I might oppose such legislation in my home country, but I don't think it is the place of foreigners to tell Ugandans how to run their country. Let Uganda be Uganda.
Of course, me being me, I was not happy at that kind of complacency.
So, me being me, I lashed out. Furiously. I am sorry. I dont actually have the patience for someone to give me empty excuses... We are all residents of this small world.
Here was my comment.
Funny, I am a Ugandan, desperately worried because of this bill in parliament. If it passes, which most likely it will, I and my partner will face life imprisonment, or death, once caught.
Is it suprising that I dont mind anyone, even a 'foreigner' speaking out for me? Especially when I cannot speak out myself in my country about this bill?
I used to like Political correctness until I realised that life does not follow its rules. My country mates plan to kill me, and, you fear to say no, because you dont think you as a foreigner should comment?
Happened in Nazi Germany. For Jews, and homosexuals. Happened in Rwanda as recently as 20 years ago.
When, I pray, do you as a 'foreigner' plan to challenge my murderers that they have gone beyond the pale of humanity? When I am dead?
Do you really think that will help?
4 comments:
Dear GayUganda,
Well done on this blog and great work on your continued fight to stop this law. I cannot understand how horrendous the situation must be for queer people in Uganda and I congratulate you for standing up.
I write simply to say that I stand in solidarity with you in this fight and will not stay quiet about it. My government (Australia) has refused to speak out against this law, but I will not let them get away with it. I am pushing, with others for them to publicly condemn it and fight against it. I strongly believe that no one is free until everyone is free and this is something I will strongly fight for.
Best of luck.
Yours in solidarity,
Simon
I called the Ugandan Ambassador to the U.S. on 11.19.2009, from San Francisco, California. He answered in person, and I said I'd called to protest the proposed death penalty for loving who you love how you love. He said I was protesting prematurely because it isn't law yet, but I said I was protesting anyway.
People here are asking me who is behind this in Uganda. I say I'm not sure, besides Ssempa, but that I feel most obliged to speak out against American evangelicals exporting our culture wars, and, against the consequence of PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, with all its "abstinence only until heterosexual married monogamy" restrictions.
Serious as all this is, I can't help being amused that it now threatens to cause a schism within the American evangelical church, between those who think the death penalty too harsh and those who don't, given that our culture wars inspired a schism in the global Anglican Communion and other global churches.
Thanks Simon, Ann.
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