Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Miscellaneous things.

Uh, I was going to make a very unseemly whine…. But, why ever should I?

 

Update in Kampala. Beautiful, beautiful weather. The clouds of a few days are gone, and it is hot. Hot, hot, hot. A little breeze, sweat on the skin, and the light of a bright sun splashed everywhere.

 

Christmas shopping. The crowds are out in strength, and where I am, the roar of traffic is a constant in the background. Yes, I feel good. But, have to dip a little into my inbox…..

 

Bahati believes that Homosexuals have no human rights. Well, homosexuals are not human. So, logically, no rights, yes?

 

No. I am human. Bite yourself.

 

But, Nsaba-Buturo continues the persecution, or pursuit, back home here. Just yesterday, there was supposed to be a film about working as a human rights defender in difficult circumstances. It featured homosexuals. So, of course, it was unacceptable to dear Buturo. No. I am not kidding you! Here is the link.

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.

 

Those people were promoting homosexuality. They didn't delete what?  Sometimes it is easier to laugh at a thing like this than give a negative comment. Poor Dr. Buturo. So determined to keep Uganda clean of homosexuality! I almost find it in my mind to pity him. But, that will not stop me from hounding him. Sorry, Dr Buturo…. Sorry, sorry.

 

Someone asked me, rather incredulously, whether these guys do believe their rhetoric. They do. They actually, absolutely, unreservedly believe what they say. It is kind of amusing. Me, here in Uganda, I listen to their daily offerings, and they kind of slip off, water off a duck's back. But, they are as outrageously believing of their offerings. For many, it is not even a political ploy. Bahati, Buturo, they are true believers in the evilness of homosexuality. They believe, and the gods help you if you don't believe like they do.


Uh, was the film, They call me Kuchu?

 

I agree with this guy.

What fuels the fiery hatred that so many Christians and others harbor for gays can't be explained by pointing to the Bible alone. Clearly something more visceral is going on with that.

 

Dare I bring up the 'Recruitment' argument? Here is Religion Dispatches, talking about dear David Bahati. Bahate, as some of us have taken to calling the gentleman. 

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.

 

I love the last bit of that article. What gives the author hope, she writes, is the fact that bigotry is a learned behaviour which can be unlearned. Yes, that surely is true. Amazing, amazing… Bahati believes, but, mate….!

 

Have to stop here. Long posts are supposedly anathema… but, still have more to say, tomorrow?!

 

Be well

 

 

gug



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

(B from Amsterdam)
Hi There,
Must say that I'm happy to see you back in your fighting mode again after that terrible thing in Makarere and the paniced words you wrote about it. When I grew up in the seventees the people in my country also had a lot of homophobic ideas including the recruitment nonsense. It makes you wonder how studpid people can be but maybe it's not about stupid or clever. Maybe it's just about fear (of the homosexuality inside yourself, of the unknown etc.....)

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