Promoting Homosexuality: Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023 text;

     I came across an article, questioning tongue in cheek whether Pope Francis would be guilty of ‘Promotion of Homosexuality’ in Uganda.

Knowing how broadly Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 is written, it made sense. Would Pope Francis’ embrace of kuchus (LGBTQ+) individuals be ‘promotion of homosexuality’?

In the context of Africa and homosexuality, the question is not theoretical. Archbishop Welby of the Church of England was accused by the GAFCON Primate of

 

“becoming a spokesperson and advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights..”

 

Archbishop Welby’s apparent crime was writing this letter to the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda. It reminds all that Anglicans are supposed to be committed to ‘pastoral care’ of the homosexuals and non-criminalisation of homosexuality.
Archbishop Welby was emphatically told to ‘repent’; apparently of the crime of LGBTQIA advocacy. From my reading of the text of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023 (below), for being a ‘spokesperson and advocate’ for LGBTQIA+ rights, Archbishop Welby is ‘promotion of homosexuality’ in Uganda.

As for Pope Francis, lets examine the text before we condemn or exonerate the old gentleman.

 

11.   Promotion of homosexuality

(1)    A Person who promotes homosexuality commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a period not exceeding twenty years.

(2)    A person promotes homosexuality where the person—

(b)    knowingly advertises, publishes, prints, broadcasts, distributes or causes the advertisement, publication, broadcasting or distribution  by any means, including the use of a computer, information system or the internet, of any material promoting or encouraging homosexuality or the commission of an offence under this Act;

 

(The blog is Promotion of homosexuality. Of course!)

 

(c)    provides financial support, whether in kind or cash, to facilitate activities that encourage homosexuality or the observance or normalisation of conduct prohibited under this Act;

 

(Funding for Kuchu (LGBTQ+) organisations is prohibited. Funders (finance, in kind) are targeted here. Should also mean UNAIDS and PEPFAR and Global Fund…, they support Kuchu HIV clinics…!)

 

(d)    knowingly leases or subleases, uses or allows another person to use any house, building or establishment for the purpose of undertaking activities that encourage homosexualities or any other offence under this Act

 

(Criminalising our landlords is a low blow indeed)

 

(e)     operates an organisation which promotes or encourages homosexuality or the observance or normalisation of conduct prohibited under this Act.

 

Yes. That takes care of LGBTQ+ organisations in Uganda.

[What about our kuchu clinics for HIV/AIDS?
No wonder the American ambassador was adamant to get the President’s word. The Americans refused to announce grants until the Ambassador met the President who then publically announced the HIV programming was not going to be targeted. It was only then that they released funds.
I don’t think USAID is going to be accused of ‘promotion’ … They are guilty ‘promotion of homosexuality’, according to the letter of the law. But, oh well. Good they did step in when they did.]

Continuing on Pope Francis’ guilt or not- from the text of the law above, Pope Francis is guilty…
Not the Catholic Church in Uganda. They are not guilty of ‘normalisation of conduct’. But Pope Francis is very guilty of ‘normalisation of homosexuality’. I can even cite page and verse. I would add the Catholic Catechism, but it is very apparent from the Catholic Fathers’ silence that the document gives a lot of leeway for action. They are not guilty of ‘promoting homosexuality.
Pope Francis is Guilty of ‘Promotion of Homosexuality’ in Uganda. Just like the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

A broad, comprehensive attack on the Kuchu, (LGBTQ+) in Uganda.
The individual Kuchu,  our organisations, our allies are under attack, directly and indirectly. Even our landlords are targeted. How the poor landlords should be liable for our activities is beyond imagination…, but that would be in a sane and rational world. Not Uganda

 And the sentences?

 

11.   Promotion of homosexuality

(3)    Where an offence prescribed under this section is committed by a legal entity, the court may—

(a)    impose a fine not exceeding fifty thousand currency points for breach of any of the provisions of this section;

(b)    suspend the licence of the entity for a period of ten years; or

(c)    cancel the licence granted to the entity.

 

The sentences are prison (custodial, up to 20 years, (11; (1) above); fines, and suspension of operating licences and de-registration of offending organisations.

 

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3) The Enduring Hypocrisy by GAFCON on care for the LGBTQ+ individual

 

This is a 3 part examination of the GAFCON tribe of the Anglican Communion. They outed themselves, I am glad to have the data! Part 3.

~~

Whats the whole deal with the Anglican Communion splitting because of Homosexuality?

It is actually an amazing thing. Despite what our in-country Reverands and Rt Reverands will tell us about how bad our sexuality is, there are others, of the same faith, who believe homosexuality is not the supreme evil we are told it is.

Yes. They are in a fight about that. The fight has been on for some time.

And yes, our Reverands and Rt Reverands of the Church of Uganda cannot beat up the other side. But, they can spend their anger and wrath on the poor homosexuals on the ground in Africa…, They can spend their wrath on Kuchus within their reach, not their peers with whom they have a problem.
Just like the Rt. Reverand Stephan Kaziimba, Archbishop of the Church of Uganda has done in Uganda.

The fight in the Anglican Communion is about ‘gay marriage’.
That’s the rough and ready about it. One side wants to bless gay marriage. The other feels this is very, very bad.

Uganda has a Constitutional amendment which effectively outlaws gay marriage. That was done as long ago as 2005.
So, this should not be an issue, should it?
The Anti-Homosexuality Act writes all of it into the law. Yeah, I know, me and other Ugandan Kuchus have not asked for gay marriage… Seems as if they wanted to make sure we never do so. Maybe.

And the whole thing of wanting to kill us?

Yes, life in prison, death, loss of job, reported to police by your neighbour… That is the Ugandan Kuchu’s Cross, the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023.

The Church of Uganda and its Bishops and Archbishop are supporting all that. For their own reasons, which in many ways don’t even concern us individually. They support our further criminalisation and killing. And of course they will not tell you that they have co-religionists who actually think that they are wrong and not nice because they want us in prison and dead. That is partly (or mostly) church politics.

Ugandan, and African Kuchu. When you hear our church leaders spit and say how evil homosexuality is, do not despair. It is matter of fact that that opinion is debatable.

After all, those on the other side are also Christians, no?
They include Pope Francis, Reigning Pontiff of the Catholic Church. And they include Archbishop Justin Webley, Archbishop of Cantebury, Primate of All England. [and of the Mother Church!]

 

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2) The Enduring Hypocrisy by GAFCON on care for the LGBTQ+ individual

 

This is going to be a 3 part examination of the GAFCON tribe of the Anglican Communion. They outed themselves, I am glad to have the data! Part 2.

~~~

So, when Welby, Archbishop and Primate of the Church of England wrote the letter to Kaziimba, Archbishop and Primate of the Church of Uganda. Continuing the saga of my analysis…, had the GAFCON primates promised pastoral care of LGBTQ individuals…?

I doubted it. The homophobia stinks from Kaziimba.., how could he, and the rest agree to that? But then, why are they acting so flustered, when Dr Welby quotes so? Did Dr Welby actually lie? What reason would he have to lie? This is what he said.

“the Primates of the Anglican Communion "condemned homophobic prejudice and violence and resolved to work together to offer pastoral care and loving service irrespective of sexual orientation."
We affirmed that this conviction arises out of our discipleship of Jesus Christ. We also “reaffirmed our rejection of criminal sanctions against same-sex attracted people” – and stated that “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 impression.””

I have gone through how Archbishop Kaziimba tries to lie and obfuscate, playing down the seriousness of the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023. Yeah, in answer to Archbishop Welby, Archbishop Kaziimba plain out defaults to the usual lies. Apparently, homosexuality was already criminal, and this act that the Church of Uganda supports with all their all didn’t do much…, except maybe .., criminalise the promotion of homosexuality.

“seem to think that the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 criminalizes homosexuality. It does not.
Homosexuality was already criminalized; it simply reaffirms what was already in the colonial-era penal code,”

He continues

“What is new is specifically outlawing the promotion of homosexuality”

Let us fact check the Righteous ‘Man of God’.
This is what Archbishop Kaziimba cheered on to the finish line; this is what ‘promotion of homosexuality’ must look like from Archbishop Kaziimba’s point of view: sending children to prison for having sex; life in prison, no parole for adults, the unrepentant homosexuals that Rev Laurent Mbanda cheers on; neighbour to report neighbour to the police with the reporting mandate, and of course the Death Penalty for us unrepentant homosexuals. Maybe the church will play a big part in ‘healing us’ as the state now empowers ‘rehabilitating the homosexual’.

Those links above get to the text of the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023. I dislike lies and obfuscation (unless am telling them). I don’t like presumed religious leaders telling lies.., acting like politicians.

Those are the beautiful things that Archbishop Kaziimba is defending and Rev Laurent Mbanda of GAFCON is co-defending. No wonder Dr Welby is daring to call him out, and GAFCON is playing the ‘colonialism’ card.

Amazing indeed. Dr Welby, just understand that revealing these things is not a good thing. We …, are…, incapable of admitting how correct you might be. We shall play the Colonialism card again. It is easy, it is within reach, and it obfuscates stuff that we don’t want to think about… We shall hold the Race Card close, ready to deal, anytime, any way. The Bible card.., well, always in play.

Sigh.., just wondering. What would the Nazarene have done? Food for thought, this week. What would the Nazarene have done?

 

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1) The Enduring Hypocrisy by GAFCON on care for the LGBTQ+ individual

 

This is going to be a 3 part examination of the GAFCON tribe of the Anglican Communion. They outed themselves, I am glad to have the data! Part 1.

~~~

Yes, I intentionally misspoke the title. Gafcon is the sub-tribe of Anglicans breaking from the Church of England and Wales. They claim they have 85% of all Anglicans, though the latter is the ‘Mother Church’.
Church politics. I would have zero interest in it.., except that I am kuchu, an LGBTQ+ individual, residing in a place they claim as their own. And, they are very, very powerful, temporally.

One of the GAFCON tribe, Archbishop Kaziinda, engineered the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 in Uganda. After it became law, with his enthusiastic support, the Church of England Primate, Archbishop Webley wrote a letter decrying the whole business. According to Archbishop Webley, this was not what they had agreed on, with regards to pastoral care of LGBTQ+ (Kuchu) individuals.

The GAFCON people hit back in a couple of letters. From the Primate of Uganda, Archbishop Kaziira who had engineered the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, and from The Most Rev. Laurent Mbanda, Chair of the Gafcon Primates Council.
No. They emphasized. They are NOT, and didn’t plan to be, Homosexual activists, or to promote LGBTQ+ rights.

Seems like a most embarrassing assertion, that the GAFCON primates would have a (pastoral) care for LGBTQ+ individuals..!
The tone of letters was interesting. And revelatory of what the GAFCON primates think.

Laurent Mbanda peppered the letter with scripture quotes. A most bible learned person. Fundamentalist, I must believe. Remember when the Nazarene cautioned to beware of those who pray loud in the public square to be seen and heard?

And he unhesitatingly pulled out the ‘Colonialism’ card.
Now, that is nasty.
And telling.

See, am an African. Colonialism, for most of us, was 60 years and more in the past. We have been independent and self governing over that time, only our elders actually remember the colonial times. We tend to bring out that particular card as a red herring and distraction.., our answers (we feel) will be lacking substance. It is a card played in near desperation..! In actual fact, when I saw that particular card, I went back to Dr Welby’s letter. It must have some clue. I accessed it, and read it for answers.
Is it possible that the substance of what he wrote was true? Did the GAFCON primates actually consent to these things?

“Anglicans around the world have long been united in our opposition to the criminalisation of homosexuality and LGBTQ+ people. Supporting such legislation is a fundamental departure from our commitment to uphold the freedom and dignity of all people. There is no justification for any province of the Anglican Communion to support such laws: not in our resolutions, not in our teachings, and not in the Gospel we share.”

The very defensiveness from GAFCON seems to imply there is something there. Still, it is amazing.
The Church of Uganda has rabidly painted itself the most homophobic entity in Uganda. Last time, in 2014, we had Martin Ssempa, leading demonstrations on the streets of Kampala, Jjinja, Mbarara, showing gay porn in church and other public venues. He was the face of the religious anti-gay thrust.

This time, 2023, it was the Rt. Rev. Dr. Steven Kaziimba, Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, who hands down takes the title chief homophobe. Did he really accept a document that would necessitate giving a little bit of love and pastoral care to the Kuchu?

Unbelievable? Yes. Unbelievable.

But, apparently Dr Welby has the data and ink. And the GAFCON people’s defensiveness is instructive.

 

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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.