Saturday, October 30, 2010

Congo, and of course Ugandan Hate Speech

Is Saturday.

And, am having fun, relaxing at home. Enjoying a day off. Why not, seems like I have been too used to working weekends to adjust to off weekends.

Which, inevitably means that have to kind of reel in the thirst for going online. So, promise to myself. First, am writing this, then am going to take a very long walk through the lush countryside, walk the dusty roads, inhale the dust, ogle men on the streets. [Note: Ugandan men are beautiful. Bite me, but I am gay.....!]

Seriously, just want to take a long relaxing walk unwinding. For the week was a bit heavier than I expected. And, I need the time off.

But first, remember the 'words' post? I listened to Giles Muhame, and I was kind of disgusted. There should be a limit to hate speech. Or, is that limitation of the right to free speech?

But, amongst the thorns are some pearls for me. Like here, when he tells us what exactly is being planned. Weekly outings... uh.
Rolling Stone, ran a cover story with the headline: "100 pictures of Uganda's top homos leak."
A smaller banner headline had only two words: "Hang them."
The paper printed photographs of 11 Ugandan men and women it said were gay in that first issue but says it now intends to serialise the story -- printing profiles of 10 to 15 gay people a week until it has outed the full 100.
Of the 11 featured at least four say they have since been attacked.
Giles Muhame, editor of the fledgling paper with a circulation of just 2,000, is unrepentant and says he is protecting the moral fabric of the east African nation.
"I can assure you that we will continue to publish these photos of homosexuals," the 22-year-old told Reuters. "There is no doubt about that."

As to why he published the paper, and showed the photos of people, with the word 'Hang Them' above it, here is his explanation.
"We called the paper Rolling Stone because it is a stone that is rolling and bringing out the evil in society. If people are promoting homosexuality then the stone is going to knock on their door and smoke them out," Muhame says, laughing.
He says it was not his intention that members of the public would attack the people featured in the newspaper, despite publishing their addresses.
"We published the areas where they live so that counsellors could find them and help them," he says. "We want a death penalty introduced for homosexuals who are trying to brainwash children but we don't want the public to attack them."
To that bit of nonsense, the only possible answer is, 'Yeah, Right!' Just too flabergasting a justification to be taken seriously. But, Muhame, being a well educated young fella, feels it does justice to his sense of intelligence. Salute!
----

And, journalists being journalists, they do ask questions. Of the likes of Minister Nsaba-Buturo. And, he answers the questions. As well as is politically expedient from him. And, here is his answer as to whether or not the 'Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009' will see the light of day. The kill the gays bill of Uganda. Here is his reply.
It was quietly shelved under the pressure, but rights groups suspect it may be passed after elections in February that Museveni is expected to win.
"It has to be debated under our law," Ethics Minister Nsaba Buturo told Reuters. "I am confident it will be passed but with amendments, for example on the issue of death penalty. I don't believe that is the way to go."
Buturo said a provision for jail sentences may be included in the legislation but that counselling would also be available should gay people want to repent.
In the DRC, Zaire, or Congo Kinshasha, there is also a law in the parliament. Seems not to be as radical as Uganda's very own bill (repent or be killed).
Congo Kinshasa discusses criminalising gays
The Kinshasa parliament is in the process of discussing legislation that will prohibit homosexuality, or "unnatural sexual practices." But the debate climate in Congo is much calmer than in neighbouring Uganda.
According to reports in the government-close Kinshasa newspaper 'La République', Congolese MP Ejiba Yamapia is currently gathering support for a bill formulated by him that would forbid certain "unnatural sexual practices," including same-sex relations.
Congo Kinshasa (DRC), along with most Central and West African nations, does not have any legislation regarding the country's sexual minorities. This is mostly due to the fact that homosexuality is an issue not known to the general population, as same-sex relations typically find other manifestations in traditional cultures.

So, a much saner debate, is it?

Why is my sexuality such a threat to people out there? Don't know.

Well, at least the Congolese can blame Ugandans....!

Well, well, well. My day can be spoilt by all this endless speculation. Giles Muhame is supposed to meet the guys he 'outed' in a court of law on Monday. Maybe something will come of that....! Well, apparently, he didnt publish 'illegaly' as he had promised because of that.... maybe. Who can guess at the workings of that guy's mind?


gug

12 comments:

Grey said...

I saw your article on the guardian and saw the link to this; what you are doing is evil, simple. Evil and if you don't change your ways, you'll regret.

gayuganda said...

Uh, Grey.

Thanks for your opinion.

gug

F Young said...

@Grey,

GayUganda is a very brave gay Ugandan trying to save his people from persecution, mob violence and possibly genocide, and in the process restore some peace, freedom and democracy in his country.

The Anti-homosexuality Bill and the anti-gay hysteria in Uganda are pure evil. Countless people are dying from homophobia every year already in Africa.

Christ would be ashamed that they call themselves Christian. Christ would condemn them, as did Archbishop Desmond Tutu and all the Anglican bishops of South Africa.

http://tiny.cc/pymer
http://tiny.cc/xilh3
http://tiny.cc/yzzde

Tutu is a real Christian, one that African Christians can be proud of.

Anonymous said...

gay is same as being a thief, same as being a terrorist, same as being a murderer...those are some of the vices in the Bible that carries a death penalty on them...Read Leviticus and romans, it talks of homosexuals; Gay is utterly wrong, no questions on that! Gay is wrooooooooong

gayuganda said...

Thanks Mimitu, four you kind comment.

Now, if you dont mind, I am not of that religion, or faith. So, I wouldnt mind if you didnt use that book to bash me.

thhanks for you opinion.

F YOUNG said...

@mimitu
"gay is same as being a thief, same as being a terrorist, same as being a murderer...those are some of the vices in the Bible that carries a death penalty on them...Read Leviticus and romans, it talks of homosexuals; Gay is utterly wrong, no questions on that! Gay is wrooooooooong"

Mimitu, you base your opposition to homosexuality on the bibles (there are several different translations and mistranslations to English from Greek and Aramaic and then to African languages, and they often disagree) that were brought to Africa by white missionaries, the same bibles that were used for centuries to justify slavery:. http://www.religioustolerance.org/sla_bibl.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_slav1.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_slav4.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_and_slavery

And later Apartheid:
http://www.justice.gov.za/trc/report/finalreport/Volume%204.pdf at pp 65 to 79

Anonymous said...

@mimitu and @Grey ... Like too many others, you are told what to believe and you believe what you are told.

It is shameful the way people use religion to dehumanize innocent people, shaming the very concept of god with they hate they spew -- how could anyone be proud of being a part of something so hateful?

@gug You, sir, are a brave soul ... I cannot imagine what you face on a daily basis; you are on the minds of many around the world. Good luck to you and yours.

Matt said...

Somehow I feel like my previous comment was blocked as spam because I linked to a post about recent biblical translations versus older ones. Your readers should know that today's bible is actually dramatically different in wording. For example, rather than wanting to "know" the angels being protected in Gomorrah, Sodom now wants to "have sex with" the angels.

Anonymous said...

@Matt Agreed. Most "believers" don't even know the history of the bible or christianity.
When people use their "Unchanging" Word of God(TM) to persecute others, facts and reality don't matter, translation errors and contradictions don't matter. (I know you know this - but, for the benefit of ignorant people like 'Grey' and 'mimitu' above...)

The tale of S and G is one of the favorite tools of evangelicals. Not only is the translation very screwed up, the story has nothing whatsoever to do with two adults living their life together as a couple. Oh, and don't forget that Lot offered his daughters to be gang raped; and after they fled - he got drunk and impregnated both of them, like a true Man of God would do. That's "biblical morality" for ya.

In reality, the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by a natural disaster, namely, the Köefels asteroid impact. Several other cultures also witnessed the event and wrote about it. The bible story of S and G is theodicy -- it was made up to explain the fireball that ripped through the sky, incinerating everything in it's path.

Even today, with all of our knowledge of the natural world and the cosmos, gullible, superstitious people blame "God" for earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. But sane and reasonable people know that natural disasters are not caused by any god(s). Sane people know that thunder is not caused by Thor stomping his foot!

Do research, go to the library or google "Köefels asteroid impact" -- google it, also google "planisphere" and "cuneiform talet" - you will find a lot on it.

Anonymous said...

@gug Sorry for getting off-topic here ...

@Matt Here's a bit about the "know" vs. "have sex with":

--According to the King James Version of the Bible, Genesis 19:5 says: "And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them." (KJV)
--The New International Version translates the same verse without any ambiguity: "They called to Lot, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.' "

Ya,da is a Hebrew verb which is commonly translated as "know." Its meaning is ambiguous. It appears 943 times elsewhere in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Usually it means "to know a fact." In only about a dozen of these cases does it refers to sexual activity; in these instances, the sexual meaning is always obvious. The text generally talks about a man "knowing" a woman and of her conceiving a child as a result of the "knowing." All such references involve heterosexual relationships.

It is not clear whether the mob wanted to:
a) Gang rape the angels. This was a common technique by which men, particularly enemies, were humiliated in that society.
b) Engage in consensual homosexual sex with the angels: This may the interpretation of the NIV translators. They wrote very clearly that the intent was to "have sex with them." People "having sex" with each other normally implies mutual consent.
c) Interrogate them. They may have been concerned that the strangers were spies who were sent to the city to determine its defensive fortifications.

"Sodom was a tiny fortress in the barren wasteland south of the Dead Sea. The only strangers that the people of Sodom ever saw were enemy tribes who wanted to destroy and take over their valuable fortress and the trade routes that it protected." As noted above, the city had just recently survived just such an attack, and may have been on high alert.

or, d) Attack them physically.

Source: religioustolerance (dot) org (slash) hombibg192 (dot) htm

Matt said...

@thom: I did some recent research myself and listed much the same as you at http://mattsaxiom.blogspot.com/2010/10/thump-n-muffled-sound-produced-by-or-as.html

Dori said...

am a ghanian living in germany and i just heard about your blog today. am kinda proud of the work you are doing. am sure it will take a looong time till africans will except the fact that being gay is nothing evil.
am with you in my mind

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