Homosexuality, A Differing Point of View

 

When one is deep in Uganda the Village, and one’s world is awash in homophobia, it is very difficult to imagine that there are others out there in the world who have a differing point of view.
A point of view that is not homophobic, and frank peddling of homophobia.
Of course we are aware of our siblings, LGBTQ+ peoples of the world. And, we are happy to have their distant support. But.., in our minds and eyes, they are far, far away, and their views, though welcome, are tainted, because we think ourselves tainted, just because we are kuchu. LGBTQ+ human beings.

It is very important with regards to religion.

Our people are religious. Deeply, deeply religious. So are we, kuchus.
Personally I am not, and I have to remind myself all the time because the tide of faith and religious beliefs around me is suffocating and overwhelming.
And, almost all the ‘good’ religious people in our environment are utterly convinced of our ‘badness’. We are evil incarnate, say the believers in Uganda. Christian. Moslem. Even animists, it seems.

Actual understanding that the ‘orthodoxy’ in Uganda is challenged, challengeable by other believers, outside ‘Uganda the Village’, is amazing. It is very lonely out here, imbibing the homophobia from birth…, internalising it. A simple declaration that the pastor might be wrong is amazing.

So, Pope Francis actually believes that to be LGBTQ+ is not that bad?
Simply amazing. How many of the faithful, Catholics, know that? A vanishing few. For Kuchus who are catholic, that can literally be life saving knowledge.
I know the nuances of his ‘support’. I have been forced to know. That support, actually going to the point of washing sinners’ feet, a powerful Catholic ritual, speaks volumes.

You can read even more volumes from the resounding silence of the Catholic Bishops in Uganda, on the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023.
I must have missed their communication…, though I didn’t miss this columnist actually praising them for the silence. How…, odd?!

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s letter to the Church of Uganda and the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda did make some waves. Not as much as those that were made by Archbishop Kaziira’s intemperate answer. That did grab attention.
Again, the issue was, someone was willing to go the length of actually calling out the hate and homophobia that the ‘Man of God’ was airing in his ungentle gratitude.., gratitude that the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 was law of Uganda.

Yet another group, the Church of England Evangelical Council, has surprisingly differed with Archbishop Kaziira.
I don’t know much about the group, but, from what I am working out, they seem to believe a bit similar to Kaziira.. with regards to opposition to gay marriage.., BUT, they object, clearly and forcefully, to the extent Kaziira’s hate and homophobia is manifest. His apparently natural allies against Canterbury, also calling him out on his excesses.

“"We oppose the criminalization of consensual homosexual behavior, especially when combined with severe penalties and requirements to report people for their behavior," the Church of England Evangelical Council said. "We believe such laws encourage victimization of those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or same-sex attracted and make the church's commitment to listen to, care for, and disciple all people, regardless of sexual orientation, much more difficult to live out.””

My take?
Another opinion, differing from the apparent cement thick religious orthodoxy in Uganda the Village. Very welcome, in challenging the orthodoxy of scriptural hate from the scripture thumping GAFCON primates.

Nope. I don’t think of them as allies.
But, as people who I might not have to fight for my life and liberty, simply because of my sexuality. And, they do put a significant dent in the halo that ‘St’ Kaziira is building around himself in Uganda the Village.

 

gug

Is the Pope A Christian?

Very, very provocative question. Blasphemy. Lese majeste, since he is head of state. Provocative and insulting.., but, I claim my innocence as an unbeliever first, a very bad homosexual person and unrepentant sinner, as per the teaching of the prominent Christians who are there to shepherd and guide my understanding. Is the Pope, the Pontiff of the moment, Pope Francis a Christian?

Yes, I know you are not yet convinced that my question is genuine. Bear with me just a little more. A few more words.

From my (weak) knowledge of history, there was the Nazarene. Then there was the Catholic Church. Much later, there was a split, and there was the Church of England, Anglican. Those are facts, true?
So, Pope Francis is head, of the Catholic Church. And, for the current Church of England, it is Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury.

The Anglicans have been having problems. Issue apparently is my sexuality, specifically blessing gay couples in marriage. Some of them say broke off, but they say they are Anglicans…, the theology confuses me. They call themselves GAFCON.
So, comes Uganda. The Anglicans in Uganda engineer and support the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023. Archbishop Welby says that was not correct. He gives his reasons.

The GAFCON Anglicans are very angry. They tell Archbishop Welby that he is a sinner. That he should repent. They say they have broken from the Church of England because of the sins of the Church of England.

Now, by my calculations, the sins of Pope Francis are more than the sins of Archbishop Welby and the Church of England.

Pope Francis has said LGBTQ+ people, Kuchus as we call ourselves, homosexuals as most Ugandans including the GAFCON people call us, that we are sinners. He says that we should be treated with dignity.

Pope Francis is against criminalising us LGBTQ+ people, just like Archbishop Welby is.
He has washed the feet of sinners. He has dinned with sinners. Our bishops here say sinners are not to be dinned with or cozened. They (homosexuals) are sinners.

In my estimation, Pope Francis has sinned more than Archbishop Welby. At least in the estimation of the GAFCON Anglicans who are supposed to shepherd me, and others like me.

So, is the Pope a Christian?

Oh, I know, Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby have not done different from what the Nazarene would have done…, but only in my sinful expectations. And, I am an unbeliever.
The Nazarene associated with sinners. He walked with sinners. He stopped sinners from being punished. He spoke of loving neighbours as one loves themselves. He even dinned with sinners, for which he was heavily condemned, because he dined with sinners.
Seems as if Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby seem to be acting like the Nazarene. But, the GAFCON shepherds here say that that is sinful.

So, Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby are sinners. Are they Christian?

A humble question, from a self confessed sinner.

 

gug.

Schism Politics of the Anglican Communion on Homosexuality

 Oh yeah, the politics of schism in the Anglican Communion. Spilt out exposed- with my sexuality the apparent catalyst.

But, the vitriol flying is deafening. Surely these people don’t really mind that I slept with a man like myself last night? Well, the sex was good.., how the hell does it concern…,

Sorry. I also slide off the path. Frequently.

So, apparently the ‘Anglican Communion’ is split. Those in England side want to bless (LGBTQ+) kuchu unions. Those in Uganda, in the clan called GAFCON, are not willing to bless kuchu unions.
I wish it was that simple, but even to an observer on the outside, blessing kuchu unions seems to be only the catalyst. For the wrath, rage, fire and spit flying in public. Lots of repressed anger there.

So, with the Primate (Archbishop) of the Church of Uganda enthusiastically championing Life Imprisonment and Death for the homosexual in Uganda, the Primate of All England issued a rebuke. Apparently first in private, and then in public.
The Primate England (Archbishop Webley) was concerned about support of Anglicans for further criminalisation and death penalty for homosexuals. That was not Anglican…, apparently they had had a resolution, [Lambeth 1.1 or something like that], against criminalisation. That Kaziimba Mugalu openly thought that rubbish was a pain, said his brother Anglican Wezley.

Vitriol flew:

“Stupid”, [my paraphrase], says Kaziimba Mugalu. You don’t know anything about what you are saying, you Primate of England.
[Eiissshh…, anyone who doesn’t know what is happening with the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 must be living in heaven…, or hell? It is 2023.., and the debate in Uganda and outside Uganda has been LOUD!]

‘The Death penalty was in the Penal Code before’, says Kaziimba Mugalu.
[I think that is a lie…, we homosexuals were not being sentenced to life in prison, let alone death for the crime of loving each other. But, he is ‘Man of God’, surely he doesn’t lie so openly? Oh yes, he does lie, the Archbishop]

‘The Criminalisation was there from colonial times’, shouts Kaziimba Mugalu.
Seems kind of contradictory. It was there, yes? From more than half a century ago, a colonial legacy you point out…, don’t you think it is time to stand on your feet, Uganda? Own it, like you did in the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023.

Repent…,! Repent Webley, Repent of the sin of advocacy for homosexuals. [He must have been seething in Namirembe?!!] Repent
Webley ‘must repent for not supporting the criminalisation of LGBTQ+ people.” quotes South African MambaOnline.., cheeky, but accurate.

‘Colonialism’, shouts Kaziimba Mugalu.
Hey, I told you this was a brawl, on the internet. Okay, from the GAFCON clan side. The Primate of Rwanda is apparently the spokesperson for the GAFCON clan. And he supported his friend in Uganda.  It seems as if Webley of England cast a stone and the bonfire erupted. Tinder dry, it was waiting, and every nasty name was ready.
Apparently, when concern and advice comes from England, it is ‘colonial’. When the advice comes from Uganda, shouted to ‘repent’ and turn to god, well, it is pure loving concern…!

And the ultimate. ‘You don’t have the right’ !!! We broke up, we are no longer with you…’
Okay.., okay, okay brothers. Chill, a little, please. We understand, we understand. When there is a break up in the family, the emotions can fly high. We don’t need to have all the dirty laundry out to dry.
It is supremely educative and embarrassing and eye opening.

We suspected before…, it is not that I love men, and have sex with them. Yeah, of course I was not naïve to think it was just me…, but, a sense of err, decency?

And, with the huge fight of the elephants in the room, we the grass who will rot and die in prison as gallows food…, err, is it possible to slip in a word that you are supposedly ‘Christian’? I mean, the world might doubt that, if they don’t already…, ahem, ahem.

 

gug

Un-christ-like Christians

Listen to this language from Welby, Archbishop and Primate of the Church of All England.

“God’s love for every human being is the same, regardless of their sexuality, and that the Church should never by its actions give any other impressions ..,
reminding them of the commitments we have made as Anglicans to treat every person with the care and respect they deserve as children of God.””

Goodness, gracious me, Welby is writing to Kaziimba Mugalu, Archbishop and Primate of the Church of Uganda, and intimating that LGBTQ+ persons are actually human beings, deserving of ‘care and respect’ as ‘children of God’.!

Very, very, very subversive language.
Would the Nazarene ever say such things?

The Most Rev Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Uganda called out the other Primate. Repent!!! Colonialist!  Anti-Scriptural!

Well, Welby’s language is similar to that used by Pope Francis; “Homosexuality is a sin. It should not be criminalised. It is a sin as much as adultery is a sin. And LGBTQ+ individuals (kuchus) should be treated with dignity.”

Goodness gracious me. Subversive language, (against) the very Scriptures, from the heads of the two ‘Mother Churches’; that is the wording, no?

Before that onslaught of loving goodness…, [ahem, ahem, ahem] from the Catholic Church pontiff, Uganda’s Catholic Bishops have run off into a heavy silence. The Anglican Church of Uganda Bishops are unrestrained in saying what they will.

Bishop Godfrey Loum, of the Church of Uganda, Northern Uganda Diocese piously commits to ministry to the sinners.., but, as sinners, he notes. The distinction must be noted. They are sinners, not to be cozened, but to repent and get out of those sins… ‘We don’t dine with them’.
Meanwhile over Easter, Pope Francis was dining with sinners. And washing their feet... In a prison in Rome.
I wonder, were there any LGBTQ+ prisoners amongst those whose feet were washed?

The lines are drawn. ‘Christ-like’ and ‘Non-Christ-like’ Christians, or so it seems. Love, against disdain and ‘scriptural condemnation’. What, indeed, would Jesus do?

 

gug

Courage

A militant mood.

In one of our chats, a Kenyan friend came out swinging. They are hitting out at us. Why are we not hitting back.

Hold on, I said. That is not strategic. Whimp, was the others unspoken reply.

Then, another, a Ugandan, also came out swinging in an unrelated conversation. Why are we always defending ourselves. We can go out burning in glory.
The sudden ire was contagious. Someone else calmed down that situation.

But, my thought was, push a man against a wall, and you may be suprised at their reaction.

Me too. I am kind of tired being given all the nice, well ordered reasons on why I do not belong. There are a thousand and one. Beginning from some venerable books, which in a pique I threw overboard. Someone sent me this statement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Lavner

"There are 6 admonishments in the Bible concerning homosexual activity and our enemies are always throwing them up to us usually in a vicious way and very much out of context. What they don't want us to remember is that there are 362 admonishments in the Bible concerning heterosexual activity. I don't mean to imply by this that God doesn't love straight people, only that they seem to require a great deal more supervision."

A laugh. Of course [amused], straight people need much more supervision. We kind of know where all the bits and pieces are. So [dont] the straight, if you understand what I mean...!
---

To the Church, the Episcopal Church in America. Kudos!

That lady, the Rt. Rev Mary Glasspool, has become the first. No, the second, openly gay person to become a Bishop of the Church. Pic from the Guardian.

From all my rumblings on this blog, it is quite clear to me that I do not trust the church. No, I dont.

But, I realise that, for some reason that I cannot fathom, many of us gay people are attracted to church and faith and religion. But, we have had to live a life of hiding. Kudos to people who are willing to accept us for what we are. Kudos, Madame Bishop. You make us proud, you and Robinson.

I am a Ugandan. We Africans, with our tribes, are born and steeped in the territorialism of ethnic and other identity. But, I rebel against that kind of thinking. Glasspool will forever be known as the Lesbian Bishop. Robinson is the Gay Bishop. So be it.

I am not happy with the stereotyping, the blinding, the sight of nothing of the person but their sexuality. But, I am quite happy that, with the election of bishops as it is, that fellow 'straight' counterparts took other than her sexuality into consideration, and rejected narrow mindedness. Because, that is what it is.

Kudos, to the Episcopal Church of America. Because, that decision was great. Ask the Archbishop of Canterbury. He has failed to make that decision. On the humanity of Gay and Lesbian people.

Dr. Rowan Williams. The ball is in your court. Literally.

Tough, not so? My opinion.

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Now, about gay people who bash gay people. Especially in politics. Someone takes a hard and tough look at that. Of course, it is hypocrisy of the worst kind. Take this Senator who said

His votes, explained Ashburn, reflected his “duty to represent my constituents,” the vast majority of whom, in his opinion, were against various rights for gays. Left unasked and unanswered was the natural follow-up: at what point does catering to a presumably bigoted constituency (particularly by one who belongs to a group that is the object of that bigotry) become not just hypocritical but downright immoral? The question, of course, is not just one for Ashburn, but for politicians everywhere who seek political gain from advocating discrimination.

Dah. And cowardice. A cowardice I must admit to knowing all too well. But, cowardice all the same. The last thing that I will do is to betray myself. Because, if I do that, then what the hell am I doing for anyone else?
There is more about Dr. Sylvia Tamale... but, if I bring it here, then what will you read there?

Courage is one tough thing. I am appreciating, more and more, how we all do lack courage. In a huge way.

In Uganda, the Baganda are simmering, simmering, simmering. Nothing highlighted that as much as their impotence when the Royal Tombs were torched. And then the central government comes in with people shooting the mourners. I wonder at how people think. For the last few months, the Central government has been in a war of egos, fighting against a particular ethnic group. How could they even dream of being able to reverse that at the burning of a cultural relic?

I will not fail to ask again. Doesnt anyone in government have a cell of sense left?!

Now, I am feeling very, very viscious.

Here are some Screen grabs of Dear Pastor Ssempa showing Gay porn. Look at the audience.

Photo Credit, Paul Canning
Rapt audience, dont you think?

And, from one of the Cabinet ministers. Someone keeps touching my thigh....!




gug

Food for thought

By now, the whole world knows that my schizophrenic countrymates want to kill off people like me, because it is what the Bible says.
Well, at least that is what they read as their Holy Book. Calm down, I do know that not everyone supports them. I know some Christians have come out to condemn them. And, I know that some Christians have taken the unprecedented step of criticizing them openly. Yes, they have.

First, here is the Bill under contention. The full text.

But, you know what, the Fundamentalist Christians in Uganda, they have come out swinging. They wrote to Rick Warren, demanding a biblical apology within 7 days, or, (dont know, will they give a biblical curse? Pastors in Uganda are feared for that...!) Here is their letter.

Oh, the letter is completely schizophrenic. I am told that that fancy word means lunatic, or lunacy. It has mainly been written by Ssempa, Pastor Martin Ssempa, once upon a time, a friend of Rick Warren who is now disowned.

Now, there is the rub. Ssempa is very willing to play the spoilt child. 'Daddy, Daddy, if you dont give me my sweet, that means you dont love me'. And, he has gone off into a decided sulk. And, told the whole world about Daddy's disgusting behaviour. Well, Pastor Warren, I am keeping my fingers crossed. That saga may be more interesting than the Pastor wars in Uganda. If you want to know about them, why, check them out here..... I will follow them avidly. I will call them the International Pastor Wars....

See, here in this backwater, Uganda, we dont need soap operas. We make them, live.

But, food for thought. There is no way that Rick Warren and Ssempa can think the same thing. Warren is going to be flabaggasted by his erstwhile friend, who is purpose driven to fight the evil of homosexuality, how he challenges him to go ahead and support the Bill. Remember that Ssempa supports absolutely the Bill as it was written. He said so, and, if it wasnt for international opposition, that is how Ssempa wanted the bill passed. So, Rick Warren, and Ssempa Martin. Friends, now ripped apart.

Same as Luke Orombi, Archbishop of Uganda. But, Orombi seems to have played Canterbury into leaning over till he snapped. Canterbury is broken. Oh, my assesment. My assesment.

Anyway, when you ally with mad allies, sooner or later, you understand how different you are from them.

I came across this rabid assesment of the situation from Ssempa and Male. Please, hold in the laughter until the end. These guys are very, very serious.

Two outspoken Evengelical pastors, Solomon Male and Martin Sempa have come out strongly against the pressure from the western world on Uganda over the proposed anti-homosexuality bill.

Appearing on the Sanyu FM breakfast show this morning, Monday Dec. 21, 2009, Male said the claims that homosexuality is an innate, inborn trait, is false and said he has counseled homosexuals who later turned to a normal sexual tendency.

Asked by co-host Fatboy why a few pastors and other clergymen in Uganda were holding out when even some conservative pastors like Rick Warren of the United States have expressed their opposition to the death penalty for homosexuality in Uganda, Male said this was a sign that some pastors were compromising with the world order.

Martin Sempa, speaking to Sanyu FM on phone said: "There's a widening shift between the western church and the African church. Just last week in Rick Waren's area, they ordained a lesbian as a bishop, Mary Glasspore. Rick Warren has not seen at all to make a statement about that. You know, the Anglican church broke away from fellowship with the western Anglican church. So there is increasing denial of the authenticity of the word of God, decisions are made based on emotion."

Solomon Male is one of the friends of Ssempa who are determined to kick homosexuality out of Uganda. Me, my interest is to fan the flames into a full fledged blow. They were on the same side in the Pastor Wars; the local version. They are allies in the International Version.

 Well, to the food for thought. What do you think Rick Warren is thinking?

Another gay man, American I think, examines this thing and comes to some thoughtful conclusions. Wake up..!

You don’t have to go far to find examples of our opponents subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) invoking pedophilia and child molestation when they’re asked about homosexuality.  But you’d be hard pressed to find a more explicit, concise and complete conflation of the two distinct subjects than in this letter from Uganda’s Martin Ssempa to Rick Warren about Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill.  There are precious few paragraphs that do not explicitly misdescribe the bill’s goal in terms of protecting children from rape, and those few fill the gap by repeated use of the word “evil” to describe gays.

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I am glad Warren has now taken a firm stand against the criminalization of adult, voluntary same-sex relations.  He will find, if he takes the time to think about it, that it needs no great leap of logic to see that a love that should not be criminalized might also be worth recognizing – at least if you think committed love is a socially good thing.

But the bigger issue for Warren, I think, is to look hard at the tactics and intent of the people who cite him for his anti-gay support.  Warren has distanced himself from Ssempa, but why does Ssempa believe Warren should be at his side?  Can he see, in Martin Ssempa, a little bit of what it is we have to fight every day of our lives?  I can only hope Warren will understand us a little better now that he, too, is the object of one of our ruthless, amoral enemies.

 Ssempa is indeed a ruthless, and amoral enemy. All in the name of God, of course.

Solomon Male is of the same ilk. But, Male's charisma and, shall I say education, limit him. But, he might be worse than Ssempa in his ruthlessness.

Another Christian examines the meaning of all this. I cant say am any sort of expert on the Christian scene in the west, but, I do know that the sort of soul searching that this thing has caused in the west is well worth it. The kind of, know your friends, the shock, the sight of reality. As we see it from this side of the pond, especially. A rude awakening.

What could cause these Ugandan Pastor’s to believe they were wronged by Warren…to the point they now ask him to apologize? Could it be they misunderstood Warren’s PDP?. It sounds as though they got the impression that extreme legislation needed to be enacted to combat the sin of homosexuality. Either Warren has a secret agenda to imprison or kill all homosexuals (which I don’t believe) or somehow they misunderstood..

Frankly I’m deeply troubled by ministries like Warren’s, going into countries like Uganda and spreading their false doctrines. These countries [like Rwanda and Uganda] have enough problems. They don’t need the Purpose Driven Program, or US political figures from the group ‘The Family’ carrying in dominionist teachings. What they need, as do we, is Jesus Christ.

Well, a wake up call indeed.

Pardon me, but, I am strongly reminded of another preacher of a radical brand of religion. Or preachers. Osama bin Laden, Al Quaeda, and the Talibans. You are either with them, or against. No middle ground.

But, it is highly likely that being gay, my mental faculties are at fault here. But, but, radical fundamentalist Christian preachers anywhere? They do exist. Check Martin Ssempa, Solomon Male (incidentally, the accent is on the l to make it strong. Not like the masculine half of a specie...)

Eh, will post this in the morning. Good morning to you all!

gug