Reverend Gideon Byamugisha; Breath of (fresh) good air

 

Reverend Gideon Byamugisha. An interesting man of courage. It is definitely courageous for a Ugandan to come out with a pro-gay attitude. Political correctness in Uganda is to be virulent, emotional, hyper-holy,  anti-homosexuality. And, as a priest in the Church of Uganda, with the bishops and Archbishop of the Church leading the anti-gay crusade in Uganda…, I must say it is courageous of him, penning and having that article published.

True courage. When he first publicly admitted that he was living with HIV, it was at the height of anti-HIV prejudice in the country. The virus was feared, and taken as a curse to the wicked. And here came a Reverend, a man of god, admitting that he was living with the virus. A special kind of courage indeed.

And what does he say about the debate on homosexuality in the country?
I think the most important thing is that he is talking with the gravitas of an elder, and church person, steeped in the Ugandan psych.
Yeah, condescending. But, that kind of tone is the norm in Uganda. His points are stated in a way that resonates, or would resonate with Ugandans. Fact, he is not going to be listened to, because the prejudice is embraced by too many ‘influencers’, religious and otherwise.

 

“I find the moral language used, the emotions generated, and the levels of psychic aggression and spiritual violence generated around this community unreligious and uncultured too”

 

Interesting language. A basic call out to decency. Common decency. The likes of Martin Ssempa of the Pentecostals, Stephen Kaziimba of the Anglicans and Archbishop Ssemogerere of the Catholic Church embrace anti-gay rhetoric as THE confession of their holiness and righteousness. Calling them out, in the face of their continued publicly embraced opinions will exert a price. Because it is accurate, and few would say otherwise. They say it is a matter of African Culture. And our African religion. Bullshit…, but, that is what they embrace. And he is calling them out, as a matter of common decency.

 

“It is not correct to continue glossing over our own spiritual shortcomings, our moral gaps, and our pastoral care failings towards those we unfairly stigmatise and self-righteously ridicule year after year without a deep reflection on how our own individual and collective actions or inactions could have contributed to their unique ‘being’ and ‘experience’.”

 

Blasphemous…, Rev Gideon Byamugisha.
How dare you accuse Uganda’s anti-gay Saints of ‘spiritual shortcomings, moral gaps and pastoral care failings’? How dare you go beyond not joining the anti-Homosexual Crusade, to actually attacking the leaders of the Crusade?!!! Blasphemy… I can imagine Martin Ssempa spitting on your metaphorical grave on live TV. HOW, DARE, YOU?!

A quirky turn of phrase..,

 

“.., equally loveless and non-repentantly self-righteous.”

 

Spot on…, in my clearly biased view. We, Ugandans are the typical, proud Pharisees of the times of the Nazarene… We are actually out-christianing the people who brought the religions in our colonial periods, demanding that they ‘repent’, of the sin of loving homosexuals, of course! More angel than the very angels, indeed!

Oh, Byamugisha doesn’t spare the self-righteous tools of the men, and women of god.., the sneaky politicians.

 

“I pray that in the future, our Members of Parliament should not table and debate laws against minority Ugandans with such deep and toxic levels of personal anger, social prejudice, civic disgust, and spiritual hate.”

 

Come on, Rev Byamugisha. How else would the honourable politicians take advantage of such a popular ‘moral’ issue? How would they deflect from the stealing of mabaati from the desperate Karamojong citizens of Uganda? How would they duck the heady winds of corruption? Good theatre, claiming the moral high ground;  the expression of ‘such deep and toxic levels of personal anger, social prejudice, civic disgust, spiritual hate’. All good politics…, and you want to deny them claim of that rich political capital, in the name of some spurious benefits (with the sins are so ‘self evident’?)
You, Rev Byamugisha, are only one person. They have shade from the influential Bishops, Archbishops and mega pastors!

I am gay, a Ugandan kuchu. I confess that, unreservedly. But, Byamugisha calling out the simply evil ways that anti-gay forces in Uganda operate is interesting. And funny. And a poke in the eyes of influential, powerful others..

 

“When people or certain communities divert most of their energies from innovation and production to spying on, lying about, hunting, and destroying each other; …”

 

Oh yes.., remember the ‘Pastor Wars Saga’, which are continuing, even if low key at the moment.
Am kuchu. It is funny realising that all the sins and evils that I am accused of in Uganda are actually a daily tool of choice by those who are supposedly holy and immaculate in their righteousness.
Byamugisha calls them out.

Will Rev Byamugisha be heeded?
Most probably not. Strike that…, Byamugisha will certainly NOT be heard or even listened to. Too many politicians, of the state and the churches and mosque are invested in anti-gay rhetoric. He will most likely be punished, if not openly, but definitely covertly. He dares to be ‘pro-gay’. Even Archbishop Welby of the Church of England was derided for being a homosexual promoter and demanded repent of the sin, by none other than Archbishop Kaziira of the Church of Uganda, who is Rev Byamugisha’s superior and boss.
But, it is good to have a breath of good air, in the toxic anti-gay smog and fog in Uganda. Byamugisha does the one thing that I fail to do.., speak in language that is understandable to Ugandans.

 

 

gug.