Knock on the Door

Yesterday was out having fun in a bar.

Left early, didnt want to repeat the 'mistakes' of Sat night. Or, the excesses,...

Today, early in the morning, as I hold my love, a phone call. Guy is inside his house, police is outside, and they are going to arrest him. A heads up.

He had known it was coming. And, he kept phoning around yesterday. We telling him to get out of his home, to stay away for some time.
He was distraught, planning to give himself up. Intimating that he was tired of running.

Desperate. Distraught.
Now, the knock early morning on the door.

We say we shall run. But, what if we cannot run? We have family, jobs, businesses. We are normal human beings. Common Ugandans. What of when we cannot run?

We live like ostritches, heads buried in the sand. We party and dance, and forget that we can be deprived of life and freedom. Because we are what we are.
I was with some friends who are HIV positive. Asked them what they think about the bill. Silence.

I think I lost my temper. Told them in detail what the bill says. If they are ever caught having sex, them, because they are positive, then they are due to have the death penalty. I dont joke, because those are the facts. Check them out at the bill text here. Or, below, the relevant section.

3. Aggravated Homosexuality

(1) A person commits the crime of Aggravated homosexuality where the-

(b) Offender is a person living with HIV.

(2) A person who commits the offence of Aggravated homosexuality shall be liable on conviction to suffer death.

(3)Where a person is charged with the offence under this section, that person shall undergo a medical examination to ascertain his or her HIV status.

4. Attempt to commit the offence of Homosexuality

(2) A person who attempts to commit the offence of Aggravated Homosexuality commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for life.

Yes, I think I was brutal. But sometimes it is necessary. There was a lady with the guys. I told her, even you, the Bahati bill does not exclude you. You cannot have sex with your lover. If you attempt to do so, then you get life imprisonment. If you are proven to have done so, then you get the death penalty.

And, it doesnt matter whether your lover knows, whether you disclosed your status, whether there was any transmission of HIV. What matters is the letter of the law. And, that is what it says.

They were silent. I was feeling ashamed of my outburst. But, this bill is hell on earth. We cant fight it from the shadows. And, we have to fight it in the face of people who are ready to tell lies, even to the text of the bill, even when it is absolutely specific in language. Have gay sex when you have HIV, doesnt matter whether you a man or woman. On conviction, life in prison, or death. It doesnt matter that you have used any protection. It doesnt matter that you have a partner who is a consenting adult. It doesnt matter that you dont know that you are HIV positive.

The text of the bill, the text that David Bahati presented to parliament, it is that specific. It is that chilling.

You know, told you that the phone call was when I was holding my lover in my hands? We wanted to make love, but, with the news I felt down, low. And I felt I had to write this down. We have to fight this bill. It should not become law in any form at all. That is what I aim for.

And, we need to educate our country people, counter the lies that have been spread of us.
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Believe it or not, Dr. Nsaba-Buturo says that we gay Ugandans are demanding representation in the parliament of Uganda.
It would definately not be a bad idea. No, it wouldnt. Because fellow Ugandans are on a roll, demanding death and life imprisonment for us. We need someone to defend us against the likes of Buturo.

But, that is besides the issue. We gay Ugandans are very realistic. We cannot demand that which we know we cannot get. We seek life, liberty, equality.
Buturo, to demonise us in the eyes of fellow Ugandans, raises to them the spectre that we are demanding for representation in parliament. To divert attention from the bill. From the draconian bill and its hate filled punishments.

Uganda’s minister of ethics and integrity, Nsaba Buturo has said that gays can not be represented in parliament as some of them are reportedly demanding.

Addressing the press in Kampala, Buturo said that it would be absurd if the gays are accepted to be represented in parliament.

"It would be unbelievable if gays are represented in Uganda’s parliament. That will mean that even groups of people involved in other activities like robbers and sex workers will also request to be represented in parliament," Nsaba Buturo said.

Bututro said that Ugandans can not accept annal sex because it is against the culture of Ugandans. "You go and ask most Ugandans about legalizing gays. They can not accept because it is against out culture," he said while arguing hat no member of parliament will oppose the anti- gay bill when it will be brought in parliament for debate.

And, for those of you who think that the bill is dead, hear from the Horse's mouth. from a minister in the government of Uganda

He warned gays against boasting that they havescared the government of Uganda out of debating and passing the anti-gay bill because of international criticism especially about its harshness.

Nsaba Buturo said that when Museveni told cabinet and MPs to be careful about the anti-gay bill, some gays misconstrued it to mean that he he was instructing that the bill be withdrawn. "It is not true" he said.

No. No more Mr. Nice guy about me.

And, we cant fight this bill from the dark. We cannot. That is forced upon us, but it is a necessity. We have to go on the offensive. Afterall, what will be taken from us which will not be taken when this bill becomes law?

And, we must confront the lies that are told by Ssempa. The lies, the demonisation, the frank hypocrisy. It is ironic and funny, hilarious that the best weapon we have against these hypocritical Christians is one which Jesus would appreciate. Truth. We shall fight with that weapon.

I do appreciate apologies from those who find that they have been doing us wrong. Like this Christian. But I remember that these apologies will not bring back years in prison, years of fear, years of self condemnation.
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Yes, children are being organised against us. In rallies. And, more than that, they are being indoctrinated that we homosexuals are the worst of people.
You think I am lying? The pic below says it all.

And, remember that Ssempa invited two of his children to his very public porn show. Yes, he did.

Gay Agenda has a hilarious turn of mind on what to do when you are a gay Ugandan.... Yes, I know that I did write those things on this blog, kind of is funny that the blog gets that wide a reading!
Gratifying. But, I remind myself that the humour is a defence. This is a desperately serious topic. I will afford the humour. And, I will swipe out with the sword.
Lezgetreal was the source of the original article. And, it is hilarious as well as serious. We are in a fight for our lives, liberty. Let alone equality.

I will keep blogging. Despite those who are unconfortable with what I write. And, I am glad that others like are also determined to write and lambast Ugandans for their absolute lack of taste in killing and imprisoning gay people like me. Yes, I agree, you may have a different point of view. This is my point of view.

So to close, I will continue to blog about the Ugandan Anti-homosexuality Bill because I have a voice that costs me nothing. I will name those who support it, either intentionally, by proxy or by turning a blind eye. I will keep asking those in positions of international and corporate power to voice their support for freedom to those who have the power to make a difference. I will lend my support those in Uganda who have the incredible courage to speak up for themselves and others, because every person deserves to live a true and honest life without loss of freedom or indeed her or his life.

I am in a blitz of outing myself.

Just told another of my brother. He knew, of course. But, I have told him.

Poor Mum, I sprang it on her yesterday. Call it a crisis, I want to make sure that they know before I am out on TV or the red rug with names and all details. Seems like it will happen.

That knock on the door. I could have been mine. Maybe it will be mine. Soon.

Have a good week.


gug