised them that the only way they could influence the process was to campaign and lobby for their positions through civil society or through laid down parliamentary procedure.

They chose high handedness, clearly manifesting that democracy is for the rich, not for Africa, and that in Africa, by touching the right buttons, democracy becomes a meaningless word. Now they have turned their guns on Bahati and are proposing a travel ban on him. They believe it is so important to us to travel to their countries that such a threat would scare sense into poor Bahati and force him to withdraw the Bill!

I, for one, have issues with the Bahati Bill and intend to contest many of its sections in the plenary, but what I have no doubt about is that what the Europeans and Americans are doing is not only campaign against Bahati’s Bill, not just putting the squeeze on Bahati, not fighting for rights of gays, but an assault on Ugandas sovereignty, and this requires all Ugandans to get together.

If it is the only thing that we ever do together as Uganda, we must come out in our full force and defend our sovereignty, led by Parliament. If the UK slaps a travel ban on Bahati, we should all decline any invitations or intentions, formal or otherwise, to travel to the UK and any country which slaps the ban on Bahati, for as long as the ban is in force, surely we can do that!

For a long time, the opposition has begged European donors to slap travel bans on corrupt government officials and abusers of human rights. We have begged our “development partners” to set benchmarks on government human rights record, as qualifications for grants, donations and loans, but they always explained to us that such benchmarks would hurt the ordinary person who benefits from their magnanimity. But when it came to their sympathy for homosexuality, they are prepared to cut their aid, as if the ordinary person will be shifted from Uganda.

I once asked one top diplomat whether the ordinary person of Zimbabwe was of no consequence, hence sanctions against Zimbabwe and he mumbled some incoherent answer – double stands all through our relationship with the developed world. What is good for them is too good for Africans, unless it suits their interests – but Africa refuses to learn, and each day, we put out our begging hand for more, not caring that the more we beg, the deeper we sink in the abyss of abuse and contempt – and I don’t blame the donors, because I, too, would hold in contempt anybody who came to me daily for handouts and loans which they never pay back and never improve the their families’ welfare. Let’s hang onto the fake dignity that we have and swim or sink with Bahati, our varying positions on his Bill notwithstanding.

Cabinet committee rejects Bahati Bill

2010-05-09T05:21:00.000-07:00

by Rodney Muhumuza

A committee of Cabinet has made recommendations that could end Ndorwa West MP David Bahati’s proposal to have a separate law punishing homosexuality in Uganda. The recommendations, which Saturday Monitor has seen, come close to dismissing Mr Bahati’s draft legislation.

The committee, put together to advise the government after Mr Bahati’s draft legislation left Uganda condemned by sections of the international community, looked deep into the language, tone and relevance of the draft legislation, dissecting every clause to determine its usefulness.

It was not clear who wrote the draft legislation, the committee’s report says, noting that the document had “technical defects in form and content”. The result left the draft legislation almost bare, as nearly all of the clauses were found either redundant, repetitive of existing laws, or even useless. In fact, the committee found that only “Clause 13” of the draft legislation, about the promotion of homosexuality, had some merit.

“This appears to be the core of the (draft legislation) and should be upheld due to the fact that there was massive recruitment to entice people into homosexuality going on, especially among the youth,” the report says. Seven ministers were originally named to the committee, but only three, as well as a representative of the Attorney General, attended the meeting that produced these recommendations.

Dr Nsaba Buturo, the junior ethics minister, who has spoken fiercely against homosexuality, never attended this meeting. He has since complained to Local Government Minister Adolf Mwesigye, who chaired the committee, that the report did not reflect his views.

In response, Mr Mwesigye has accused Dr Buturo of being absent without reason, according to documents obtained by Saturday Monitor. The review of Mr Bahati’s draft legislation, called the Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, was started after President Museveni told members of the ruling National Resistance Movement that anti-gay efforts at home were disrupting Uganda’s foreign policy. Mr Museveni’s comments came in the wake of growing concern in some international circles that the draft legislation was draconian. At the time, Mr Museveni said he had received a lengthy phone call from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the matter. US President Barack Obama reportedly said the proposed law was “odious”, while Sweden threatened to cut aid to Uganda if the law was introduced.

Mr Bahati denied being in a hate campaign, but his critics said he lacked evidence to back claims that foreign gays were clandestinely recruiting young boys in Uganda. Ironically, while the committee accepted this as fact, they still found the tenets of his draft law weak. The offence of aggravated homosexuality, for example, needs to be “harmonised with the existing penalties in the existing laws,” the report says.

In his draft law, Mr Bahati proposed a new felony called aggravated homosexuality, the phrase he used to describe homosexual acts involving minors or the disabled, as well as in sex acts between homosexuals who are HIV-positive. He also proposed life imprisonment for consenting homosexuals. The Penal Code Act already criminalises homosexuality.

Needs review
“The Anti-Homosexuality Bill should be reviewed since some provisions of the Constitution were not followed in the process of drafting and that, therefore, it was illegally before Parliament,” the report says, adding that “some sections of the Penal Code Act could be amended to include some good provisions” of the draft law. This kind of amendment, the committee’s report says, is the preferable option.

Mr Bahati was not immediately available for comment. The draft law is currently before Parliament’s Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Kajara MP Stephen Tashobya, who chairs the committee, has not said when he is likely to start discussion on it.

It was hoped, at least according to Dr Buturo, that the Cabinet committee would make certain amendments to the draft law. As it turned out, the committee critiqued Mr Bahati’s work so deeply that no amendments were proposed. Mr Mwesigye said on Thursday that he had no comment to make. Cabinet is yet to discuss the committee’s recommendations.

Lou Engel in Uganda

2010-05-03T04:37:00.000-07:00

When we got to the venue of the call prayer meeting, we expected some stinging statements but what we heard was out of this world.
First before a congregation of about 200 people and many empty seats, the opening prayer by a lady called Agatha put homosexuality above Corruption, terrorism, witchcraft, etc
But let us start with the participants; from Uganda we had the organizer Apostle John Mulinde, Pastor Kimuli, Julius Oyet, Nantongo, Elijah Kintu, Ndugwa, Apostle Ephraim Nyonyintono, pastor Nkambwe, Hon. Dr. Nsaba Buturo and family, Hon. Bahati of Uganda, family life network, foreign and local press, believers and non-believers. We had people from US, UK, Croatia, Kenya, Rwanda, Taiwan, etc
We were made to believe that there were many issues to be prayed for including homosexuality but with the first round of prayer, already God was being asked to help parliament pass the anti-homosexuality bill without debate, MPs, ministers, business community, religious leaders, cultural leaders and people from all the boarders of Uganda were prayed for to declare that Uganda is not for homosexuality. This according to Pastor Julius Oyet was in the presence of Ugandans and people from the whole world.
Pastor Julius Oyet said that children are being attracted to homosexuality for monetary gains like school fees and that Uganda was not going to be intimidated into accepting homosexuality.
Lou engle on stage
He said he come to know Uganda through Apostle John Mulinde and knew nothing about the anti-homosexuality bill when he was being invited to Uganda hence he had a big debate on whether he should come to Uganda when there was international controversy over his trip.
They were under a lot of pressure and now they understand the kind of pressure Ugandan pastors are under.
He encouraged Ugandan pastors to stand firm because they have been chosen to lead the world in the fight against homosexuality and that they are standing for the truth.
The pastors don’t hate gays or spread hate but NGOs, UN, UNICEF, etc are promoting a homosexual agenda which is against the teachings of the church.
Uganda is a Christian nation and God loves everyone trapped in sin but marriage was established between Man and woman for the wellbeing of children.
The government of Uganda should uphold righteousness in this land.
America has lost the fight against the homosexual agenda and it has got into school. Parents are even losing power over their children as schools are teaching them that homosexuality is okay.
God is using Uganda as ground zero or a starting point for the rest of the world against homosexuality. God chose Uganda.
His son prayed for the sexually broken and then all youths below 30 years were called in front and blessed to be the front runners in the fight for morality in Uganda.
Lou Engel and crew went back to US immediately after his prayer.
Hon. Dr. Nsaba Buturo on stage
All Ugandans are expected to follow what God says, if God says homosexuals are wrong, who can stand up and say that they have rights. Homosexuality is not a human rights issue, it is a sin.
Nsaba Buturo invited Bahati on stage to great applause, praising Bahati as a hero and declaring that homosexuality is not a human rights issue but an abomination.
We have laws showing that we don’t want homosexuals but we feel these laws are not strong enough hence the need to pass the Bahati bill without debate
There is need for us to pray for Bahati and MPs so that they can pass the bill without debate
It is our business to do what God says not what people abroad think, however powerful the nations are. Uganda will not accept that nonsense
Our dignity is not for sale.
We don’t hate homosexuals but they are lost and we are helping them.
Uganda is leading the world in fighting homosexuality and we will not accept any intimidation because if god is on our side who can be against us.
Why is homosexuality an issue today when it was not some years back?
All the pastors prayed for Bahati.
A final prayer was made for homosexuals and it was stressed that the church is not for killing homosexuals but wanted to win them over.

Cultural leaders request legislators to pass gays Bill

2010-05-03T04:34:00.000-07:00

By Sheila Naturinda

Posted Friday, April 30 2010 at 00:00

Cultural leaders in the country have, for the first time, spoken out on the contentious Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009, urging the MPs to pass it in order to safeguard the country's values and traditions.

Under their umbrella body, 'Forum for Kings and Cultural Leaders in Uganda,' the custodians of culture expressed anger with the way western countries have put the government on pressure to throw out the Bill.

They said the MPs must be left to make laws consistent with Uganda's cultures and collective aspirations. They also asked the government to resist such 'outside' pressures and strive to protect the traditions of the country.

In a press statement issued yesterday, the leaders said: "We note with alarm how western governments and their agencies are aggressively pushing for the legitimisation of homosexuality which to us is not a human right, but a human vice."

Some foreign governments criticised Uganda over the proposed law among them the US President Barrack Obama who called it 'odious.' Sweden too threatened to cut aid to Uganda.

And in a recent UK publication, British authorities were reported to be in a process of banning the initiator of the Bill, Ndorwa East MP David Bahati, from visiting the UK if the Bill became law.

But in the statement signed by the Omukama Rukirabasaija Solomon Gafabusa of Bunyoro, the kings say homosexuality breaks the laws of nature, faith, the Constitution and the laws of culture and traditions.

"We call on the government to stand strong in the face of external forces of homosexual aggression and faith leaders should preach against it as musicians use their talents to protect children from the vice."

The kings' move, which comes amid debate on whether the government should own or disown the private member's Bill, currently before the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee, will give Mr Bahati more morale for his fight against homosexuality.

Mr Bahati, in a phone interview yesterday, welcomed efforts of the traditional
leaders, saying "because at the end of the day, homosexuality is a danger to the culture that they are charged with protecting."

The Bill proposes punitive action against same sex marriages and life imprisonment for homosexuals.

Prayer Event Will Not Promote Anti-Gay Hate in Uganda, Ministry Assures

2010-05-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

A ministry that has drawn fire for its upcoming fasting and repentance event in Uganda released a statement Wednesday, setting the record straight on its stance on an anti-homosexuality bill.
Related

"TheCall has been wrongfully marked and vilified as an organization promoting hatred and violence against homosexuals and as one that supports the Uganda bill as currently written," said Lou Engle, who heads the Kansas City, Mo.-based organization.

"To the contrary, we have never made a private or a public statement of support for that bill."

TheCall is scheduled to hold its signature charismatic prayer and fasting gathering in Uganda on Sunday. But some believe the event will fuel homophobia in the East African country where a bill that would impose the death penalty on those convicted of "aggravated homosexuality" is pending.

Dr. Warren Throckmorton, associate professor of psychology at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, is concerned that the weekend event could have the same kind of impact that last year's conference on "Exposing the Truth behind Homosexuality and the Homosexual Agenda" had. The conference, which involved three American speakers, was criticized for pushing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which was introduced months later.

Sexual Minorities Uganda released a plea last week to keep TheCall from taking place.

"In the context of an already inflamed extremist religious movement against homosexuality in Uganda sparked off by American evangelicals, the inflammatory preaching of Lou Engle and his associates is likely to incite further violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people in Uganda," the group stated.

On its website, TheCall Uganda urges corporate prayers and repentance as the country faces such challenges as "witchcraft, homosexuality and increased immorality," among others.

TheCall says it holds a biblical stance on matters of sexuality and upholds traditional marriage, but Engle clarified on Wednesday that promoting hatred toward the homosexual community was never their intent.

In fact, when TheCall was invited to go to Uganda to host an event where people would confess their personal and national sins and pray for a spiritual awakening, the ministry had no knowledge at the time of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, Engle said.

After being "thrust" into an international controversy, Engle offered some clarification and expressed opposition to the measure.

"Though we honor the courage and stand with the stated purpose of the many Church leaders in Uganda who are seeking to protect the traditional and biblical family foundations of the nation, we have serious concerns with the bill as presently written, especially in terms of some of the harsh penalties for certain homosexual behaviors or offenses," he stated.

"Though TheCall is not afraid to take a clear stand on biblical truth on matters of sexuality, we are deeply concerned that TheCall ministry would not wrongfully reflect the character of Christ, and we do not see the character of Christ reflected in some key aspects of the language of the current bill."

TheCall will still go on as planned in Uganda, he noted. However, the ministry will not promote the bill, he added.

"[W]e challenge the Church of Uganda to join with Christians around the world, to first examine our own moral failures, confess our own lack of love, and from that heart seek to establish true biblical standards, reflecting compassion for those struggling with same-sex attraction and equal justice for criminal offenses committed by heterosexuals or homosexuals," Engle stated.

Homosexuality is currently illegal in Uganda, but the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was introduced to strengthen the criminalization of the behavior. Those suspected of "aggravated homosexuality" and who are HIV-positive or engage in sexual acts with those under 18 years of age could face life imprisonment or the death penalty. The measure also imposes punishment on those who support gay organizations or who know about a homosexual and fail to report it to authorities.
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100429/prayer-event-will-not-promote-anti-gay-hate-in-uganda-ministry-says/

TheCall Uganda Press Release:..

2010-04-28T02:57:00.000-07:00

When TheCall was invited to come to Uganda our intent was to join with the leaders and the people of the great Ugandan Church in a gathering of fasting and prayer to confess our personal and national sins, to pray for God’s blessing on the nation, and for a great spiritual awakening among her youth. Personal and national repentance among Christians and prayer for spiritual awakening has been the core focus of TheCall since her inception.

TheCall had no knowledge at the time, of the Uganda homosexual bill and the controversy surrounding it. TheCall was unaware that our genuine intent to encourage the Ugandan church in prayer would thrust us into an international controversy.

TheCall, in 2008, mobilized thousands to pray and fast in California that marriage would be upheld between a man and a woman, believing this to be God’s design for the good of society, family, and children. TheCall belief and intent has never been about promoting hatred toward the homosexual community as a whole or towards individuals who identify as LGBT. We have always sought to offer a message of love and redemption to those with same-sex attractions, though at times our communication could have been expressed more effectively and graciously. In this aspect, we humbly seek your forgiveness if we had not communicated God’s righteousness and mercy adequately.

Now recently, TheCall has been wrongfully marked and vilified as an organization promoting hatred and violence against homosexuals and as one that supports the Uganda bill as currently written. To the contrary, we have never made a private or a public statement of support for that bill. Though we honor the courage and stand with the stated purpose of the many Church leaders in Uganda who are seeking to protect the traditional and biblical family foundations of the nation, we have serious concerns with the bill as presently written, especially in terms of some of the harsh penalties for certain homosexual behaviors or offenses. Sadly, many around the world are identifying TheCall with these aspects of the bill. Our concern is not to avoid the controversy the bill is stirring up, but to give an accurate representation of biblical values and the heart of Christ for all humanity. Though TheCall is not afraid to take a clear stand on biblical truth on matters of sexuality, we are deeply concerned that TheCall ministry would not wrongfully reflect the character of Christ, and we do not see the character of Christ reflected in some key aspects of the language of the current bill.

Therefore TheCall, though continuing to be held in Uganda, will not promote this bill. In fact, we challenge the Church of Uganda to join with Christians around the world, to first examine our own moral failures, confess our own lack of love, and from that heart seek to establish true biblical standards, reflecting compassion for those struggling with same-sex attraction and equal justice for criminal offenses committed by heterosexuals or homosexuals. We believe this also reflects the heart and intent of the Christian leaders of Uganda.

In releasing this statement, we want to take this opportunity to reiterate our deep love for the homosexual community and, as followers of Jesus, our commitment to oppose all hatred and violence directed towards that community.

For TheCall,
Lou Engle

Sekaggya slams gay, media bills

2010-04-28T02:51:00.000-07:00

News
Written by Hussein Bogere
Sunday, 25 April 2010 19:42
Margaret Sekaggya is the former chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission who today doubles as the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, as well as the director of Human Rights Centre of Uganda.

She spoke about the current human rights situation in Uganda, the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, the proposed amendments to the Press and Journalism Act, among others, in an interview with HUSSEIN BOGERE. Below are excerpts.

What have you been up to since you left UHRC?

I left the commission in November 2008 and since then I was appointed by the Human Rights Council in Geneva as the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.

So, I have been doing that work and at the same time my colleagues and I set up an NGO, the Human Rights Centre Uganda, which does human rights research and advocating for the work of human rights defenders in Uganda.

The UN Special Rapporteur entails looking at the situation of human rights defenders in the whole world. This is done by issuing communications against states that violate human rights, issuing press releases on the situation of human rights in a particular country, going for country visits to assess the situation of human rights defenders on the ground and making concrete recommendations for the improvement of the environment in which defenders operate. Recommendations are made to the offending states but they could also be addressed to other stakeholders like the international community, civil society and other players.

All the reports are presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva and also to the General Assembly in New York. On the local scene, with the NGO to which I am a director, we have been holding networking sessions with stakeholders with a view of improving on the environment in which human rights defenders operate.

We have met journalists, media owners, MPs, directors of civil society organisations and alumni and paralegals who have done human rights-related work. This has helped us to strategise on the programmes we can do for HRDs. We also look at bills which are eminently coming up in Parliament so that MPs are able to think about legislative drafting and how to use a rights-based approach.

We have also done translations of the UN declaration on human rights defenders into local languages, Luo, Ateso, Langi, Acholi, Luganda, Runyakitara and Swahili. Research is ongoing in other areas, but basically these are some of the things we have done.

What do you mean by human rights defenders?

Human rights defenders are people who promote or protect human rights. It could be an individual, organisation, people working in government departments, lawyers, judges, trade unionists; it could be people working in rural areas or in the capital. If they promote and protect human rights, then they are termed as defenders.

A lot of dust has been raised by human rights activists in the wake of proposals by the executive to amend some sections in the Press and Journalism Act. Do you agree with them and if so, did you make it known to Parliament?

Yes, I discussed with the media owners that some of the proposed laws are detrimental to the work of journalists. They will not allow press freedom in the country to flourish. Other laws which affect the media are the Anti Terrorism Act, law of sedition, and the proposed phone tapping bill.

All those affect the way the media reports. It’s also proposed that journalists will have to renew their licences every year and I think that is going to affect their work because it will depend on how you report; if you don’t report well, your licence might not be renewed.

Media houses are also expected to renew their licences annually, which in my view will affect freedom of expression and lead to self-censorship in a sense that the journalists will be so careful so that their licences are not revoked.

What would be ideal is to let these media houses hold licences which can only be revoked in circumstances which warrant revocation and that should be done after going through the review process. Then that particular media house should have recourse to appeal such a decision.

Are those the views you expressed to the parliamentary committee?

We actually did present most of these issues to the Legal and Parliamentary Committee when we met them and actually had one of the journalists presenting a paper on most of those issues which are proposed for amendment.

Was the response positive?

The Legal and Parliamentary Committee is mostly composed of lawyers and they were very positive in the sense that they were very ready to engage with the media. In fact, they urged journalists to arrange meetings so that they can talk about these proposals.

What more can the journalists do to ensure that these proposals are not passed?

The important thing is for the journalists to be united on this. I realise they have formed a strategic coalition which they have called Article 29. The best method is to develop a common voice on these issues.

They need to partner with other civil society organisations which would campaign and advocate on their behalf. They need to lobby Parliament more but most importantly journalists need to be consulted before the bills are passed.

The other bill that has caused a lot of controversy is the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. What is your comment?

Again this is one legislation which needs to be reviewed and which needs to be scrapped because it has a lot of flaws. The bill talks of imposing the death penalty. The principle is taking into account a rights based approach, ensuring that the draft legislation that is passed is non-discriminatory, takes into account vulnerable groups and gets participation from the various stakeholders.

On my part, there is a lot of lobbying and advocacy which needs to be done to get the legislators to really understand some of these issues and to take into consideration international standards when they are passing legislation.

The proponents of the bill have argued that the vice is just an imposition of the West and you the people opposed to it are pawns in the game.

I don’t think that argument is wholly valid because I think the issue of homosexuality is not basically a Western value. It exists in society. And for all the countries I have been to, all over the world, I have found that there are homosexuals; so, I don’t think in each of those countries it has been imposed by the West. I think what they mean is that the advocacy and the fighting for the rights of homosexuals actually started from the West.

What exactly do human rights entail? What are those human rights?

Human rights accrue to the individual. The people generally are not aware that they have rights. Sometimes many people think that the only rights we should fight for are freedoms of association, assembly and expression.

These are the core rights. However, all human rights are also important, for example the right to healthcare, education, right to employment, rights of women and children. There are many areas where people don’t think that they should hold the government accountable for those particular rights.

I would call these in legal terms, the economic, social and cultural rights which are issues of poverty, education, health, employment. People don’t realise that the government as a duty bearer should ensure that these rights are enjoyed by all people.

Then who shares the blame for not having a civically vibrant society?

I think the duty lies with the state to ensure that there is enough civic education in the country, that the population is educated, is sensitised and that resources are put in place for civic education. Of course civil society organisations have done a lot and they are doing their part to ensure that there is sensitisation in the society, but sometimes they have challenges; they don’t have enough resources, capacity and sometimes the skills.

So, government should have a strategy of ensuring that they put in place programmes which will ensure that the population is sensitized, like introducing human rights in the school curricula, massive civic education, etc.

Give us an overview of the current human rights situation in Uganda.

The current human rights situation demonstrates that Uganda still has a lot to do. I have raised lack of knowledge of human rights. But also there are violations which still go on.

There are violations in respect to freedom of expression, assembly, crackdown on the media, restrictions on freedom to access information. We still have issues of torture, corruption. So, we still have a long way, as civil society, to ensure that we fight more to make Uganda a very vibrant and democratic society.

During your tenure as chairperson of the UHRC, you time and again issued reports highlighting torture and the Army getting involved in partisan politics, do you think these still exist and if so, why?

We still have challenges, despite the reports made by UHRC year after year. Lack of implementation on the part of government is part of the problem and I think it is necessary to call on government to ensure that these reports are taken seriously.

These reports have very good recommendations and if implemented would go a long way in improving the situation of human rights in the country. But we need a systematic way of implementation. For example, the award of compensation to victims of torture; I would expect that this matter would be taken seriously. Here is a person whose rights have been violated, this person is awarded compensation and it is not given at all or not given in time. I think government should look into that issue seriously.

You mentioned freedom of association as one of the rights. In Uganda there have been numerous demonstrations which have ended up bloody. Where does the problem lie?

The problem is lack of appreciation that freedom of association is one of the ways the citizenry raise their concerns. It is not just being disruptive, it is a way of voicing concerns and the sooner we understand that peaceful demonstrations should be allowed as a way of raising concerns, the better it will be for this country.

We also have the issue of mistrust between the people who are going on the streets to demonstrate and the Police. The people don’t trust the Police and therefore most of the demonstrations are not staged in a peaceful manner, and then the Police themselves don’t know how to handle demonstrations.

Must one seek the permission to hold a demonstration?

The international standards require that you should notify the Police so that they give you guidelines, protection for your demonstration. So the ideal situation is notification, not authorisation. When you bring in the idea of authorization, then you are giving the authority the chance to determine who should demonstrate.

But who then determines whether the decision was made judiciously? The other ideal is that demonstration should be peaceful. It must not be violent. Therefore, the two parties have responsibilities. Even the UN declaration on human rights defenders says that for the activity to be lawful, it must be peaceful. Violence is not allowed under international standards.

At the same time the freedom of association should not be unduly restricted by the authorities because it is a way of voicing peoples’ concerns. So it is both ways; peaceful and for the Police to facilitate the demonstrators, not teargas or live bullets.

We have had some extra-judicial killings, like during the September riots, and at Kasubi, but we haven’t heard from the human rights defenders. Why?

I think it has been a very tricky situation in the sense that the things that are going on, the killings, riots and rounding up of people have made human rights defenders more cautious. I think it’s important that when these issues come up the defenders should strategise on how they take these issues up with government or with the Police. Civil society needs to form strong networks and speak out on issues affecting the country.

A vibrant civil society contributes greatly to the democratic process in the country and its role should be recognised. What I have observed is that there is fear that has been instilled in the population. That fear has made people censor what they say and I think that’s why many civic organisations have not come out.

And maybe when government says they are carrying out investigations, the Police is investigating, what is expected is that the report will come out for people to know exactly what happened. Sometimes it’s very difficult to comment without carrying out investigations, to know exactly what happened on the ground. If these investigations are carried out and there is no report, it becomes very difficult for civil society to comment.

Must they wait for the reports from government?

They can come out, but they also need a mechanism to carry out some investigations on which to base their reports. It is usually not easy to just condemn as soon as anything happens. Normally it’s necessary to do a bit of investigations, be able to know the surrounding circumstances so that you can make an objective comment.

I know that as far as the Buganda riots were concerned, there has been a research which was done by HURINET and after that report it was possible for civil society to come up with concrete recommendations on what should be done.

What needs to be done now is to look at such recommendations and prevent a repeat of the same. The issue is whether there will be an effect or outcome from the condemnation; will government listen, take the recommendations and improve on the situation?

Mbale pastors in anti-gay demo

2010-04-26T04:29:00.000-07:00

Written by JUMA KASADHA & MAYI NABANKEMA
Sunday, 25 April 2010 19:15
Religious leaders from Bugisu and parts of Teso on Saturday denounced homosexuality during a demonstration in Mbale town. After the march, the demonstrators congregated at Malukhu Grounds from where speaker after speaker bashed homosexuality.

Pastor Samuel Macho of Living Word Worship Church Mbale claimed that over one million people had signed a petition against homosexuality. Collection of signatures started on April 1.

“We have those from Mbale, Sironko, Manafwa, Bududa, Kumi, Ngora, Soroti and Tororo, all saying no to homosexuality and we are still collecting more signatures. Our campaign is still going on, and forever,” he said.

“Some immoral Europeans are supporting homosexuality in the name of human rights, but there is no human right in it at all. It’s a humiliation of the highest order. Why did God create a man and woman, or hen and cock?” he asked.

He said participants from all religious denominations had been involved in the campaign to boost the struggle against homosexuality that was invading African culture like a cancer.

Elizabeth Mwaka, a German national, said: “I am married to Mr. Mwaka in Manafwa. Uganda is my new home and as a member of the Butilu Manafwa United Christian Ministries, we shall continue to say no to the evil spirit of homosexuality.”

She added: “My message to Bazungu [Whites] is that they should let the African culture alone; they should stop the evil practice of homosexuality and copy the African culture which has continued to respect the natural concept of a man marrying a woman and not a man marrying a man.”

Janet Mbabazi, a second-year student at Uganda Christian University Mukono, said that the “misguided” supporters of homosexuality should remember why God asked Prophet Noah to build the Ark and put a female and male of every plant and animal.

“I hate homosexuals. If our parents were not married as man to woman; who would be the child of today? We should join hands and say no to homosexuals,” she charged.

Martin Nangoli, a pastor, warned leaders against keeping silent on evils which distort Africa’s cultural beliefs and setup.

He added that when righteous people keep quiet, evil triumphs.
“As a pastor at Redeemed Christian Church, I cannot let the evil continue but join hands with others in the struggle to end the evil that is coming to Africa,” Nangoli said.

Cabinet committee split over homosexuals Bill

2010-04-25T05:38:00.000-07:00

By John Tugume

Posted Sunday, April 25 2010 at 00:00

Two Cabinet ministers have disagreed over the proposed softening of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that seeks to punish those involved the act.

Local Government Minister Adolf Mwesige who chaired the Cabinet Committee tasked with finding possible ways of amending MP David Bahati's Bill and counterpart James Nsaba Buturo of the Ethics docket failed to agree on the recommendations of the committee.

According to correspondences seen by Sunday Monitor, although the Cabinet Committee was supposed to be attended by seven ministers, only three attended the meeting that took place February 22 in Kampala.

Those who attended are Mr Mwesige and State Minister for Foreign Affair Isaac Musumba together with Education Minister Namirembe Bitamazire.

Missed meeting
Those who are on the committee but did not attend the meeting are Gabriel Opiyo (Gender Minister), Kabakumba Masiko (Information Minister), Fred Ruhindi (Justice State Minister) and Dr Buturo.

In a letter dated March 11, Dr Buturo wrote to Mr Mwesige complaining: "The report of the Cabinet Committee ... is not in the spirit of the said assignment. There are other concerns that I personally have which that report has not captured." Dr Buturo argued that Mr Bahati, "an important player in the Bill" should also be invited for consultations in another meeting.

But Mr Mwesige, who chaired the meeting, wrote back on March 15: "The report is already scheduled on Agenda of Cabinet. I am therefore not in position to hold another meeting of the committee as your letter suggests."

In their recommendations, the committee argued that the title of the Bill; Anti-Homosexuality, is stigmatising and appears to be targeting a particular group of people. They therefore want the "useful provisions of the proposed law" incorporated into the Sexual Offences Act.

The Committee, however, agreed that promotion of homosexuality should be criminalised. "The law should provide that all the parties: publishers, printers, distributors of any materials that promote homosexuality should all be liable to have committed an offence," the minutes read in part.

Although Mr Ruhindi refused to comment on the disagreement between his two colleagues, he said he did not have any sympathy for homosexuals adding: "The Bill can be strengthened as long as it is in harmony with the other existing laws."

Later Mr Mwesige told Mr Buturo that they could not present amendments to the relevant committee of Parliament "because we have no amendments to make on the Bill. But if Cabinet feels that amendments should be made, the line minister will carry those amendments to the relevant committee."

When contacted, Mr Bahati said: "Its important that cabinet realises that the matter before them is not a matter to determine the prices of tomatoes but rather the destiny of our children."

"We have a one life time opportunity to close the door to homosexuality in Uganda and if we don't use it now it will be impossible in future. We pray that they (ministers) will remain firm and put Ugandans' interests first not foreign pressure."

Although the committee says the Bill was not tabled in line with the Parliamentary rules, The Speaker, Mr Edward Ssekandi, had earlier said Mr Bahati followed the right procedure in tabling his Private Member's Bill.

No minister was willing to disclose when Cabinet would sit to consider the committee's recommendations.

THECALL MINISTRIES FROM USA INTENDS TO FUEL HOMOPHOBIA IN UGANDA**

2010-04-23T04:03:00.000-07:00

URGENT CALL TO ACTION:

STOP THECALL MINISTRIES FROM FUELING HOMOPHOBIA IN UGANDA THROUGH THEIR MAY 2, 2010, CRUSADE

22.04.2010

Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) condemns Lou Engle's upcoming crusade scheduled for May 2, 2010. The crusade could cause incalculable damage, as it is designed to label homosexuality as a "vice" in Uganda and to incite people to "fight" against this "vice" in society. In the context of an already inflamed extremist religious movement against homosexuality in Uganda sparked off by American evangelicals, the inflammatory preaching of Lou Engle and his associates is likely to incite further violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people in Uganda.

Sexual Minorities Uganda calls on all human rights defenders, organizations, religious communities and leaders, governments, and civil society, globally to take action to ensure that Lou Engle and his associates do not set foot in Uganda and that the Call Uganda does not proceed with this inflammatory and hate-inducing plan. While Sexual Minorities Uganda supports freedom of worship, we recognize the need for restriction on any speech that incites hatred and violence against a minority group. If a prayer event is to be held in Uganda, it should be done in a manner which encourages Christ-like love and acceptance and does not incite hatred and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people.

Background

Lou Engle's extremist and violence-laden preaching is often laced with references to gay people as being possessed by demons. During a rally for Proposition 8 in California, he called for Christian martyrs. His inflammatory speech and focus on martyrdom can easily incite people in Uganda to disregard people's human rights and go to extreme measures to eliminate whatever they characterize as "evil" or a "vice". For example, Lou Engle preaches, "The most 'dangerous terrorist' is not Islam but God. One of God's names is the avenger of blood. Have you worshiped that God yet?"

The crusade is organized by TheCall Uganda and ten Ugandan Pentecostal pastors. According to www.thecalluganda.com, the crusade is 'intended to awaken and revive the young and the old, men and women, church and family, government and the public to fight vices eating away our society'. TheCall intends to address homosexuality in Uganda as a what they label a "vice". The crusade is preceded by a 21 day fast.

Lou Engle is a core founder of TheCALL in the U.S. but has expanded chapters to different countries. Last year, TheCALL sent an American Evangelical, JoAnna Watson of Touching Hearts International, to be based in Uganda full-time to orchestrate this crusade to fight vices like homosexuality.

This crusade could have the same kind of impact that the March 2009 anti-gay conference had in Uganda. Scott Lively, Caleb Lee Brundidge and Don Schmierer reinforced the desire of some religious leaders to persuade the government to create laws which would eliminate homosexuality from the nation. Eventually, the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was introduced in the Parliament of Uganda by MP's David Bahati and Benson Obua.

Lou Engle's crusade will be the second major American evangelist event with an anti-homosexuality agenda after the trio to set foot in Uganda and will definitely incite our people into more hatred of homosexuals that may lead to further violence. This is very evident with the nature of preaching that he does in the US. He claims that homosexuals have demons and has mobilized Americans on several occasions for anti -gay rallies. Since the Bill was tabled, the rate of violence and homophobia has increased drastically in Uganda. Lou Engle's inflammatory preaching is likely to exacerbate an already worrying situation.

Actions:

•Call and/or write Letters of Protest to TheCall Ministries and ask them stop exporting homophobia to Uganda. The event they are organizing is dangerous to LGBTI people in Uganda.
Contact:

JoAnna Watson, Coordinator of The Call Uganda

Email: Joannawatsonthint@yahoo.com

Phone: +256 779 864 985

Lou Engle

Email: response@thecall.com

Phone: +1 816 285 9351

•Hold demonstrations and/or marches in Kansas City where Lou Engle's church is located and protest against TheCALL Uganda

•ASK LOU ENGLE AND THECALL MINISTRY TO:
1.STOP THECALL UGANDA CRUSADE IN THE FORM THAT IT IS PLANNED
2.PROMOTE RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS RATHER THAN INCITING VIOLENCE
3.STOP EXPORTING HOMOPHOBIA TO AFRICA

Government Softens Anti-homosexuality Bill

2010-04-23T03:58:00.000-07:00

A Cabinet committee has recommended changes to Ndorwa West MP David Bahati’s anti-gay legislation that preclude the possibility of discarding it, Daily Monitor has learnt.

But the report, which is yet to be discussed by Cabinet, indicts Mr Bahati for not applying the kind of sophistication that would have anticipated the international condemnation that came after the draft legislation was tabled in Parliament last year.

The recommendations mean that the legislation may never be passed in its current shape, if at all, and that it may be long before it is discussed with seriousness.

Disagreeable proposal
“It is far from being a law,” a source on the committee said, requesting anonymity so as to preserve his credibility. “It is a [good] principle, but the approach of the mover has stigmatised his mission.”

It was, however, suggested that some of the proposals in the draft law, such as the death penalty for some homosexual acts, may be disagreeable.

The 2009 Anti-Homosexuality Bill is currently before the Parliamentary and Legal Affairs Committee, which has not indicated when it would begin scrutinising it.

In early 2010, as some foreign governments criticised Uganda over the proposed law, Cabinet established a committee whose report would guide it on the way forward.

Around that time, President Museveni told a meeting of National Resistance Movement officials to be cautious with legislation that had the potential to disrupt Uganda’s foreign policy. Local Government Minister Adolf Mwesige, who chaired the committee, yesterday said they completed their work about a month ago, but he could not say exactly when the report would be up for discussion.
“It will be [discussed] in a few weeks,” Mr Mwesige said, declining to offer details.

Daily Monitor, citing a report in the UK’s Guardian, yesterday reported that British authorities had started a process that could leave Mr Bahati banned from visiting the UK if his anti-gay legislation becomes law.

Mr Bahati denies he is in a hate campaign, saying there is evidence of young boys being clandestinely recruited into gay life.

His legislation proposes the death penalty for those found having sex with a minor or with a disabled person, as well as for gay people who infect their partners with HIV.

It also proposes life imprisonment for consenting homosexuals.
Uganda’s penal law criminalises homosexuality

100 British MPs sign Petition against Uganda’s Anti-homosexuality Bill

2010-04-19T06:37:00.000-07:00

Opposition against Uganda?s anti-gay Bill is gaining further ground abroad. A total of 118 British Members of Parliament have signed an Early Day Motion (EDM 575) condemning Uganda?s Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
The Anti-gay Bill sponsored by Ndorwa West MP David Bahati, took an interesting twist when an EDM gained 118 signatures in the UK Parliament, urging the Uganda government to completely scrap it.
The EDM, drafted by East London Labour MP Harry Cohen and Human Rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, urges the Ugandan government to ?uphold international humanitarian law by abandoning the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, decriminalising same-sex acts between consenting adults in private, and outlawing discrimination against gay people.? According to the EDM, it pushes for the total scrap of the Bill that decriminalise the same-sex relationship. The campaigner also contend the bill is a government?s ploy and well crafted plans to divert the public?s attention from tackling of important issues such poverty and ill-health.
The Anti-gay Bill which is pending presentation to the Ugandan Parliament was sponsored by Bahati from the National Resistance Movement (NRM), the country?s ruling party. The bill not only possesses clauses that call for a death penalty for anybody guilty of homosexual acts, but also clutches the fancy of worldwide condemnation. In February this year, the US President Barack Obama criticised the Anti-gay Bill and described it as an ?odious?.
The British Minister of State for Africa, Baroness Kinnock expressed concern about the bill and revealed that she had previously made it clear to the Uganda government in numerous representations.
In a January communiqué to this reporter, Kinnock said: ?We have also lobbied through the EU, Sweden, who held the EU Presidency in Uganda and led EU demarche to Ugandan Foreign Ministry in December. The European Parliament has also called on the Ugandan authorities not to approve the bill in resolution passed on 17 December.?
Kinnock also expressed fears about the Bill saying it?s detrimental to those who offer services for the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda. ?Our concerns include the negative impact the bill would have on the rights of homosexual and heterosexual Ugandans through the criminalisation of any action that could be construed as support for homosexuality,
British MPs are especially appalled that the Bill proposes the death penalty for ?serial offenders? (people who commit repeat homosexual acts) and life imprisonment for merely touching or kissing another person of the same-sex with homosexual intent.
?We hope this motion will send a signal from the British parliament to the Ugandan government that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill constitutes an outrageous attack on the human rights of Uganda?s lesbian, gay and bisexual citizens,? said Peter Tatchell of the London-based gay human rights group OutRage!
OutRage is helping coordinate the UK campaign against the Bill, with the support of Ugandans living in Britain.
?Even if the death penalty is dropped, the Bill will remain unacceptable. It will still violate the equality guarantees of international human rights agreements such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,? added Tatchell.
?We support the many Ugandan people who oppose this homophobic witch-hunt. Not all Ugandans are homophobic. Many have spoken out against this legislation. We salute their compassion and courage.
?The scape-goating of gay Ugandans is reminiscent of the way Adolf Hitler scape-goated Jewish people in Germany in the 1930s.
?Demonising lesbians and gay men is a diversion from the real issues that blight the lives of most Ugandans: poverty, unemployment, low wages, disease, poor sanitation, dirty drinking water and inadequate health and education services.
?Uganda?s anti-gay laws were not devised by Ugandans. They were devised in London in the nineteenth century and imposed on the people of Uganda by the British colonisers and their army of occupation. Before the British came and conquered Uganda, there were no laws against homosexuality. These laws are a foreign imposition. They are not African laws.?
The campaigners maintain that the Bahati?s Anti-gay Bill violates Article 21 of the constitution of Uganda, which guarantees equality and non-discrimination. The article talks of equality and freedom from discrimination; Clause (1) states: ?All persons are equal before and under the law in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life and in every other respect and shall enjoy equal protection of the law.?
?It also breaches the equality and anti-discrimination clauses 2, 3, and 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples? Rights, which Uganda has signed and pledged to uphold,? added Mr Tatchell.

God's Law - a logical rebuttal (Sent in by Vesanto)

2010-04-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

On her radio show, Dr. Laura Schlesinger (a popular conservative radio
talk show host in the USA) said that homosexuality is an abomination
according to the Bible Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under
any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr.
Laura, penned by James M. Kauffman, Ed. D. It's funny, as well as
informative. _______________________

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I
have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that
knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend
the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that
Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination... end of
debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements
of God's Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and
female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A
friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not
Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in
Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair
price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in
her period of menstrual unseemliness - Lev. 15: 19-24. The problem is
how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offence.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a
pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev. 1:9. The problem is my neighbours.
They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath.
Exodus35:2. clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally
obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an
abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than
homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees'
of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I\
have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading
glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room
here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair
around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.
19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes
me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two
different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing
garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester
blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really
necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town
together to stone them? Lev. 24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to
death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep
with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy
considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can
help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan,

James M. Kauffman, Ed. D.
Professor Emeritus Dept. of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special
Education University of Virginia

Ridiculous: (NASWU) STATEMENT ON THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL, 2009

2010-03-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

March 23, 2010
1. Understanding the role of the Social Work Profession:
The National Association of Social Workers of Uganda was established in 1973 to promote the Social Work profession in Uganda .
The Social Work profession exists to promote the well-being of individuals, groups, families, communities and entire nations, through integrated application of knowledge and professional skills to enhance social functioning. Social Work deals with many situations in a state of "dysfunction" and its goal is to restore "social functioning", defined as "the ability of individuals, groups, organizations, communities and nations to interact in the normal or usual or expected way in society". Since its emergence as a professional occupation around 1900, Social Work has helped nations to solve such problems as Poverty, Alcoholism, Crime, Delinquency, Prostitution, Child abuse and neglect, Domestic violence, Family breakdown, Mental Ill-health, to mention but a few.
NASWU has noted that on October 14, 2009, Ndwora County West MP, Hon. David Bahati presented in the Parliament of Uganda a Private Member's Bill titled: The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009. The object of the Bill is: "to establish a comprehensive consolidated legislation to protect the traditional family by prohibiting (1) any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex; and (2) the promotion or recognition of such sexual relations in public institutions and other places through or with the support of any Government entity in Uganda or any non-governmental organization inside or outside the country".
Following the tabling of the Bill, a local and international debate has erupted. Views have been expressed in support of the Bill or against the Bill. Such views range from those that welcome the Bill as good and timely to those which question the basis of the Bill. Some of the views disapprove certain provisions in the Bill but agree that the Bill is necessary, while others see the whole idea of this Bill as persecution and violation of the rights of people who regard themselves as homosexual and wish to attain total acceptance in society.
Because this issue falls a great deal in the purview of the Social Work profession, NASWU has deemed it necessary to respond and provide professional guidance in the on-going debate. The purpose of this statement is to ensure that Uganda and other nations in Africa and around the world develop appropriate policy responses to the issue of homosexuality. Professional ethics demand that professional bodies like NASWU provide guidance that is free of political influence; because when wrong policies are developed based on politically-based positions, it is members of the public who suffer or miss out on the good life they could have enjoyed. Ethical practice also demands that where professional errors have been made in the past, they be recognized so that corrective action can be taken for the greater good of society.
2. What do we learn from History?
In this regard, NASWU would like to inform the public that the issue of homosexuality, i.e., the practice of sexual behavior between persons of the same gender, although it has occurred in some societies for millennia, it has been discouraged in most societies as abnormal and harmful behavior with potential to spread in the population once tolerated. In all societies throughout history, it has been self-evident that the normal pattern for human beings as well as for all living organisms in general is for males to unite sexually with females, whether reproduction was a goal for such union or not. In fact, until 1973, the American Psychological Association (APA) listed homosexuality among abnormal conditions requiring the clinical intervention of Psychologists.
However, following widespread circulation of literature developed by Biologist Alfred Kinsey in his studies of human sexuality (Sexual Behavior in the Human Male - 1948) and (Sexual Behavior in the Human Female - 1953) in which he claimed that up to 10% of American society was homosexual, the views of American society towards homosexuality began to change. Kinsey also claimed that it was harmful for people to exercise sexual restraint and encouraged American youth to be sexually active in any manner they wanted, including practicing bi-sexuality. Kinsey invented the term "sexual orientation" which legitimized homosexuality and bisexuality and equated these practices with heterosexuality. It was several years later that Kinsey's studies were refuted as fraudulent, because empirical evidence showed that those claiming to be homosexual in America at the time were no more than 2% of the population. Kinsey had intentionally skewed his data to support his "political" views about homosexuality and he clearly had intention to create political clout for the homosexual movement. Indeed, the social activism that resulted from Kinsey's fraudulent claims about homosexuality put so much pressure on the American Psychological Association (APA) that it eventually removed homosexuality from the list of abnormal conditions (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - DSM) in 1972, largely due to the picketing and protests staged at its professional meetings.
In spite of this stand by the American Psychological Association, scientific studies over millennia have consistently showed that there is no genetic basis for homosexual behavior. All authoritative scientific studies, including studies of twins, reject the view that homosexuality is genetic or innate. It is therefore wrong to compare homosexuality with immutable (unchangeable) characteristics like skin color or gender or physical disability, which the individual has no control over. Homosexuality belongs to the category of other disapproved behaviors that humans in most societies recognize as self-evidently abnormal and harmful and require everybody to learn the discipline of avoiding. These norms and values are also often codified into laws that all members of society are expected to observe.
3. Social Work has responsibility to help individuals overcome behavior difficulties:
Given this background of homosexuality as a behavior-management problem, NASWU would like to inform the public that a key function of the Social Work Profession is to assist individuals experiencing difficulties in behavior. Social Workers (especially those who have trained in Clinical Social Work) are usually equipped with counseling skills to assist individuals experiencing irregular behavior patterns including same-sex attraction, and where necessary, referral to other professionals like clinical psychologists or religious leaders (where spiritual intervention is understood and accepted by the client) may be done. Where these interventions have been done properly and ethically, hundreds of people have overcome homosexuality and achieved appropriate social functioning.
NASWU, however, regrets that because of the misinformation and political activism that began in the late 1940s and 1950s, some professional bodies today have taken political positions on the issue of homosexuality to avoid conflict with certain powerful activist groups that have emerged from the gay-movement. Because of the stance taken by some professional bodies, many clients experiencing same-sex attraction are not given proper information and advice about homosexual attraction and its potential to be overcome.
NASWU calls upon all professional organizations worldwide to restore ethical practice by adopting a principled stand on the issue of homosexuality and by putting in place safeguards against political influence in professional decisions.
4. Understanding how human behavior operates:
In considering the phenomenon of homosexuality, there is need to consider how the dynamics of human behavior affect this issue:
1) In behavior management, indulgence in a given behavior conditions an organism to continue exhibiting such behavior with greater intensity, especially where the behavior is accompanied by a powerful reinforcer such as orgasm, which occurs during sexual behavior. Non-indulgence in a given behavior on the other hand, results in a process called "extinction" in which an organism gradually looses the tendency to exhibit certain behavior responses. These patterns have been studied and verified by social and behavioral scientists. Persons experiencing same-sex temptations would therefore be strongly advised to NOT indulge such temptations, but to resist and direct sexual behavior to opposite sex persons.
2) When behavior achieves social acceptance and legal approval, it easily spreads through the process of social learning, experimentation and modeling. This most likely explains why homosexual practice is more prevalent in societies where legal approval and social acceptance are higher. This also explains why throughout history, nations have used the law to prevent or curtail the spread of undesirable behavior.
3) Human behavior may be influenced at the spiritual level. Human beings are composed of three main parts, namely: the body, the soul and the spirit. A human's spirit can either be empty or inhabited by a good (or holy) or bad (or evil) spirit. These spiritual forces are capable of influencing human behavior beyond the voluntary control of the person possessed by them. This is why, in the New Testament Bible, Jesus cast out evil demonic forces from people exhibiting what psychologists would term "schizophrenia", and the affected persons immediately recovered normal behavior patterns. Demonic activity can be violent or latent as in the case of Mary Magdalene, a woman whose work as a prostitute had demonic link, until she met Jesus. For this reason, Social Work should include the study of the spiritual dimension of life and how it may be applied to promote well-being and social functioning.
4) Human behavior can be influenced at the level of the soul. The soul consists of the "Mind", the "Will" and the "Emotions". When individuals understand with their mind the justification for not behaving in a certain way, that strengthens their ability to exercise their "Will" to "reign-in" their emotions, which are often difficult to control.
5. The question of human rights:
From the professional standpoint, when clients come to a professional practitioner, be it a doctor, a lawyer or a Social Worker, they have a right to be given accurate information about the matter troubling them. The professional practitioner must not withhold any information pertinent to the matter at hand, because professional help exists to assist clients make informed choices. Therefore, the tendency to argue that same-sex attraction is an innate condition and that persons who experience such attraction have a human right to engage in homosexuality, obscures vital information clients should be given and amounts to professional misconduct. In civilized society, attraction to somebody or anything, of itself, does not legitimize indulgence of that attraction. A right to indulgence must be assessed on whether natural, health, social and cultural considerations would judge that indulgence as justified.
Alfred Kinsey's argument of 'sexual orientation' is a misnomer because it is based on the "attraction principle". But, based on this argument, a married man who feels attracted to other women [as universally happens] would be justified to claim that "adultery" is his sexual orientation. Or a thief could claim that "shop-lifting" is their orientation. Or "violent anger" could pass as an "orientation" and be excusable. Based on the "attraction" argument, there is no reason to legislate against pedophiles who claim that their orientation is to have sexual relations with children and that children have capacity to consent such relations. The truth is that in real life, human beings may feel attraction to all kinds of things, but these attractions must be subjected to natural, health, social and cultural considerations to decide what is permissible or not. Only animals can live life basing on instinct, but humans must subject their behavior to reason, which animals are incapable of. Human society is inconceivable without each person learning how to exercise restraint on "attractions" and consciously choosing to behave in acceptable ways. The "restraint principle" is what makes human society livable.
On the question of consenting adults and what harm they constitute, this argument denies the connectedness of society. In systems analysis, society is like an organism with different parts but all of them connected together. The behavior of my neighbors, for example, is part of my children's socialization system. What each individual does reverberates throughout society. That is why it was thought in United States that gays could do their thing if they wanted, but when it came to marriage, this right is being resisted because it involves changing society's collective beliefs and practice such as what children should be taught in school, whether parents or the church can teach against homosexuality, whether a house or hotel owner could refuse to rent to a gay couple based on their beliefs or conscience, etc. For these reasons, in all 31 of 50 states where gay-marriage has come up for referendum vote in US, it has been resisted. It is delusional and unsustainable, however, to allow the population to practice a behavior which they cannot consummate as marriage. Any restrictions on same-sex marriage must first involve restrictions on homosexual behavior itself.
Human rights standards will be satisfied when Social Work practitioners exercise the ethical responsibility to give full and accurate information to persons experiencing same-sex thoughts and attractions, that homosexual thoughts and attraction are part of a range of thoughts and feelings that may occur to people in varying degrees of intensity, but the proper response is not to indulge and reinforce such thoughts and feelings. Instead, when resisted, such thoughts and feelings gradually reduce in intensity until they are no longer of significant social concern. All humans must resist and overcome feelings of one kind or other. Traditionally, the law is an additional means of helping us with behavior management.
The Social Work profession must apologize for any mishandling of the issue of homosexuality in the past and resolve to provide professional guidance to clients that is free of political or other considerations.
6. Homosexuality and Public Health risk:
Homosexual practice is associated with serious public health risks that our under-developed health systems are ill-equipped to handle. Even in developed countries, citizens are resisting the tax-burden originating from runaway healthcare costs.
Male Homosexuality is associated with rapid spread of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) like HIV and Hepatitis B and C. Because of heightened risk of disease among Men who have sex with Men (MSM), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policy prohibits blood donation by Men who have sex with men. Drug-resistant infections like rectal gonorrhea and complications like fecal incontinence would be rare in the public health system without the practice of anal sexual intercourse, but school children in Uganda are beginning to present with these rare diseases due to involvement in homosexual activity (as argued by Hon. Obua Ogwal in the Parliamentary debate on the Anti-homosexuality Bill, 2009 when he talked of a newspaper report of a school boy found with rotting anal orifice after involvement in homosexual activity). Some rectal infections may be drug resistant and complications like fecal incontinence require expensive specialist surgery:
"Penicillin is ineffective at treating rectal gonorrhea: this is because other bacteria within the rectum produce ?-lactamases that destroy penicillin. All current treatments are less effective at treating gonorrhea of the throat, so the patient must be rechecked by throat swab 72 hours or more after being given treatment, and then retreated if the throat swab is still positive." [Wikipedia]
------------
"Fecal incontinence is the loss of regular control of the bowels. Involuntary excretion and leaking are common occurrences for those affected.... One study among 14 anoreceptive homosexual men and ten non-anoreceptive heterosexual men showed that anoreceptive homosexual men have decreased anal canal resting pressure relative to non-anoreceptive heterosexual men and no associated fecal incontinence. Another study among forty anoreceptive homosexual men and ten non-anoreceptive heterosexual men found a very significant increase in fecal incontinence (fourteen, or 35% amongst the anoreceptive men, and one, or 10% in the non-anoreceptive sample) amongst the anoreceptive sample". [Wikipedia]
These diseases constitute preventable health crisis that any government must act early to prevent. It is noteworthy that anal and oral sexual intercourse may result in unique strains of gonorrhea (rectal or throat gonorrhea) that are resistant to ordinary anti-gonorrhea treatment. This is probably proof that nature abhors abuse ("abuse" is a grammatical construct: abuse = abnormal use):
Homosexual practices are also known to expose an individual to varied and extreme risks to their physical and psychological health. These scientific findings strongly justify state legal measures that prohibit sexual conduct against the self-evident natural pattern, because there are harmful public health consequences of unnatural sexual conduct which the state is justified to take measures to prevent.
Secondly, given that the risk of HIV infection is so much higher among male homosexuals, increased practice of homosexuality and bi-sexuality threatens to reverse the commendable progress Uganda has made against HIV/AIDS, of reducing infection rates from 18% to today's national average of about 6%. Bi-sexuality is a particularly risky practice because it creates a disease transfer linkage from a high risk population to the general population. These preventable health threats partly justify legal measures to prevent the spread of homosexual behavior.
7. NASWU's specific guidance on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2009:
We conclude this statement with the following guidance about the proposed Anti-homosexuality Bill, 2009:
Our independent findings show that this Bill was necessitated by extraordinary developments in Uganda and around the world which have been widely documented and reported in the media, including:
a) increasing incidents of homosexual abuse of children and youth by people exercising power and influence over them like teachers, pastors, parents etc. A recent report shows this. Uganda: Child Abuse rampant.;
b) recruitment of youth into homosexual practice with inducements including money. (Homosexual admits recruiting students). While Uganda has a law that currently prohibits sexual "acts against the order of nature", this law is not comprehensive enough to cover the promoters of these acts.
c) promotion of homosexuality by some organizations, including a pro-gay book by UNICEF circulated in schools without seeking permission of the Ministry of Education; (UNICEF Book supports teen homosexuality). The draft law seeks to stop promotion and further recruitment of unsuspecting children and youth into homosexuality.
d) creation of organizations whose sole purpose is to promote homosexuality in Uganda ; (e.g. (Sexual Minorities Uganda); (Integrity Uganda); (Freedom and Roam Uganda)
e) government-led campaigns at the UN led by some countries like France and Brazil to secure a UN General Assembly resolution imposing homosexuality as an internationally protected human right. For example, on November 18th 2008, France and Netherlands initiated a campaign which seeks to use the UN to push homosexuality on other nations of the world.
f) the mistake in western society, where the issue of homosexuality was handled lightly as a minor, private issue, but these societies are waking up too late on realizing that the matter affects how their entire society is ran, what children are taught at school and literally what everybody "must believe and practice". This waking-up is for example seen in anti-gay-marriage campaigns in United States, where US citizens are fighting to retain traditional family values against stiff competition from gay-activists in 31 states where the matter has come up for a referendum vote, winning such ballot battles by the skin of their teeth. As expected, these countries are stuck with a huge population of their citizens that has been recruited into homosexual practice over decades of tolerance to the practice, that has seen the rise of powerful, well-funded organizations that regularly misinform children and youth about homosexuality and recruit them into their ranks. This discontented population is justifiably angry against a society that allowed them to practice behavior they cannot fully celebrate as marriage and is demanding equality for self-evident disordered and harmful behavior. This represents mismanagement of human behavior by public institutions in these countries, because legal safeguards were not put in place early enough to prevent the spread of homosexuality and related practices.
Given the aforementioned information about homosexuality and human behavior and these developments in Uganda and internationally, we advise as follows:
1. NASWU rejects the view that same-sex attraction is an innate "orientation", rather, it is part of a range of feelings individuals ought to learn to bring under control as they mature;
2. There is justification for Uganda to put in place appropriate legislation to comprehensively prohibit homosexuality;
3. The Anti-homosexuality Bill has drafting errors in the way some offences and penalties are conceived, that should be corrected before its passage;
4. The clause requiring mandatory reporting of all known homosexual offences should be amended to exempt disclosure made in counseling situations, in organizations licensed to offer same-sex counseling services, to encourage those experiencing same-sex attractions to seek professional help on behavior management. To be licensed, such counseling organizations must sign an undertaking not to dispense pro-homosexual advice to their clients.
5. The Parliament of Uganda is acclaimed worldwide for writing some of the best laws in the world. The Anti-homosexuality Bill will go through the established scrutiny that all bills undergo before they become law. As in previous instances, an appropriate law will emerge from this process that even other countries may want to emulate. Members of the public as well as Social Workers should express their views to the concerned committee in Parliament to ensure that their views inform the law-making process.

Sempa’s University Distances itself from him

2010-03-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

Recently, Ugandan pastor Martin Ssempa made statements concerning public policy regarding homosexuals in that nation. Philadelphia Biblical University (PBU) categorically condemns any position that calls for violence against human beings created in the image and likeness of God, or violent solutions to socially controversial issues. While PBU holds to a biblically defined position regarding human sexuality, to call for such action clearly violates the teaching of the Bible, and the principles and practices taught at PBU. Ssempa did earn a graduate degree from PBU in 1994. Ssempa also received an honorary degree from PBU in 2006 for his ministry of compassion to HIV/AIDS victims in his native land. The University was not aware at that time of Ssempa's recently expressed views. His present publicly stated position in no way represents or reflects the views of the University, its administration, or its faculty. It is our sincere hope that Christians would hold their convictions regarding homosexuality with a spirit of grace and compassion toward all human beings.
-From the University Administration

Exodus International Issues Statement Condemning Ugandan Anti-Gay Bill

2010-03-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

The board of directors of Exodus International has issued a statement condemning the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill that is now before Parliament. This statement comes amid year-long criticism of the ex-gay organization after one of its board members, Don Schmierer, conducted an anti-gay conference in Kampala alongside two other anti-gay American activists, Holocaust revisionist Scott Lively and International Healing Foundation’s Caleb Brundidge. That conference, which included Lively’s infamous “nuclear bomb against the gay agenda”, fanned the already burning flames of virulent homophobia in that country and ushered in the proposal a draconian new law which would, among many other things, result in the death penalty for gay people under certain conditions.
In this latest statement from Exodus International, the Board says:
Exodus International believes that every human life, regardless of an individual’s sexual behavior, is of inestimable worth to God and that defending this principle is foundational in offering a Christian response to any issue. As such, Exodus International has not and will not support any legislation that deprives others of life and dignity including, but not limited to, Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009. We stand with all who are defending this basic, biblical tenet and remain committed to sharing the compassion, hope and life-giving truth and grace of Jesus Christ.
“In November of 2009, several of us sent a letter to Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and First Lady Museveni expressing our concerns regarding The Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009. The legislation would render some homosexual practices crimes punishable by life imprisonment and possible death. We believe that sexual crimes against children, whether committed by someone of the same or opposite sex, are the most serious of offenses and should be punished; we consider same-sex behavior in consensual adult relationships another matter.
Exodus issued their open letter to President Yoweri Museveni on November 16, 2009, more than nine months following the Kampala conference. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill was formally introduced into Parliament on October 15.
On March 10, 2010, barely a full year after the Kampala conference, Exodus International president Alan Chambers left a comment on Warren Throckmorton’s web site expressing disappointment over not having had an opportunity to appear on ABC’s Nightline, saying, ” would have loved nothing better than to share our disdain for this bill and apologize for going anywhere near such a horrible conference.” While this statement from Exodus accomplishes the first goal, there is no apology for having participated in the “Nuclear Bomb” conference.
The latest statement also condemns criminalization of homosexuality as a hindrance to the group’s mission “assist hurting men, women and youth who might otherwise seek help in addressing this personal issue.”
Exodus’s statement is signed by Alan Chambers, vice president, Randy Thomas, board chair Bob Ragan, and fifty-one other board members and ex-gay ministry leaders, including Don Schmierer. The full text of the statement is reproduced below. The statement appears on the Exodus International blog, but so far it does not appear on the organization’s official web site.
Ugandan Statement Issued From Exodus Board & North American Leaders
“Exodus International believes that every human life, regardless of an individual’s sexual behavior, is of inestimable worth to God and that defending this principle is foundational in offering a Christian response to any issue. As such, Exodus International has not and will not support any legislation that deprives others of life and dignity including, but not limited to, Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009. We stand with all who are defending this basic, biblical tenet and remain committed to sharing the compassion, hope and life-giving truth and grace of Jesus Christ.
“In November of 2009, several of us sent a letter to Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and First Lady Museveni expressing our concerns regarding The Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009. The legislation would render some homosexual practices crimes punishable by life imprisonment and possible death. We believe that sexual crimes against children, whether committed by someone of the same or opposite sex, are the most serious of offenses and should be punished; we consider same-sex behavior in consensual adult relationships another matter.
Since the Bible clearly states that homosexual behavior was not part of God’s creative intent for human sexual expression, the Christian church must remain a safe, compassionate and confidential place. If homosexual behavior and knowledge of such behavior is criminalized and prosecuted, as proposed in this bill, church and ministry leaders will be unable to assist hurting men, women and youth who might otherwise seek help in addressing this personal issue. The Christian church must be permitted to extend the love and compassion of Christ to all, regardless of an individual’s adherence to scripture. We believe that such legislation would make this mission a difficult, if not impossible, task to carry out.
Many of us, and those we know and work with, have personally struggled with same-sex attractions and some have lived as gay-identified individuals, but we have since found a new identity in Jesus Christ. We now live our lives to reflect the transformation that is available to those who submit their mind, will and emotions to the Lordship of Christ. We sincerely believe that such transformation cannot be achieved in an environment of government coercion where the vital support, care and compassion of the Christian community is discouraged and prosecuted. In addition, it wasn’t through coercion that Christ set us free, but through the gracious invitation He extended to us for relationship and the freedom He gave us to choose our own path.
Alan Chambers
President
Exodus International
Rev. Bob Ragan
Director
Regeneration of Northern Virginia
Chairman of the Board, Exodus International
Exodus Membership Council
Mike Goeke
Counseling Pastor
Stonegate Fellowship
Vice Chairman of the Board, Exodus International
Jayson Graves, M.MFT
Christian counselor & Neurotherapist
Healing for the Soul
Secretary of the Board, Exodus International
Clark and Martha Whitten
Pastor
Grace Church
Treasurer of the Board, Exodus International
Jeff Winter
Board Member, Exodus International
Founder, One by One
Don and Diana Schmierer
Board Members, Exodus International
Bob Stith
National Strategist for Gender Issues
Southern Baptist Convention
Chairman of the Board , Living Hope Ministries
Board Member, Exodus International
Melissa A. Ingraham, MA, NCC
Mental Health Counselor
Christian Counseling Center
McKrae Game
Executive Director
Truth Ministry
Dave and Diane Rasmussen
Co-Directors
Simon Ministries
Tony Moore
Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator
Exodus International
Tommy Corman
Executive Director
Love In Action International
Jim Katsoudas
Executive Director
Clean Heart Ministries
Kenny Warkentin
Resource Outreach Coordinator
Living Waters Central Region
Gregory C. Wallace
Executive Director
Hope & New Life Ministries
Mark Culligan
Founder
New Hearts Outreach
Tammi Wilds
Interim Director
New Hearts Outreach
Ryan Ortega
Client Relations & Technical Support
New Hearts Outreach
Bob Jones,
Executive Director
Fresh Word Ministries
Ron Smith
Director
New Hope Ministries
Russell Willingham
Executive Director
New Creation Ministries
Mike Levenhagen
Director
Reclamation Resource Center
Richard Holloman
Executive Director
The Sight Ministry
Billie Jimenez
Florida Regional Coordinator
Exodus International
Judy Williams
Co-director
In His Time Ministry
Sonia Balcer
Director
Safe Passage
Warren Lamb, Th.M.
Pastor, Truth In Love Fellowship
Director, Vancouver Bible Institute
Stephen Black
Director
First Stone Ministries
Exodus Membership Council
Jim Venice
Executive Director
Clean Heart Ministries
Jerry Armelli
Director
Prodigal Ministries
Michael R. Newman
Executive Director
Christian Coalition for Reconciliation
Allen Hildreth
Director
Walking in Freedom Ministries
Lewis E. Palmer & Carol A. Palmer
Director and Co-Director
Love and Grace Ministry
Jim Duran
Lead Pastor
The River Community
Randy Thomas
Executive Vice President
Exodus International
Paula Mcnabb
Director of Business and Public Affairs
Exodus International
David Fountain
Senior Director of Communications and Events
Exodus International
Leslie Chambers
Director of Ministry Events
Exodus International
Chris Stump
Director of Exodus Books
Exodus International
Jeff Buchanan
Director of Church Association
Exodus International
Angela Buchanan
Director of Communications
Exodus International
Kristin Tremba
Director of One By One
Exodus International
Dr. Marc Dillworth
Director of the Professional Counselor Network
Exodus International
Terri Brown
Director of Exodus Membership
Exodus International
Karen Eaglin
Director of Equipping Events
Exodus International
Paul Webster
Director of Ministry Advancement
Exodus International
Yvette Schneider
Director of Women’s Ministry
Exodus International
Amber Russelburg
Exodus International
Melissa Condrey
Exodus International

TO THE DELEGATES OF THE CONSULTATION ON HOMOSEXUALITY ORGANIZED BY THE MALAWI COUNCIL OF CHURCHES (MCC)

2010-03-23T04:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with great sadness that we write this letter in the hope, that for the sake of the God's compassion and grace, you will take the time to read our testimony which follows here;

We came to this conference with grateful hearts to the organizers of the MCC for taking the courage of organizing this dialogue on such a difficult topic. We were asked to tell something about what LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and intersex) stands for and what we understood with our being gay and transgender. The best way we could have done that would not have been by "instructing papers", but just by telling our stories.

We were therefore grateful for the possibility that we might give our witnesses as fellow Christians on what it means to be gay Christians, especially in the light of the fact that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in Malawi are unable to fulfill this function out of fear of imprisonment and/or out of fear for the church itself. This fear is very real because so often they have suffered under those who proclaim to preach the Word of God but instead make judgmental and prejudiced statements about their lives without ever listening to their stories.

When this opportunity for dialogue arrived, we were hoping that the Church shared our understanding of dialogue, that it means creating safe spaces where people of different orientations or opinions can respectfully and without fear become vulnerable to each others' stories and background.

We were amazed and often insulted by the level of misconception and lack of understanding on what it means to be homosexual and that some of the delegates treated us as lepers, as if homosexuality is contagious or that we can ever "convert" people to homosexuality. Homosexual orientation is not a CHOICE. Nobody who is sane of mind will ever choose this life of pain, rejection, prejudice and even fear of rape and death.

We were saddened that the unconditional Grace and message of love and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ were never mentioned; instead we felt that we were the subjects of severe Bible bashing by those who objected to our "international presence" stereotyping and caricaturing of what they thought were our sinful existence.

If we were granted the opportunity to speak about what homosexuality means to us – as the agenda intended, we would have shared with you that we believe our lives not just to be about sexual acts or behavior. Gay and lesbian people are not pedophiles (some heterosexuals as well as homosexuals might be depraved and molest children). We felt that our lives were being dehumanized by talking about us just in sexual terms. We agree with the church worldwide that there are heterosexual acts as well as homosexual acts that are perverse and deprived of all values and norms. But as Christian gay, lesbian and transgender people, we also seek to be followers of Christ. As such, we would have hoped that you would have recognized in us fellow brothers and not international foreign voices that seek to influence you.

My story as Victor Mukasa would have been brief and vulnerable. Born as a woman in Uganda, I realized from an early age that my gender identity is not that of a woman but of a man and I experienced this as a mistake of nature that gave me the genitals of a woman, while my hormones, my brain and my whole constitution and self identification has always been that of a man. I would have told you that the T in LGBTI stands for Transgender. I would have also told you, in case you doubt that we use the word "mistake of nature", that intersex people are living proof that such mistakes do happen. Thousands of babies worldwide are born with ambiguous genitals. This means that they have both, almost unidentifiable, male and female organs. So from the outside, it is impossible to say whether they are a man or a woman, and its often the parents, at an early age, that decide that they want this child to be a man or a woman and so they remove one sexual organ and very often thereby condemning this child to be of a gender identity that does not reflect the hormonal or emotional make of that child. This is what I would have told you with regard to gender identity and also about intersex - it is not to be confused with sexual orientation. The majority of gay and lesbian people are happy to be a male or a female and do not want to be the opposite sex regardless of what stereotypes are saying about gay and lesbian people.

But much more important than this technical information, I would have told you about the hurt, pain and rejection I suffered at the hands of the Church in this journey trying to find my gender identity. I had no choice in this matter. I nearly lost my faith in a loving God due to this rejection, but I am grateful that I discovered that it is God who made me the way I am and that His grace is sufficient for me. I am personally saddened that those that I look up to for protection and compassion, the Church leaders, are the ones who stated, at the beginning of this conference, that you regard me as your enemy.

For me, Pieter Oberholzer, it was sad that I, as an ordained South African Minister, had to be asked as my gay brothers and sisters in Christ from Malawi were too intimidated to do this. We did not volunteer to come, nor did we come as activists. I saw this as an occasion to share my personal journey with God and the Church. I was so sure that from you, as my brothers and sisters in Christ and as ambassadors of God, I would find willing ears and respect for the fact that we are all created in the image of God..

I was deeply saddened, insulted and alarmed that fellow brothers and sisters in Christ compared my life to that of the gang rapes of heterosexual men in prisons, adulterers, thieves and prostitutes. I would have shared with you the fact that I struggled for most of my life with my God to take this orientation away from me. During that struggle, I have never given myself over to "sinful desires" or to a life of "rebellion against God". I was called at the early age of five to serve God and my whole life was geared towards my call. It was a shock of tremendous proportions to discover in my late teens that I was emotionally, spiritually and sexually attracted to people of my own sex. I have tried everything in my power to steer away from that, including, voluntary aversion shock therapy for more than two years, getting engaged to a woman that I did not love (I have never ever been drawn emotionally or sexually to a woman).

By the grace of God, I discovered that if my church, the Dutch Reform Church of Southern Africa, could be so wrong in their biblical defense of apartheid, they can also be wrong in their biblical defense of my homosexual orientation. It is only by the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit in my life that I came to accept that God created me just the way I am. I am also grateful that God has given me the gift of love in a partner and that I have been, for nearly thirty years, in a loving, respectful relationship with one man. It was therefore my earnest prayer that you as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ would have recognized in my personal journey and witness that I love Christ and want nothing more than to follow Him.

Through our stories hopefully you would have discovered that LGBTI Christians cannot be merely defined by Men Having Sex with Men (MSM) or even, for that matter, with any reference to purely sexual acts as our lives testify that homosexual orientation is very similar to heterosexual orientation. We have not chosen our orientation neither are we driven by sexual desires resulting in certain acts. You would have heard from us, as we said in the beginning, that homosexual acts that are not born out of love, responsibility or faithfulness are wrong in our eyes and can be performed by heterosexual as well as homosexual people.

We write this letter to you, not because we so desperately want to be heard, but because we believe for the Church to be true to the gospel of love, compassion and hospitality. Now is the time to enter into dialogue with ALL God's children, regardless of their race, gender or sexual orientation. We are saddened that in our experience of the proceedings of yesterday morning, that your fear of us is a dark moment in the history of the Church of Malawi and a sad day for the grace of God.

Our prayers go with you and the rest of the proceedings, that you will allow the Holy Spirit to make you channels of hope and compassion to all those in your country that presently are hurting through the rejection by the Church and society while they are desperately seeking the community of the Church.

Signed;

Victor Mukasa and Reverend Pieter Oberholzer

Mangochi, Malawi, 17/March/2010