Calling out the Ugandan Catholic Church’s Hypocritical Silence…

 

And, it is not poor old gug. Someone else, some other people noted the deafening silence from the Uganda Catholic Church Fathers who are still ‘waiting for the entire bill’ to be presented to them.

Here are Archbishop Ssemogerere’s own parsed words…

 

“the Catholic Church in Uganda will come up with one position after analysing and discussing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023, which Parliament passed on March 21.
“Regarding what has come out of Parliament once we have the entire Bill, as Fathers of the Catholic Church we will come together to discuss that Bill and give the position of the Catholic Church in Uganda.””

 

Let me check that time line. February to March 21^st 2023 was the whole brouhaha in the country. The Catholic Bishops were silent…
The Bill was sent to the President. The President sent it back with comments two months later. The bill was revised and sent back to the President. The President signed it.

Ahem, the bill became an Act, without the powerful Catholic Church’s input? 5 good months of this year, 2023 of our lord in silence?
Hypocrisy…, dear Holy Fathers. But that would be lying hypocrisy, isn’t it?

I noted it.

But, some more influential and much more knowledgeable people have also noted the glaring, deafening silence, over the last 5 months. The Catholic Church in Uganda has been Deaf. Dumb. and Blind.

How powerful is the Catholic Church in Uganda?
Oh, it actually is very, very powerful. And, it is Catholic faithful that have been at the helm of passing the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023. Speaker Anita Among, and MP Charles Ochen, a former Catholic priest was one of the movers on the bill at first reading…
But, how really powerful is the powerful Catholic Church in Uganda? Someone pointedly points that out.

 

“the Catholic Church’s influential role in Uganda, with nearly 40% of Ugandans identifying as Catholic. Catholic bishops, considered moral leaders by millions, hold a unique position of influence and could potentially shift the narrative around this inhumane legislation. . .”

 

And, another nexus of power, were the Catholic Bishops to come out against the Anti-Homosexuality Act, they would have the reigning Pontiff at their back. Pope Francis is solidly against the criminalisation of sexuality. He has said so, repeatedly. Last time as recently as February 2023 on a trip to DRC and South Sudan.
And, for reasons that I fail to understand, Pope Francis has sway with the populace in Uganda, the lay Catholics. At least that is my poor observation. But, I am not a believer, and I am not a Catholic, so I might be really mistaken.

And, Why the F*** would the Catholic Church come out against the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023?
Because it is against their teaching in quite a number of things. The Death Penalty. Criminalising behaviour that they see as just sin. Teaching to nurture and not to punish…., apparently it is spelt out in the Catechism or something like that.

 

“The Catechism of the Catholic Church denounces both the death penalty (n. 2306) and “unjust discrimination” against people with lesbian and gay people (n.2358).”

 

That is the kind of page and verse that I wouldn’t be able to quote.
Now, with an institution as centralised as the Catholic Church, having the Pope and the Church’s teaching in my corner would mean that I am on solid ground..,

But, in reading around, I have come to understand the apparent constraints on the power of the Pope. He has some powerful enemies. Particularly in the US. Conservatives, they are apparently called. So, the pressure on the Catholic Bishops in Uganda is not clear cut, nor is it going to bring a powerful sermon from Rubaga Cathedral, wonder of wonders, condemning the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023.
But, it is intriguing, that Catholic Dogma and the Pontiff are on this side of the question.

It is even interesting that an American Catholic Bishop (anti-Biden.., and Conservative apparently, Americans are really weird…) took a swipe at President Biden, but wouldn’t go as far as going against Catholic doctrine.

 

“the Church’s teaching against the death penalty is clear. The Church also clearly teaches that, while homosexual acts are gravely sinful, homosexual people must be ‘accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity’ and that ‘Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.'””

 

So, even Uganda’s Catholic Bishops conservative pals in America have a line beyond which Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 has strayed?!

Very interesting.
But, ultimately, the Catholic Bishops of Uganda unreservedly support the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023. They are not going to come out and challenge it. Not at all. The silence serves their purpose. They are as homophobic as most Ugandans and to hell with the Catechism’s specific teaching. (Hey, why shouldn’t I also indulge my honest anger a little bit? Just a tiny little bit, like calling out their hypocrisy!)That is the language they understand and I am unamused enough to tell truth unadorned.

Without parsing language at all, this quote below is the essence of what the Catholic Bishops of Uganda believe about homosexuality. This was not a slip of the tongue, a problem with language. This was a reflection of what most if not all Ugandans believe is the Uganda Catholic Church’s position on homosexuality.  This is the truth, unadorned.

 

“Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok of Lira, Uganda, called homosexuality “not human” in an Ash Wednesday homily”

 

How would that square with the Catholic Church Catechism…, this unbeliever wonders.
Yeah, we do have great examples of ‘Un-Christ-like Christians’.

 

gug

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.

Intellectualism, Ugandan Style

 

Ahem, indeed it is intellectualism, Ugandan style.

It seems as if everyone in Uganda is an expert on ‘Homosexuality’. Oh yes, I am speaking from the heights of experience in Uganda. Everyone, but everyone seems to know what exactly ‘homosexuality’ is about, and what to do about it. Leaders, to the man and woman on the street.
And much of this knowledge, pseudo-intellectualism is based on ignorance. Ignorance of basic sexuality, ignorance that homosexuals are actual human beings, and of course the chaining weights of prejudice. ‘Homosexuality’ is Ugandans’ defining prejudice. It brings out the stupid in us.

Take His Excellency the President.
In the speech when he called upon Africa to save the world from Homosexuality [Uh??!!!], his reasoning was that because homosexuals do not procreate…, yes, I am not joking, those are the words he is reported using. That because homosexuals do not procreate, humanity was in danger.

Yes. That was the gist of His Excellency the President’s appeal to Africa.

In Uganda, we are called ‘homosexuals’. Those who want to seem a bit more learned, sometimes deign to call us ‘gays’ or ‘lesbians’. We call ourselves Kuchus, to maintain a sense of our African identity [that our homophobic country mates would deny]. We are LGBTQ+ Africans.
If I told President Museveni that B stands for Bisexual, he would ask me what that means…
And I doubt that I would have the energy to tell him that we Kuchus don’t leave our ovaries and testes behind, just because we are kuchus. The explanation would be exhausting!

One ‘expert’, a PhD and lecturer-; his titles are Rt. Rev. Dr. Fred Sheldon Mwesigwa (PhD), Associate Professor of Religious Education intimates that the + in the LGBTQ+ intimates that more is to come, and what is to come is BESTIALITY. Unfortunately, that is not a lie.
This is the intellectualism regarding homosexuality in Uganda. Firmly rooted in ignorance and prejudice. And of course rejecting any view to the contrary. In that article, Sheldon Mwesigwa PhD rubbishes Dr Muniini Mulera’s article ‘Homosexuality, A Medical Doctor’s Perspective’. It challenged his understanding of ‘homosexuality’ and the concrete foundations of his prejudices. So, of course Muniini Mulera was wrong. Sheldon Mwesigwa went as far as trying to confirm that Muniini Mulera’s views were wrong. And, you know the sources that he used to confirm his bias? Other Ugandans. In Uganda. ‘Experts’ because they were of Muniini Mulera’s age group, and in the health proffesion. Critical Thinking, Ugandan style.

 Muniini Mulera got his insight working outsideUganda. In Uganda, prejudice and ignorance reign supreme, as Sheldon Mwesigwa shows, inelegantly.

Unfortunately, there is lots of evidence…,

From Archbishop Ssemwogerere of the Catholic Church for whom consensual sex acts morph somehow into non consensual and sex with children, Pastor Martin Ssempa’s obsession with ‘recruitment’, and we Kuchus’ apparent drive to ‘recruit’ Uganda’s children into ‘homosexuality’, to other bits and pieces of illogical nonsense.

Ignorance, the sheer burden of nonsense and prejudice cuddling up thinking. Even the Ministry of Health in Uganda doesn’t understand how the hell the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 impacts HIV/AIDS care and prevention in the country. Imagine, not even the gumption to ask why UNAIDS should be worried about HIV in the country … Its like a sort of intellectual laziness well informed by prejudice.

But, I am heavily prejudiced myself. I think we can do better. Sex, sexuality and sexual orientation is not rocket science. It is day to day knowledge, goodness’s sake!

Or maybe I should state that these nice doctors just don’t want to inform themselves? The information is free, everywhere that I note. Some of it authored by Ugandan researchers..! Shame.
Oh…, by the way. Addendum. To inform themselves, the good doctors need to get to sites that ‘promote homosexuality’… More Shame.

 

gug

Uganda Homosexuals Recruiting your Children

 

The many myths that Ugandans believe about Gay Ugandans.

‘We are coming for your children?’ Really?

Ugandans generally believe that gay Ugandans lust for other Ugandans’ children.
Stating it that baldly burns the sting. It is usually innuendo and nasty asides. We are ‘recruiting’. Recruiting who, and for what? Are we building up harems of young people? How can we afford it? Here is one influencer’s take, which was stated very boldly in the Monitor paper. 

“We have heard loads of evidence from young people, some of school-going age, sharing their experiences. The recruitment patterns are not very clear as these groups are highly organized, well-funded and connected to key people through whom they access their unsuspecting targets.”

Pure, undiluted nonsense. But this is what most Ugandans believe. The writer is a “commentator on peace, religion and society” in the Monitor.
From my experience, kuchu community in Uganda is so fractious and disorganised the only thing we can organise successfully is an orgy. ‘Too disorganised to organise an orgy in a brothel’. Crude, but spot on.

Where do they get this stuff?

Andrew Mwenda commented bluntly 

“If the problem is pedophilia (sex with underage kids or minors), which is what most Ugandans I listen to seem to insinuate, we have the law against defilement.”

It is insinuated, winked and nudged and hinted at. When kuchus who are out state bluntly that Ugandans are conflating (mixing) pedophilia with homosexuality, they say, oh no, no.
Paedophiles can be heterosexual or homosexual (of course). But, Ugandan group think is that all homosexuals are by definition paedophiles. And actively recruiting!

Ugandans understand the term ‘defilement’- sex with under-age girls.
Most would rubbish a statement that ‘All heterosexuals are paedophiles’. But, they entertain, indeed believe and promote that ‘All homosexuals are paedophiles’.

Here is the same Ugandan style rationalisation from no other than Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere of the Archdiocese of Kampala, of the Catholic Church in Uganda. 

““I think when you are homosexual and you are enticing this young person, you do the act and using all the money you have and you make him sick, the poor person goes to the hospital because of what you have done, that is a crime then. It is child abuse.””

So, if it is child abuse, aren’t their laws against child abuse in Uganda? Why are you targeting (ahem, okay; supporting the targeting) of God’s Holy Homosexuals?
And underlining Mwenda’s point: the sleight of hand insinuation, the slippery slope argument ending in homosexuals on death row. Pope Francis’ point of the difference between ‘crime’ and ‘sin’ is even more stack. [In the same article, The Archbishop shamelessly tries to parse the Pontiffs statement. Amazing]

Dearest Ugandans, in as much as not all heterosexuals adults are ‘defilers’, to think that we homosexuals are all ‘defilers’ and coming for your children is a serious issue with your thinking.
Yes, your pastors and religious leaders seem bent on spreading that lie, but you should have the sense to understand that it is simply untrue.
No, we gay Ugandans are NOT coming for your children!

 

gug