So, when I do not blog, I feel like something is missing. Especially as I use it to kind of polish up on the things that am thinking. Sometimes it is very rough diamond like, I must say? Or, it is a piece of hardened mud that I think is a diamond, anyway.
Was it yesterday that I was thinking of the change in press coverage in Uganda? After David Kato's death, anyway. Good thing, in a way.
Was actually commenting to some people that Uganda is maybe one of the few countries in Africa with an organised anti-gay movement. Seems Cameroon has joined. Well, good things, and bad things, can be copied.
Malawi is playing the 'foreign aid tied to homosexuality promotion' card. It is a tough one. In our countries, it is impossible for us to come out to say that we are gay. So, monstrocities like the Anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda can come up. And, they can and do hurt us.
On the other hand, when we use our gay brothers and sisters outside our countries, people who make common cause for us simply because they know what we are, more than our African countrymates, we immediately face the accusation of being 'sell outs'. and, not only that, of promoting 'un african values'.... lol.
That can be very frustrating.
But, we cannot underestimate the value that that card has. Here is the Malawi government. Apparently, aid is refused on the grounds that Malawi is not promoting some Civil liberties. One of the ones singled out is the increased criminalisation of homosexuality. Apparently, being a lesbian was not criminalised. So, for the sake of 'gender balance' [Wow, they have learnt the words to use, too!], they criminalised relations between women.
So, the Malawi government comes up and says, you see, they are pushing us to accept homosexuality... of all things!!!! Oh well. Here is the article.
Malawi government on Wednesday took a strong stand against bilateral donors saying it cannot compromise its sovereignty to legalise homosexuality in order to get aid.No problem.
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Dr George Chaponda led a team of Presidential spokesperson Hetherwick Ntaba, Information and Civic Education Minister Symon Vuwa Kaunda and Gender, Women and Children Welfare Minister Tereza Mwale in addressing a news conference in the capital Lilongwe.
During the news conference, the officials were reacting to reports that Germany government has cut aid following Malawi’s failure to repeal laws that criminalize homosexuality and its enactment of laws seen as restricting media freedom.
And the United States of America government has delayed to release $350 million grants amid concerns of new laws to curb individual freedoms in the southern African nation.
Life does go on. And, it is not a bad thing. Meaning we are still have lots of work to do.
Why? Why not.... the continent still has lots of issues with my sexuality. And, I am just not going to leave it.
I love Africa, beautiful and dark as it is.
gug
PS. I do love the US Congressman's definition of the gay agenda. Love it. Barney Frank, is it? Yes. He was quoted here.
2 comments:
Have you seen this?
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/02/10/naacp-denounces-anti-gay-persecution-in-uganda/
I thought it mildly ironic that while acknowledging the fact that religious mega-churches sometimes pit Black Americans against homosexuality NAACP still doesn't do much to even raise the dialogue about it here in the States. Some (prevailing) sentiment in California was that when Prop. 8 passed the margin was made of African-Americans (who turned out in big numbers voting for Obama) who voted for the bill. Yet here is NAACP speaking out about the Ugandan bill. I am not saying anything about how we (Americans) shouldn't support other LGBT movements in other countries... but it DOES leave a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.
::rolling eyes:: Aren't we Americans just a TAD bit nosey?
About 99% of the rare times I have seen a comprehensive Ugandan story on Australian TV channels over the last two years, it has had to do with Uganda’s “draconian” loathing for homosexuals.
This same message has reverberated all over the Western world. The most recent acerbic attack on Uganda’s anti-gay perception has had to do with the murder of a gay rights activist named David Kato.
Murder of any sort must be condemned in the strongest terms possible.
However, this death (even if it had anything to do with homosexuality), should not be an excuse for backing down to Western pressure for us to embrace homosexuality. Because of their money, the West now believes Africa must also sink along with them in the guise of ‘minority rights and liberties’!
In the likely event that the murder of this man had nothing to do with homosexuality, it begs the question how special their lives are that the whole Western world swings to condemn Uganda? Must we all become homos to get this kind of sympathy?
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