Sunday Vision Editorial

I felt so insulted by this editorial that I would like to burn the writer at the stake. But I have an inkling it is someone very high up in the Govt!!!!!

Just a thought! Though I respect the New Vision enough to know when someone is forcing their prejudice onto them. Well, it is the government mouthpiece.

But I bet David-Nicholas Kimbowa loves it! Hi Kimbowa, small question, ever had the joys of sex? Only a proffessional abstainer would give this kind of advice. Sex is too lovely a joy to punish myself with 'abstinence'!!! But that is me!

A tip for gays

ON Wednesday, gay activists were arrested over bursting into an HIV/AIDS meeting at Imperial Hotel Royale in Kampala.

Carrying placards pleading to participants to consider gays in the planning and prevention of the HIV/AIDS, it is reassuring that they too are aware of the pandemic.

Earlier Dr. Kihumuro Apuuli, the Director of Uganda Aids Commission, had called for the inclusion of gays in designing anti-HIV/AIDS strategies during the same forum.

The right of expression is guaranteed but it’s not absolute. It does not provide for legally proscribed groups and activities.

Whatever the arguments and concern, including human rights considerations, homosexuality is illegal. This curtails any programme for those with orientations against the course of nature.

Besides it’s not only in the law books, but the Uganda cultures abhor it too. It might be argued as sad, but the stark reality is there is no room for gays at the moment in Uganda. It will require a change of laws, cultures and customs for space to be created for them, which is impossible.

But it is not the end of the world for the gays. They have one, and very effective protection against catching HIV/AIDS and stress of the unnatural activities. Abstinence is the answer. They should try it out. It is free, cheap and about personal life.

It is healthy too. The heterosexuals may have three options ‘abstinence, being faithful and using condoms’ the ABC strategy. But it may not be a good thing to have many options. One, like abstinence, works better for the gays.

Published on: Saturday, 7th June, 2008

Is this genocide?

I am not willing to think the worst of people. My partner does. At the drop of the hat he will consider someone an enemy. Very combative he is. I am the other way. I still consider that Nsaba Buturo is just one of those believers who are adamantly anti-homosexual. And though I am a bit leery of Ssempa's brand of populist homophobia, I think he is someone in denial. (Someone actually attacked him on a radio talk show.) If he is, it is very sad. Historically we have been hurt a lot by those who are gays in denial. We have been hurt a lot. Think of McCarthy, and Craig who has just resigned.

Yet, if I take into mind these few facts I really wonder whether those who insist that there is a homosexual agenda do have a homophobia agenda. And that that agenda is genocide in Uganda.

Consider this.

Ssempa is an HIV activist, who has been awarded an MSc and a honorary PhD. Albeit there are because of his work on promoting Abstinence. But how can he say something like this-

"Homosexuals should absolutely not be included in Uganda's HIV/AIDS framework. It is a crime, and when you are trying to stamp out a crime you don't include it in your programmes," Ssempa said. "For instance, the solution to stopping HIV transmission through rape is not to provide the rapists with condoms, but to stop rape itself."

Is that really logical? Is it logical to be against an HIV prevention programme against one of the most vulnerable populations to HIV infection? The history of HIV is thick with the suffering of gay men. What is Ssempa really saying here?

Nsaba Buturo is a PhD in economics too. He is consistent in his promotion of ‘family values’ though the media in Uganda is leery because they do not seem to include corruption which is more of a pressing problem.

This guy has used his post as a Minister to oppose, vehemently any programme on HIV prevention. It was due to this that the Country Representative of UNAIDS was thrown out of the country.

Considering the fact that 27 years since the beginning of this epidemic the country has not had an HIV prevention programme, what has been the unseen effect on gay Ugandan men? How many have got HIV? How many have died? Are the homophobes consciously letting an unnatural selection against gay men take place in Uganda? Genocide, using the HIV virus?

Is this genocide pre-meditated?

I am beginning to think that it is. Am I just being paranoid?

GayUganda