1 Popular Ugandan, and African Parsing of Homophobia

 This is a 3 part reply to an article written by one, Mathew Otieno, a Kenyan, published on a mecatornet.com . This is Part 1.

First, I am kuchu, (LGBTQ+ Ugandan

The article was interesting. Refreshing. In Uganda, a down to earth examination of issues is hardly publishable.

Mr Otieno seems to write under the illusion that ‘what should be’, is ‘what is’, reality.
For example, he asserts that

“the New York Times, went downright colonial by trying to connect the law’s passage with the American conservative backlash against the LGBT+ agenda, laying the blame partly at the feet of organisations like Arizona-based Family Watch International, which has organised and participated in pro-family conferences in Uganda. This is rubbish”

Matter of fact, the rubbish is Mr Otieno’s assertion. The reporting might have been inconvenient, but it was accurate.

That US Arizona  group Family Watch International (FWI) was involved in the first 2014 Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda.

On the weekend after the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 was first passed by Uganda’s Parliament, FWI held a 2 day conference for African legislators in Entebbe, Uganda. Supposedly supporting African sovereignty and ‘family rights’, its focus was on its staple 3 ideological issues: anti-LGBTQ+, anti-contraception and anti-abortion; against ‘Comprehensive Sexuality Education’.
Museveni made an appearance. He was so convinced of the threat to humanity paused by homosexuality that he called on Africa to save the world.

One of the attendees, Kenyan MP Peter Kaluma left for home (Nairobi, Kenya) trumpeting on Twitter his determination to table an anti-Homosexuality bill. Indeed, he did so, the Family Protection Bill, directly reflecting FWI rhetoric, and some of the provisions, an FWI wishlist. He admitted the influence.

FWI in its Africa specialisation, talks about our ‘sovereignty’, and plays deftly on ‘western hegemony’ and the ‘LGBTQ+ agenda’. ‘Racism’ and ‘colonialism’ are always in the background, cards to play.
Frankly, they cone us. They understand, just as Mathew Otieno reacted, those are trigger points for Africans post colonialism.  They can manipulate us, and do so.  Winking and nudging they intimate that their governments are playing colonialism. We fail to ask WHY they would go against their national interests.

Reacting with knee jerk reflex like this blinds us to the obvious manipulation from the likes of FWI. And, Mr Otieno fell into the trap, angrily claiming agency, our sovereignty in the face of colonialism and racism. We are sovereign in FWI’s eyes only as long as we follow their agenda, grounded in our ignorance and prejudices, which they reinforce.

 

gug