Wednesday, April 8, 2009

A Well Organised Campaign

Not ours. We are not organised. It is the anti-gay campaign in Uganda I am talking about.


Seated, shirtless, at home. It is warm, the warm of the rainy season, the sun very bright, the skies very blue, and rain a threat of the afternoon.

I am relaxed,

and it is with the lifting of some of the tension that I have realized how stressed I have been. For the second day of the week, I have not seen any adverse headlines in the New Vision. Government paper- it seems to have taken up the anti-gay cause, these last few days.

No adverse headlines.

Seems like a dream. Nobody outed over the weekend. Seems as if the press is moving on. It was yesterdays news? The outings. The accusals of ‘recruitment’, the speculations on who is and who is not a homosexual.

By the way, the Observer had a very interesting article. In this day and time of Gay Witch hunts, how to recognize a gay or lesbian Ugandan. It was in the public interest. It is very important that you recognize those who are gay and lesbians. Don’t let them near your children. Chase them from jobs, etc, etc. It is here.

And today in the morning, I heard, on Beat fm, one guy protecting Father Musaala. Seems the only way we will get some airing is when we admit fawningly that we are ‘ex-gay’, so the guy didn’t disappoint. He is ex-gay (like it is a new fashion shirt that he is putting on), and he was counseled by Father Musaala until he became ex-gay. So, he is making the rounds of the fm stations, shoring up the good Father’s name. Unfortunately, the presenter was not very respectful of the guys 'ex-gay' credentials. Poor guy, he 'looked gay'!

AfroGay has an analysis of the politics behind the ‘outing’ of Father Musaala. I continue to be leery of that particular outing. Too convenient, too much that the ‘outers’, Pastor Ssempa will gain from the demise of their pastoral rival. But, again, I have to admit to being extremely biased against the Ssempas of Uganda; professional anti-gay activists as they are, and very politically adept. I just have to be careful about what I say, just don’t want my own prejudices to cloud my judgement.

I wanted to comment about the anti-gay campaign in Uganda.

It has been very well organized. (I do wish we gay people had the money and the ability to organize like these guys have accused us of being. I mean, it would just be fair, you know!)

Past years, there were so many homophobic, and frankly un-Christian statements from the likes of Ssempa, Nsaba-Buturo, and others. Many of them are on this blog.

But, during that time, there was a hint of disorganization. They prepared the ground, but were too hate filled, too extreme. I mean, why reject an HIV prevention programme? I remember Ssempa's statement to that effect… But I digress.

Come this year, entered Stephen Langa onto the scene. He has been working a lot, but underground, or so he seems to have. Good connections to the American right, in particular those who are obsessed with homosexuality as a problem.

A coup, he landed them an invitation to a 3 day conference.

Jan, and Feb, he advertised.

I was very amused when one of his e-mails landed into my e-box. He was using the mobilizing power of the churches here, and why not the mega one, Kampala Pentecostal Church? He did a few press conferences and statements. Seems as if only UG Pulse was biting most of the time. Why? I can only speculate.

Then came the conference itself. I have catalogued some of that, err, (shit) here.

Apart from me writing about it, and a small article in the Monitor newspaper, (the second largest circulating daily), the press didn’t bite, for some reason.

Post conference, he was not deterred. He has been continuing with organization. Formed an anti-gay task force. Meetings every Sunday at Hotel Triangle. Setting up objectives, aims, and what to do.

And fundraising…

While he accuses us of all this shit (the same that he is doing.) Why not? We are homosexuals. Bad, by definition. Very bad. For him, of course he does it in the name of God and Country.

George Oundo lit on the scene. And the New Vision took up the campaign. Sensational headlines. ‘Recruiting’. Outing, as sensationally as possible. Front page. With commentary from Ssempas and Langa. And, last Saturday, the triumphant nailing of UNICEF for ‘promoting homosexuality’. The enemy is defined, both inside and outside the country.

Inside the country, gays are reeling from the juggernaut. Had not foreseen the sundering of our closets. We have turned, and presented another cheek for the mighty Christian moral anger. (Maybe if we act more Christian than the Christians, they will let us off the hook. Maybe.) Oh, we shall survive. Despite the ongoing crusade. That is a given.

What next?

They tied the new ‘Pornographic bill’ to recruitment of gays. Apparently, we didn’t exist in the days when there was no ‘pornography’ in Uganda. A severe, punishing bill has been introduced in parliament. It targets pornography. For a doubter, it also aims to curb homosexuality. The things Ugandans believe!

And, a new bill to outlaw homosexuality and being gay in Uganda has been in the offing for a long, long time. Minister Nsaba Buturo has been taking his time, don’t know why. So, with the excitement of the population, and the fact that there is going to be a mass rally, and ongoing are anti-gay seminars and the gathering of signatures, this will be introduced.

Stephen Langa plans to speak to the president. As a concerned parent of course. About the ‘international organisations’ spreading homosexuality in Uganda. Nsaba Buturo has already talked to Uganda’s UN ambassador (remember, we are on the Security Council this year, and the next. Clout, huh!)

Soon, very soon, will be the bill. And it will sail through parliament. Who dares oppose this will of the people?

A well organized campaign indeed.

 

gug

5 comments:

Christian said...

You seem like a smart guy from the way you write...or it could be that maybe you are just driven by your emotions about not being understood. But why are you wasting your time on such a worthless cause?!! It doesnt matter whether you are in Uganda or the capital city of Gay people in San Francisco USA, Society will always find you different,look down upon you and will never accept you as you are.Thats the truth. Deal with it. You could use your time to do something constructive that will build you and get you money. You are fighting a losing game and before you realise it, you will be a toothless 80 year old man and will still be "misunderstood".

Anonymous said...

Christian,

Well said. gug is smart, (like Oscar Wilde that the icon of 'persecuted' gays'), he is gifted (like Oscar Wilde) but he is committed to folly (like Oscar Wilde.

Will he only be converted to God on his deathbed (like Oscar Wilde)?

If he does not deal with the underlying wounds leading to his behaviour he will know no redemption at all. Let us keep praying for him.

gayuganda said...

Hi Christian,

Thanks for your thoughts. It is very common view of our worlds. Do nothing about your world. It will never change.

If it was like so, women would never get the vote. South African negroes would still be under apartheid. Negroes in America would still be thought of as slaves and second class citizens. Barack Obama would never have become president.

All these things were in part possible because of a few obsessed zealots who saw the world as is and didnt accept it. And they went on and changed it. Martin Luther King Jr was killed before he realised his dream. Didnt matter.

Course, you as the keeper of the order will not understand why I fight.
Toothless, at 80, I will continue the fight. I remember the 80 year olds couple who were the first to get married in Carlifonia. Reporters asked them the same question. The same answer was given. To you it doesnt matter. The odds seem overwhelming.

To me it matters.

Dear Anon, whoever.

A person of religion committed on persecuting me to the ultimate aim of changing my sexuality. Thanks for your love. But no thanks.
Your ill will drips from each and every one of your disguised words.

Christian said...

GUG, your comparisons to the cause you are fighting for are noble to say the least.There however is a little flaw to your GRAND PLANS of the victory you intend to achieve.The design of the Human body !! Wake me up when you overcome that one....where you and your partner will conceive and have a baby. In the meantime, good luck with that. You definitely need it. Your biological clock is ticking slowly inside you and run as you might, or hide behind a fictious blog name as you do, it will catch up with you. You cannot hide forever. I wonder whether you will still give blow jobs when you are 80

gayuganda said...

Ah Christian,

I kind of love your commentary! You (and your name) are the stereotypical gay basher.

Ignorant. You know very little about gay people, do you?

Resisting all efforts to knowledge; otherwise you would read what I write and understand.

Obsessed with gay sex. Your comments speak for themselves.

Hugging the Cross and Christ like you are the epitome of what he taught; your 'name' leads to Biblegateway...

when in actual fact it is because of people like you that I actually go on bashing Christians!!! I do love you. With your utterences and uncharitable comments, you show more the actual ignorance and hate that people like you are about. Poor Christians, indeed!

Sometimes, you seem to be stirred to understand me. Then your need to preach and pontificate catches up to you.

Comeon, do you believe that your abuse of me will teach me how Christian you are? Poor Christian indeed!

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