Consequences

Coming home today, a friend told me of a curious story. He had got a call from George Oundo, aka Georgina. Guy wanted money- if he was not to ‘out’ him.

The friend cursed Georgina away.

And, on returning home from work, he found his domestic help with a strange story. The help was visited by Red Pepper people. They know he has a story about his boss, he was informed. And they were ready to pay well for the story. Which story? The boss’s (homo)sexual escapades.

Georgina, good Christian as he is, (he says he is doing the outing etc for God and Country), has a lucrative side line. Blackmail.

He has blackmailed many. And continues- I have failed to figure out what he is after.

But, besides the blackmail, there is a lot of fear.

Remember the guys in Mbale? The couple that was arrested for being amorous. They are still in jail. On remand, almost a month since the arrests. There is literally no case against them. But public opinion, and politics.

There is a sadder case in Mukono. A seventeen year old was sentenced to life imprisonment, because he had gay sex. Life imprisonment in Uganda means exactly that. No parole. No time out. Life in prison. The boy can only appeal that sentence.

There is another case, in Entebbe. And others.

Suddenly, prison is becoming something that anyone suspected of being gay gets rail roaded to. Doesn’t matter that you may not be gay. Or you may not be guilty. Fact is, us seasoned gay people are kind of too suspicious to be caught in the act. But damn!

I am just thinking of Stephen Langa, that nice Christian man, doing his round on the fm stations, complaining that homosexuals were not being arrested. Well, we are being arrested. And sentenced, to life in prison.

Guy visited me yesterday. His name, his pic was published. He cannot sleep at his house. His LC chairman advised him that residents will lynch him. And a friend that was staying at his house was beaten up. Because of suspicion that he is gay.

He was suicidal. Where is this going to end?

Father Musaala, his career is in tatters. Until he can ‘prove’ that he is not homosexual. His rivals must be happy about that- they did destroy this pretender to the love of god, didn’t they? 

By the way, in the same red rug issue in which people were outed was a pornographic 'confession' from dear Georgina. He detailed how he was a wife to a 'popular priest' for over a year, for some money... Didnt require an Einstein to figure out who the 'popular priest' was supposed to be.

All lovers of homosexuals, (or any who can pretend) have to affirm their heterosexuality. Bishop Ssenyonjo, that venerable granddad has to begin his defence of us by asserting that he is not gay. He must be, after all, Georgina ‘outed’ him.

But the one thing which amused me about this hysteria was the Pastor Kayanja saga. Apparently, his pastor rivals could not get someone like Georgina to accuse him. So, they are offering money for the confessions. Kayanja is a very influential man. Politically very well connected (which in a way makes him vulnerable!). He found the need to make the accusations New Vision headlines. And then to go to Red Pepper, of all papers! Apparently, his detractors complain that he is not anti-gay enough. That is why they say he must be gay, because he is not anti-gay enough. (The headline in the red rug was Pastor Kayanja reveals his homo history! but like much that that rug writes about, the story was miles away from the headlines.  Poor Kayanja!)

I swear, I am not lying. Most of these things are documented, by the Red Pepper, and its sister anti-gay publication, the New Vision.

Actually, it is early days.

Uganda has been homophobic. But not above many other countries in Africa. What started as an anti-gay, Christian seminar to deal with the homosexual agenda has morphed into some tears of pain for many of us. And it is not yet finished.

Where will it end?

 

gug