Friday, June 3, 2011

Martyrs Day in Uganda....

In Malawi, they are protesting a 'Gay Workshop'....

LOL, the problems of advocacy in Africa!

I mean, the media is usually ignorant of gay African issues. So, they demonise us and write false things about us, and of course, call on the governments to 'Hang Them'. So, it is very, very important to present gay issues to the media. To literally teach reporters, even those who are homophobic, the difference between blind, ignorant homophobia, and some sense between the head.

So, the gay people in Malawi try to educate journalists.... and, this education process is branded 'promotion of homosexuality'.... reminds you of some other country? Yes, in Uganda, any teaching of sexuality that is branded 'promotion of homosexuality' if it has any inkling of homosexual sex. No, I am not kidding you. Just search this blog the article on UNICEF and the Teenage Toolkit. 'UNICEF promotes Homosexuality' my foot!

Reminds me of when we were in the Parliamentary Committee last month, when the bill was having public hearings. MP Benson Obua-Ogwal derisively told us that he was once in the UN, and that they were promoting homosexuality. The UNAIDS country rep, a Nigerian, was at the hearings. He was incensed. An elderly, soft spoken gentleman, he stood in that hostile atmosphere and stated that he had been in the UN system for 26 years, and he was yet to see any 'promotion of homosexuality' by the UN. He spoke quietly, but, I don't doubt his anger. Gosh, I was incensed on the sides, where I was, anonymous as usual! The Bahati bill has always, and will always remain pushed on rumours, and innuendos. No facts, no figures, just.... 'they recruit', 'they are a danger to the traditional family'....!!!

OK, that is spoiling my day.

Here is the story about Malawians demonstrating against a 'Gay Seminar'

One of the organisers of the demonstrations Ibrahim Mtendere told Malawi Voice that they want to deliver a petition to CHRR Executive Director Undule Mwakasungula and Cedep's Gift Trapence summarising their disproval of the workshop.
"Today it's the media being invited for this workshop, which we hear they are pocketing Mk40, 000 seating allowance, tomorrow it will be our MPs then chiefs, end results will be government being forced to accept this.
"And we will be delivering a petition to Mr. Mwakasungula to let him know that we are entirely in disagreement with these so called gay rights, and he is bound to mislead the country," said Mtendere.
Another organiser Shadrick Kamwendo said they fear government would lose in its anti gay divide with the media on CHRR and Cedep side.
"With religious leaders greatly divided over the matter and the media on their side, government would be squeezed to a corner in its anti gay drive. And our main fear is that Malawi will embrace gay rights against the wishes of us common people," said Kamwendo.

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Uh, it is Martyrs day in Uganda.

We celebrate the Ugandan Martyrs. Christians killed by the Kabaka for daring to defy his sexual advances... at least that is the official Ugandan version. So, it is officially gay bashing day in Uganda.... and a public holiday. I would like to think of it as an African leader resisting the challenge to his authority which would ultimately lead to the colonisation of his kingdom..... LOL,. I will be labelled a 'revisionary', by our President, who likes to go on pet gay bashing at around this time... and remind the Baganda that the bisexual Kabaka was a Muganda.... LOL

We do have our own martyr. David Kato Kisuule.

Maybe we can reclaim the day for ourselves.


Have a beautiful day.


gug

3 comments:

John-Julian, OJN said...

Bi-sexual is hardly a strong enough word: the Kabaka had EIGHTY-FIVE wives—but you are right, it was the challenge to his absolute authority which drove him to kill his pages.

Anonymous said...

It is so difficult to get the true news... is the Gay Bill not being heard in this parliament, or are we all holding our breath?

spiralx said...

@Anon: the 8th session of Parliament has been dissolved, with several Bills undiscussed. The 9th session will see bah-hate trying his best to resurrect killing -the-gays, alongside an equally appalling HIV Prevention Bill, and Museveni pushing through a lock-em-up-for-six-months-wthout bail Bill. Nothing good, I'm afraid.

And so yes: Martyr's Day can be seen as resisting an absolute ruler's descent into a moral cesspit, as it can be of any comment on sexual appropriateness. In that sense, it seems entirely relevant.

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