Why do I fight?

The question continues to haunt my thoughts.

Yesterday, seated on our verandah, came a child, a girl, about ten or so. She was well dressed. Knelt, greeted me, and told me she was hungry. Been sent to school for some function or other. Didnt have food for the day. Wanted some.

There is so much need all around me. I am a privileged person. I have internet. I have a job. I have an income. I have..., so many things which the rest of my people do not have. I am even sure that I will get a meal today. Reasonably sure.

So, why do I fight the wars about my sexuality? No worthier causes? [Well, my life might depend on it, life and liberty. But, I am a chameleone. I do not have to fight. I can blend in and hide for life. Yes. I can.]

And, this fight is a bitter one. So many chances of failure, of not getting through. The rewards? Uh, they can be bitter like lemons. Offered asylum to get out of the country? Or some regard by fellow kuchus? Or, the monies that many believe are my motivation?

Its complicated. Like the Facebook relationship status.

Why I fight, why I do whatever I do. It is complicated. Cant even begin to explain it to myself.

But, some news out of Africa. Maybe these things do offer a clue to the why of my 'fight'

The other day was World AIDS Day. And, the Independent ran this article. The bigotry that keeps Aids alive

Experts have long stated that HIV epidemics cannot be successfully quelled unless the underlying spread of HIV by male-to-male sex is addressed. Yet, across the globe, socially accepted homophobia and violence against sexual minorities have created barriers to HIV-prevention efforts in this population.

It is a horrific fact. Ssempa in Uganda... the statement of his that they cannot allow us HIV prevention programs. Us, as in gay Ugandans... that statement still reverberates in my mind. And, that of the Director General of Uganda's AIDS commission that gay men were one of the drivers of the epidemic, but the national program simply wouldnt target them.

That, that hatred is a fuel for me. You can hate me all you want. But, I will simply not lie down and die because you hate me. No way.

And, you did hear of The Prime Minister of Kenya' s statement? Yes, he is being asked to retract it. Kenya, our neighbour to the east, is amazing in some ways. Not least because Gay Kenyans do have a voice. We don't have that in Uganda. To continue with an extract from the Independent-

Raila Odinga, the Prime Minister of Kenya. On Sunday at a rally in his constituency, he said: "Homosexuals should be arrested and taken to the relevant authorities." What is happening in such situations, explains Dr Carr, is that people are "regarded as disposable, less than human".

They are "left with no protection under the law and no means of seeking redress for the wrongs done to them", he said.

Disposable. Less than human. Yes, in the eyes of Giles Muhame. Pastor Ssempa. Minister Buturo. Pastor Male, MP Bahati, that is what I am as a gay Ugandan. Disposable. Less than human. Hang Them!

When the anti-Homosexuality bill was introduced in parliament at the end of last year, I was pretty sure that it was a preparation for elections in Uganda. Yes, we are in the midst of politicking. Elections in February 2011. And, it is very cheap politics to rally the masses to persecute a minority. And one that cannot fight back.

Happened in Uganda.

Is happening in Senegal, across the continent.

Violence against homosexual men in Senegal has escalated in the past two years and may continue to rise before a presidential election in 2012, according to advocacy group Human Rights Watch.

Incidents of mob beatings, arbitrary arrests, police brutality and public discrimination and lynching were reported to the New York-based group and published in a report today released in the Dakar, the Senegalese capital.

The West African nation is one of 38 African countries that criminalizes homosexuality, and has become one of Africa’s most “abusive” enforcers of such laws, said Boris Dittrich, Human Rights Watch’s acting director for its lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights program.

“When elections are coming up and politicians are under scrutiny, all of a sudden there is more focus on homosexuality, because that’s a very easy target,” Dittrich said in a phone interview from New York.

Bigots and spreaders of hate are a reality in my world. And, I have no compunction exposing them. I have no compunction when I see them reaping what they sow. They spread misery with their words. They reap less than that.

Pastor Dr Martin 'eat da poo poo' Ssempa has learnt to keep his mouth shut. Because garbage spews from it. Hate and garbage. In Uganda, it is thought to be honey... by many. But, to his supporters outside the country, he is an embarrassment. And, pressure is being applied to bless him with these things.

He resigned from the 'Board of Reference' of Oral Roberts University. Good riddance....! I have no doubt that he was forced out. And, I am ruthless enough to be happy at his pain. [I am no Christian. I will not turn the other cheek. No thanks.]

Why do I fight?

I try to answer that question. I have failed to do so to my heart's content. What I do know is that I am still fighting. Bloody, stupid, unchosen war.

But, will I accept to be less than human? That seems to be the only alternative!

Have a great day.

gug

My Voice shall be Heard.

It is a pretty important voice, isnt it?!!!!!

Feel in the mood to blow a trumpet. Heap praise on myself for non-existent achievements. For, what have I achieved from my song?

Don't know... My voice is hoarse. Too hoarse... not the kind that is heard with much enthusiasm. And, my countrymates think it is a disaster for me to be heard. But, I am their countryman, and I do have a voice, and I choose to shout.

Now, for the last few months, I was off the air.

And then, when I came back, I started re-thinking my strategy. It is too easy to be a whiner. But, it is also easy to get on the high horse of righteous indignation, and let the anger burn and fuel one. It did me. And, I did what I thought was not possible. And the sword wore out the scabbard. Back to earth I crashed, and I was silent. For too long.

But, my voice has to be heard.

I have been following, ear to the ground, what has been happening. In the US, the sudden emphasis on bullying of teens, and the suicidal consequences. What happens in Uganda? In Africa? We don't know. Just got in touch with a former classmate who surprised me by confiding that he is gay. He lives and works in the villages of Uganda. And, though he confides that he is 'underground', he is frank that he knows of me. And that, I am 'over ground'. Asked myself the question, how is it to be gay and live in the villages, in the country side of Uganda? A nightmare...! What is it to be gay and a teen growing up, in the rural areas of Uganda?

I don't know. Yeah, freely admit it. I have fought my journey in a more urban setting. I know a lot about that. And, I know that we all come to Kampala.... the Mecca, so to say. Seek out the anonymity of the urbanised environment.

Hey, I know that a judge struck down 'don't ask don't tell'. Another of those curiously stupid laws. But, there are many of those. I have listened, and shrugged it off. Wasnt in the mood to open the blog and put down more of my opinion.

But, recently, I got across a report. It was made about HIV and programming amongst gay men in Uganda, Kenya.

I was disgusted.

You know of Uganda's fame as a country that has fought and turned the epidemic of HIV? No? Well, we are there amongst the 'greats'. It is in Uganda that many of the ground breaking research has been made. And, the politicians have been proud of that fact.

But, what of HIV amongst Gay men in Uganda?

Blank. A blank slate. I read through the report, knowing the facts, having lived them, but not recognising... because it is almost impossible to realise that it is only in Uganda that this could have happened. Homophobia is killing gay Ugandans with HIV. With ignorance. The people who matter in the country decided not to tell us that we were dying. They denied us knowledge, information, simple prevention tools. And, it was not a single instance. No, it was a systematic turning of a blind eye to everything that concerned gay men.

Why did they do this?

Because, doing otherwise is 'promotion of homosexuality'. The kind of thing that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 sought to make criminal.

Such broadcasted thoughts like these from Ssempa, who is very influential in Uganda, and Professor Apuuli are the iceberg showing the dinosaur beneath the surface.

"Gays are one of the drivers of HIV in Uganda, but because of meagre resources we cannot direct our programmes at them at this time," Mr Apuuli, chairman of the Uganda AIDS Commission, said today.

and from Ssempa, this guy who cries crocodile tears that he loves gay Ugandans..

“These people are just looking at ways of legitimising their practice, which is illegal and deviant in our society,” said Pastor Ssempa. “Our previous experience showed us that bringing homosexuals into campaigns against HIV only gives them a chance to propagate their illegal and unnatural acts.”

If I shut up, I will die, and be thrown into an unmarked grave.

What beat me was the contrast to our neighbour to the east, Kenya. Oh yes, Kenya is homophobic. But, they are leading the way. The Kenya AIDS Commission serves gay Kenyans. They have been delivering services. And they are leading the way in research.

Why the difference? Insane Christianity. False moralising.

So, I have no option. My voice has to be heard. And, don't I love yelling!

Caution. I am going to do it so well that, I will be heard.

gug

HIV's ugly head

Seems we spend too little time talking about this beast.

For gay men in Africa, it is a threat. We have to remember it. No. Not a threat like for the Ssempa's and the Bahati's who believe the only way that we can do HIV prevention for gay men is to put them in prison or kill them. But, it is a threat that we need to remember. Always. Here are two articles.

Secret gay sex fuels HIV spread in Africa

May 30, 2010 12:00 AM
By Claire Keeton
The hidden HIV epidemic among men in Africa who have sex with other men - many of whom have wives - is fuelling the Aids crisis on the continent.
"In Africa, HIV prevalence is high in young women and that's the picture we have of what's driving the epidemic," Professor Salim Abdool Karim, director of HIV/Aids research institution Caprisa, told the M2010 Microbicides conference this week.
"What's been forgotten is the hidden side of the epidemic, since same-sex relationships are criminalised in 37 out of 54 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
"In reality, HIV is really common among gay men throughout Africa. We simply don't talk about it."

Well, we simply have to start talking about HIV and gay sex amongst African men.
And, it is not only us who have to talk about it. Our HIV prevention programs have to deal with this problem head on.

Studies show that men who have sex with men are at high risk of HIV infection - particularly in Africa, where safe access to prevention tools and services is restricted.

Up to 3% of men in South Africa are thought to have had homosexual intercourse. In Tanzania the estimate is 2% to 3%, and in Kenya up to 0.9%.
About a third of these men report they are married or in stable heterosexual relationships. The overlapping of sexual networks allows the virus to thrive.
Viral fingerprinting (genotype data) has found that the strains of HIV circulating across gay and heterosexual networks match one another.
South Africa has one of the worst HIV prevalence rates in the world, and prevalence among men who have sex with men is similar to that of the general population, estimated at about 13%.
HIV prevention efforts aimed at men who sleep with men are needed - about 20% of new infections are among this group - yet health activists are hamstrung by widespread political and cultural hostility to same-sex relationships.
Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of the Global Fund to fight Aids, TB and Malaria, said in response to the recent imprisonment in Malawi of two men for being gay: "The criminalisation of individuals based on their sexual orientation is not just a human rights issue - it also ... drives sexual behaviour underground and creates an environment where HIV can more easily spread.
"This ultimately affects the broader population, in addition to the devastating impact it has on men who have sex with men."

It reminds me of what happened in 2007. We had an HIV meeting in Kampala, Uganda. And, at the beginning of that international conference, the Director General of Uganda's AIDS Programme was asked why Uganda didnt have an HIV programme for gay men. For the first time he acknowledged that gay men did have a problem. Called us one of the drivers of the epidemic. And then said there was not enough money for us to be targeted for HIV prevention.... Of course, what followed was the protest, and arrest and prosecution of some of us. History...!

In an accompanying editorial to the story, the author expands on her points.

Urgent need for human rights, HIV services for gay men in AfricaPosted: May 30th, 2010

By Claire Keeton
The criminalisation of men who have sex with men is driving gay relationships underground in Africa and this discrimination is contributing to the spread of HIV on the continent.
The urgent need for access to health services for men who have sex with men, respect for their sexual orientation and protection in law, and lobbying for their human rights, emerged clearly at the M2010 Microbicides: Building Bridges in HIV Prevention conference in Pittsburgh, in the US, this week.
That was a key point in my article in the Sunday Times today – but I feel concerned that the headline “Secret gay sex fuels HIV spread in Africa” conveys a negative message.
What I feel negative about is the intolerable discrimination against men who have sex with men and how that isolates them from prevention, care and treatment.

We do need to talk about HIV amongst gay men in Africa.

Not in thinking of newer and more draconian punishments to put gay men in prison or to death. Not to tell each other that gay Africans do not exist. And not to push the problem under the carpet, and gloss it over with the presumed virility of African men.

Talking about the problem, having HIV prevention programs, that is not 'promotion of homosexuality'. It is realistic dealing with the disease.

And, us gay African men, we need to really look at the problem from a very personal point of view.


gug

Africa News; From Kenya...,

Some news from accross Africa. Let us start with the quaintly funny...

kenyan male sex workers serve “politicians and religious leaders”



Nanjala Majale (BTM Correspondent)

MOMBASA – 26 January 2009: Panning out to Mombasa, the second largest city in Kenya, a young good-looking well-groomed man sits on a bamboo chaise lounge. He is a male sex worker, who caters only for male clientele.

He has a slightly bored expression on his face, but is willing to talk about his lifestyle and line of work.

“I don’t know why they think there are only a pocketful of homosexuals in this country”, Brian* mused before the interview even started, staring absentmindedly at his nails.

“Our main market is not the white tourists who come down here. We cater for people in Nairobi, Meru and even Mandera!”

He went on to say, in a slightly feminine tone, that last December he spent the entire month, fully paid, in Nairobi. “I had fun!” Brian enthused.

Brian is one of many male sex workers who cater exclusively to male clients.

He regularly attends one of four health centres that serve MSM in the coastal town, set up with the help of the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICHR) an institution that teaches men about safe sex practices and offers occasional counselling.

In a study published in the June 2007 edition of AIDS, researchers estimated that at least 739 MSM were selling sex to other men in and around the city of Mombasa, a “sizeable population that urgently needs to be targeted by HIV prevention strategies,” the research said.

24-year-old Brian says he initially got into the business to make money. “Nowadays sometimes I do it just for pleasure, but mostly it’s for the money. I work only five times a week,” he declared.

Asked whether he is a homosexual Brian confided “I was raped by a neighbour when I was about eight years old and from that time I started getting sexual urges – more for men than women. I didn’t take any action after the rape, because I was threatened”, he revealed, explaining that he suffered emotionally for a while before coming to terms with it.

“I started actively going with boys when I was in secondary school. I was in a boarding school and I had about 40 boyfriends during my four years of studying there,” he said with a seemingly shy but proud expression.

“I didn’t have sex with all of them, but I liked the romance. After college is when I came out and from then I would look for people who want serious relationships.”

Brian revealed that his first few relationships did not work. “Most people just wanted to have sex and then they would often cheat on me. I have never desired to have a sexual relationship with a woman though. Maybe one day I will, just to try.”

“In my business, I charge about KSH 1,200 per shot. But that’s on the lower side for the younger clients. I only give two shots, once at night and once in the morning. I don’t stretch myself.”

“I don’t like old guys,” he confided with a low voice, “so with those ones I charge a bit extra, about KSH 2,500 and that is just for the night.”

Brian says that despite the stigma that faces homosexuals, more specifically from society, police, and the church, their clientele is made up of people in these very segments.

It was revealed at a June 2007 conference on Peer Education, HIV and AIDS, in Nairobi, that MSM face high levels of stigma and discrimination.

Agnes Runyiri of ICHR said at the forum that homosexuality is considered taboo, un-African and anti-Christian.

“It [homosexuality] is very common. The only problem is stigma. That is why we are scared to come out. But in real sense, our clients are politicians, businessmen, religious leaders – I'm very sorry to say – but it’s true,” Brian pointed out.

Since every business has its own down sides Brian narrated that “sometimes you get bad customers who pay you less than the agreed amount or disappear with your money.”

“Luckily, I have never had a violent customer although I was in a violent relationship once. He used to beat me up and say that it was because I had become naughty, that is why I had to break it off”, he said shrugging.

He also underlined that safe sex is key in his line of work, and even generally with men who have sex with men.

“There is a safe clinic [ICHR] that I work with. I started as a peer educator, but since I have a background in journalism, I now work as a counsellor. We have very many gays, who are messing about and they don’t know that they are. We deal with prevention of HIV/AIDS and it is helping because many of us were dying.”

He says it’s unfortunate that homosexuals are mistreated in most health institutions, an issue which he thinks the government should look into.

“I wish that the government would sensitise the whole country to accept that this thing [homosexuality] is there and we have to help these guys out. The more we push it under the table, the more we are going to die.”

“What we need is health rights, not even marriage rights because I don't think even my family would allow me to do that [be a homosexual]. They need sensitisation. People don’t understand that we are normal human beings, it is just that our sexual preferences are different”, he concluded.

Health leaders call on Senegal to release 9 gay men arrested (BTM)

I don’t think the sequence of these events was coincidence. But then, I just read the news. Can we legislate HIV out of existence, or is it the proverbial ostritch head in the sand?

gug

SENEGAL – 15 January 2009: The Society for Aids in Africa (SAA) and the International Aids Society (IAS) call on Senegalese government to immediately release and drop charges against 9 men sentenced recently for 8 years each in prison based on sexual orientation.

Among those arrested work towards providing critical HIV prevention, care and treatment services among men who have sex with men (MSM).

The organisations and other leading international and regional institutions partnered to organise a groundbreaking International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) held in December last year in Dakar, Senegal.

At that conference, public health leaders, scientists, community and politicians all affirmed their support to meaningfully address HIV among MSM.

In closing at ICASA, IAS Executive Director Craig McClure said: "The unique partnership that has driven the HIV response has at its core the people living with HIV and the populations most vulnerable - women and youth, gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers and drug users. The communities most at risk and those living with the disease have shown us that the fight against HIV

is a fight for the human rights of all human beings."

Senegalese government officials, as hosts to this international gathering of 8000 HIV professionals, also publicly pledged their support to reducing HIV among sexual minorities during their speeches and presentations.

On 22December last year, just ten days after the ICASA conference, police officers raided apartment of an HIV prevention programme leader working with the Senegalese lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community, and arrested him and eight other men. Last week the men appeared in court to respond to charges of "criminal conspiracy and engaging in acts against the order of nature" where they were sentenced to eight years in jail.

Under Article 3.913 of the Senegalese penal code, homosexual acts are punishable by imprisonment of between one and five years and a fine of 100,000 ($200) to 1,500,000 ($3,000) CFA francs.

SAA and IAS believe criminalising sexual orientation has never been shown to reduce the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and Aids, and is an abuse of basic human rights.

From the perspective of science and sound public health policy, the SAA and IAS believe that all countries around the world must work respectfully with all communities of their population to stem the tide of inequality and to support disease prevention. Evidence shows us that criminalising and discriminating against any group of individuals serve to fuel the HIV and Aids epidemic by denying services and relevant prevention messages.

"The arrest of these men, based purely on their sexual orientation, represents a major setback for the Senegalese response to HIV, which is widely viewed as a model in Africa", said Joanna Mangueira, President of SAA.

According to UNAIDS, fewer than one in 20 men who have sex with men around the world has access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care - and even fewer in low-income settings like Senegal. Compared to the HIV testing rates of 63-85 percent seen among men who have sex with men in Australia, Europe, and North America, rates in this population in much of Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe are often under 20 percent.

As has been demonstrated in many different countries, reducing the social exclusion of gay and MSM communities through the promotion and protection of their human rights (including sexual rights and the right to health) is not only consistent with, but a prerequisite to good public health.

Once discriminatory policies are abolished and stigma and discrimination are confronted, country-based programmes can be put in place to encourage gay men and MSM to stay free of HIV infection, thus supporting national goals of reducing HIV burden.

News from Senegal, where the Africa wide HIV meeting was held

Senegal: Court Sentences Nine Men to

Heavy Jail Sentences for Sodomy

On December 19, 2008, police officers raided the apartment of Mr. Diadji Diouf, an important leader in the Senegalese lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, and arrested him and seven other men. Mr Diouf, who heads AIDES Senegal, an organization providing HIV prevention services to men who have sex with men (MSM), and his guests were taken to the SICAP Mbao police station where they were detained until December 24 before being transferred to the Maison D'arrêt et de détention de Rebeuss.

On January 8, 2008, the nine men appeared in court to respond to charges of criminal conspiracy and engaging in acts against the order of nature. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) was informed that lawyers for the defense had had limited access to case files and little time to prepare for the court hearing. The men were condemned to a sentence of 8 years in jail although the prosecutor had asked for a sentence of 5 years, which is the maximum penalty provided by Senegalese law in sodomy cases.

Under Article 3.913 of the Senegalese penal code, homosexual acts are punishable by imprisonment of between one and five years and a fine of 100,000 ($200) to 1,500,000 ($3,000) CFA francs. In February 2008, ten men and one woman were arrested in Dakar after a popular local magazine published photographs of a marriage ceremony between two Senegalese men. The publicity and arrests created tremendous public animosity toward LGBT people in Senegal. Statements such as "killing a homosexual is not a sin" and "they should all be well and truly eliminated from the face of the Earth!" appeared on websites. Many gay men and lesbians were attacked by mobs or driven from their homes. IGLHRC coordinated financial assistance for LGBT defenders and others at risk, and led an advocacy campaign demanding the detainees' release.

In the current case, IGLHRC is deeply concerned by what appears to be a violation of: a) the right to a free and fair trial, b) the right to privacy, and c) the right to freedom from discrimination. IGLHRC is working with local and international partners to find more information about the case and explore options for action.

Picked the article from BBC. Apparently, the sentence was harsher than it should have been. Reason, the guys arrested were members of an organisation for the prevention of HIV.

I am gay. And a member of organisation(s) for the prevention of HIV. What is ridiculous is the fact that, in Dec 2008, Senegal held an Africa wide meeting, ICASA, focused on HIV prevention. Apparently, it is okay to hold HIV prevention programme. But to do that for gay men, well, you will have to go to prison. And it is so bad that you will get a harsher than usual sentence. And in record time. Wow!

Here is the article from the BBC.

Senegal court jails nine gay men

Gay people say conditions are getting worse for them in Senegal

Nine gay men in Senegal have been sent to jail for "indecent conduct and unnatural acts".

Homosexual acts are illegal in Senegal but lawyers for the men said the sentence was the harshest ever handed down to gay men in the country.

The judge added three years to the maximum five-year sentence after ruling that the men were also members of a criminal organisation.

Most of them belonged to an association set up to fight HIV and Aids.

"This is the first time that the Senegalese legal system has handed down such a harsh sentence against gays," said Issa Diop, one of the men's four defence lawyers.

A Matter of Interpretation?

Debate is ongoing in India. The sodomy law, introduced by the British during the days as a colony is being challenged. LGBTI activists (and Public Health Proffessionals) argue that criminalisation of homosexuality is one of the key factors that has is important in the spread of HIV.

They argue that criminalisation should be repealed, so that HIV is tackled frankly and openly.

So, they have taken the state to court. And it seems to be a very interesting , the debate that is. But here is a point which the government is pushing vigorously.

Homosexuality needs to be curbed as it spreads HIV/AIDS: Centre to HC

7 Dec 2008, 1114 hrs IST, PTI

NEW DELHI: Justifying criminalisation of homosexuality in the country, the Centre has pleaded before the Delhi High that it is one of the main reasons for spread of HIV/AIDS

and needs to be curbed.

In a written submission filed by Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra, the Centre said that legalising Men having sex with Men (MSM), as pleaded by gay rights activists, would lead to spread of the dreaded disease and placed reports of various countries to substantiate its stand.

"In Zambia, one in three (33%) surveyed men who have sex with men tested HIV-positive. In the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, 43% of men who said they had sex only with other men were found to be living with HIV," the government said, quoting the United Nations report on Global AIDS Epidemic, 2008.

"In Bangkok, HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men rose from 17% in 2003 to 28% in 2005 and it is estimated that as many as 21% new HIV infections in Thailand in 2005 were attributable to unprotected sex between men," the Centre said.

The 100-page written submission was filed by the Centre as the court, while reserving the order, had allowed the government to file any additional submission in a written form.

Centre's response came on a PIL filed by gay rights activists seeking the court's direction to decriminalise gay sex among consenting adults in private.

At present, homosexuality is an offence in the country and Section 377 of Indian Penal Code provides punishment for up to life imprisonment for engaging in such acts.

Its so easy to refute this point that I wonder at how someone can still bring this up!

Singing a new song?

Dr. Nsaba-Buturo that is. Some quotes over the last few years from the gentleman.

“Buturo said that the law would be changed to increase the number of prosecutions.

"It is true that the law on homosexuality is not comprehensive and that the criminals just walk away and police find it difficult to prosecute," he said. "We need to address this gap."

"We want it to become law in that if someone is a homosexual or confesses to being a gay or lesbian, then he is a criminal," he added.

More quotes

“He said homosexuality – not war, famine, poverty and disease as many would like “us” to believe – is threatening the stability and prosperity of Uganda. “It is a mental disease and I believe people can change,” Dr Buturo added.

““We hear that some students in our schools have been lured into homosexuality. I appeal to the investigative arms of the government to quickly compile reports of such students and their schools so that tough action is taken against them,” he said.

Actually, the possible quotes are too many. Here is the new song.

Don’t harass homos – Buturo
Thursday, 27th November, 2008

By Vision Reporter

HOMOSEXUALS should not be discriminated against, ethics and integrity minister James Nsaba buturo has said.

buturo, who has been a strong critic of homosexuals, said although the Government does not agree with their lifestyle, they should not be harassed.

He said they should instead be accorded equal treatment just like any other Ugandans.

“They (homosexuals) say they are being harassed and discriminated against. This is not true. No one should discriminate against a sick person. They are entitled to getting drugs like all Ugandans,” buturo said.

buturo added: “They are our people who have unfortunately decided to take a different lifestyle.

They need counselling and help. As a Government, we pledge not to leave any body behind, especially when it comes to accessing HIV/AIDS drugs.”

buturo was speaking at a workshop for members of Parliament and civil society organisations on the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Draft Bill, 2008 at the Parliament.

The Bill prohibits any person from being denied employment, transfer or promotion on grounds of their HIV status.

Is it hypocrisy or not? The very person who is harassing us apparently is advocating not harassing us. So?????
I admit to being a little bit confused. Though the confusion is very likely in my mind and not his. Read the fine print. Homosexuals will get the drugs, but not lessons in HIV prevention....

GayUganda

From the Director General of Uganda AIDS Commission

‘Gay activities rife in schools’

Thursday, 21st August, 2008

SCHOOLS have become breeding grounds for homosexuality, according to Dr. Kihumuro Apuuli.

Anne Mugisa reports that the Aids Commission chief urged the education ministry to stamp out the vice. He, however, noted that parents and guardians had an even bigger responsibility to inculcate African values in their children.

‘The practice is common among young people between 15 and 24 years.’

He was answering questions about attacks against Uganda during the recent HIV/AIDS conference in Mexico. Many participants, he said, claimed that gay people were being harassed in the country.

‘We had quite adverse publicity in Mexico. Many speakers condemned our country but I believe we have strong values in terms of behaviour and what we think is right,’ said Apuuli,

It was difficult, he added for someone to depart from the values they are taught right from the time they were toddlers.

Over 30,000 people were at the conference. They included people living with HIV, scientists and policy makers and other stakeholders. Over 500 Ugandans from here and the Diaspora also participated.

---

Well, bang goes the thought that because he is a scientist, he is an ally. Was only my wishful thinking.

Playing the Victim

Do LGBTI in Uganda play the victim too much?

27th thinks that we do. We are victims. True, but we play it too much. (Now, he is going to ask where exactly he said that.)

But it is something that has been said before, even on this blog.

Kind of a fine line there. The fact that we are victims is acknowledged, with the immediate rejoinder that we play it up.

Do we?

I am not sure that we do.

Is it better for us not to cry? Or to cry back in our closets, alone and frightened, without anyone knowing what is happening? Alone, being gay and alone in a mass of heterosexuals can feel very lonely. Coming out of that closet does feel liberating. In a country like Uganda, one cannot be completely out. Today, I have just had another brush with the risks we take. In office, had taken a peep at the blog. I get out of the room, and a colleague comes in.

He definitely saw what was on the screen.

About 3 years ago, a gay friend of mine made a pass at this colleague, and we ended up at a police station. My friend stayed in police cell for 3 nights, as we arranged for suitable bribes. Fact.

So, this colleague comes into my ‘office’, he saw what was on my screen. He did not mention it. But I have been so ‘out’ that he may know. Or suspect, since that incident. And last year of course. I was not too shy.

Such a thing happens, routinely. And we don’t talk about it.

There is a kuchu friend that was mentioned in the red rug as always in and out of the police cells. He seems to be attracted to straight men only!!!! So he has made friends with some of the officers so that he comes out sooner rather than later. These are things that do not make the newspapers. We do pay off reporters who threaten to expose us. Again, clear eyed fact of life. Risks of being a kuchu in Uganda.

The HIV programme for Kuchus which we have never had, because Ssempa believes that the law should be implemented? That is, the police should arrest us for having sex so that HIV is not spread by gay sex. Again, we shouldn’t cry about that. We should get HIV, and go ahead and get the drugs. After all, they are supposed to be free in Uganda.

Now, I am wondering whether we do cry out enough?

I mean, it seems as if we have suffered too many indignities silently, and when we cry out our detractors say that we are being babies!

Ok.

No more pandering to those.

And I will continue relying on the allies that I can get, where they are, who can aid me. I will not be ashamed to cry out, because I will no longer cry silently. Rather than crying too little, I would rather cry too much. The excess will be accounted for by the times that I did not cry out, and I did suffer indignities in silence.


GayUganda

Lesbians and HIV in Africa

Equable weather. The sun not so hot as mild, a breeze from the lake, and a beautiful shadowing to the rays’ harshness by an overcast.

Once or twice it has threatened to rain, but not past threatening. Something within my bones say there will be no rain. At least not today.

Came across an article on HIV that caused me to blink.

From South Africa. Women who have sex with Women (WSW (ugh!) apparently have a lot of HIV.
Lesbians with HIV.

Reminded me of once when we were in a seminar for the Kuchu community. An HIV positive lady came up to talk about the fact that she was positive. I was seated besides another lady. She was flabbergasted.

“Have you heard her?” she demanded, turning to me, “ She says she got HIV, how could she? Where could she have got it from? Maybe from a man…’

I listened to the other talk. Was not revealed where she got HIV from, but the fact was impressed on us, even lesbians can and do get HIV from one another. Not the preserve of the ‘straights’ as many Ugandans believe. Curiously, in Uganda, gay men believe that they are not at risk of HIV.

Why should they be, when in 25 years of the epidemic, they have not heard of any gay HIV prevention concerns? The HIV preventive programs are more intent on preventing HIV spread by implementing the law against sex between men. Don’t believe me? Check out Ssempa’s words here.

I have looked at the available literature. It is a matter of fact that gay men are a high risk group. And also a matter of fact that gay women are a low risk group.

But you cannot generalize with that without research. In South Africa, lesbians are at risk because of a number of factors, including ‘curative rape’, unprotected sex, and the lack of knowledge. Would be interesting to ask lesbians in Uganda whether they are at risk. Bet you they would say they are not.

Gay men were asked, and they did not think they were at risk.

One of the problems, a hidden, closeted society. A society of the shadows.
One thing is sure. Kuchus will have to work on an HIV prevention campaign themselves if they are to go past the official inertia and homophobia.

GayUganda

HIV and Gay men

Its always a wonder to me. The fact that I can and do affirm that I am gay. That I am a gay Ugandan. And that I can actually be proud of the fact.

Yeah, pride is an important thing to have in oneself. Because of the fact that we can and easily believe that what the world believes of us is correct.

I got to this article, called an ‘abstract’, a summary of a scientific research paper. It was done in Kenya, and the statistics that I see here are frightening to me.

In Kenya, our neighbours to the east, they have managed to start doing HIV prevention amongst gay Kenyans. Kudos to them.

In Uganda, it is the opposite. The Ministry of Health does not comment. The Uganda AIDS Commission, re-known all over the world, does not apparently cater for gay men.

And the Churches (and Government) believe firmly that this should be so.

I do not understand all that is written in this paper. But I understand one statistic. Amongst the gay men who were tested in Kenya, the HIV infection was at least 43%.

What is the rate amongst gay Ugandans? We are supposed (in Uganda) to have a higher HIV infection rate. But even I know that it has never been 43% of the population. Indeed we (gay Ugandans) are at risk.

Yeah. I have to learn to be safe. But it galls me that homophobia in Uganda is so blatant in its capacity to prevent something as basic as HIV prevention amongst a vulnerable population. And they call themselves a ‘very religious….’

Here is the article.

HIV-1 infection in high risk men who have sex with men in Mombasa, Kenya.

22 Dec

AIDS. 21(18):2513-2520, November 30, 2007.

Sanders, Eduard J a,b; Graham, Susan M c; Okuku, Haile S a; van der Elst, Elise M a; Muhaari, Allan a; Davies, Alun a; Peshu, Norbert a; Price, Matthew d; McClelland, R Scott c; Smith, Adrian D e

Abstract:

Background: The role of homosexuality and anal sex practices in the African HIV -1 epidemic is not well described. We aimed to assess the risk factors for prevalent HIV-1 infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) to guide HIV-1 prevention efforts.

Methods: Socio-behavioural characteristics, signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases (STD), and serological evidence of HIV-1 were determined for 285 MSM at enrolment into a vaccine preparedness cohort study. We used multivariate logistic regression to assess risk factors for prevalent HIV-1 infection.

Results: HIV-1 prevalence was 43.0% [49/114, 95% confidence interval (CI), 34-52%] for men who reported sex with men exclusively (MSME), and 12.3% (21/171, 95% CI, 7-17%) for men who reported sex with both men and women (MSMW). Eighty-six (75%) MSME and 69 (40%) MSMW reported recent receptive anal sex. Among 174 MSM sexually active in the last week, 44% reported no use of condoms with casual partners. In the previous 3 months, 210 MSM (74%) reported payment for sex, and most clients (93%) were local residents. Prevalent HIV-1 infection was associated with recent receptive anal sex [odds ratio (OR), 6.1; 95% CI, 2.4-16], exclusive sex with men (OR, 6.3; 95% CI, 2.3-17), and increasing age (OR, 1.1 per year; 95% CI, 1.04-1.12). Only four MSM reported injecting drug use.

Conclusions: The high prevalence of HIV-1 in Kenyan MSM is probably attributable to unprotected receptive anal sex. There is an urgent need for HIV-1 prevention programmes to deliver targeted risk-reduction interventions and STD services to MSM in Kenya.

(C) 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

The World of Poetry; And Ssempa

Reading poetry this morning (a nasty subject to some, yeah), I got a wave of insight.

Poetry does fascinate me. It is a living expression of life. Enduring, though the verse itself may have been penned very long ago. I do not understand why many poems fascinate me. Some I do, others elude me. Yet I read them again and again, seeking what, I do not know.

Van Gogh’s boots. The subject need not be deep, (nor the artist sane) to produce a masterpiece.

The world of Poetry.

Dip my finger to taste,
the world of poetry;
huge, unexplored, open before me
to transport me to the top
of mountains, the depths of valleys,
craggy fjords and broken passes.
Its all there, laid out,
no paths to follow, but my heart to pursue;
uncharted, perilous waters,
with the promise of pearls, dangers of deaths,
yet my heart I’ll follow
to my journey’s end, romantic me.

©GayUganda 01 Dec. 2007

Today is World AIDS Day. Remembering the disease that has challenged human kind. The new disease, the new era.

I have just seen a crowd of young people move in a demonstration. Kampala road towards Bombo road. A rowdy, happy set. Boys and girls. And one of the banners read something like ‘Break the Abstinence Stigma’.

Only one person is an ‘Abstinence Campaigner’ in Uganda. Pastor Ssempa.

Odd’s life. Twenty somethings, who are militant in their demonisation of sex.

There is no doubt the guy is charismatic. And no doubt that that charisma is not wedded to great intelligence. With the charisma, he has weaved a virtual world of influence in the country. The university (like all universities) is a source of the idealistic, the impressionable young, who adore him. And take his teachings with uncritical awe. Talk to a man on the street and he will tell you that the guy must be mad. (How many people thought Mein Kampf the rumblings of a mad guy?) He is a populist, articulate, a rubble rouser. My luck that he has taken my sexuality as an easy target!

So, he has made himself my enemy. Too bad. And interesting. Where does his ambition aim? Because it certainly will not remain in the university.

He has made his mark on HIV prevention in the country. As an ‘Abstinence Campaigner’ and a proponent of ‘Abstinence and Being Faithful’ and burning condoms! The Bush connection has not hurt. He even gave testimony to the US congress on how our return to our African values (abstinence and being faithful) checked the spread of HIV in Uganda! (Reputed) support from the First Lady has not hurt.

And of course he believes that the way to fight HIV in the gay community in Uganda is to make sure that the Sodomy law in Uganda is enforced. Life imprisonment, maybe?
It is illegal. One does not make programs for the illegal. It is only necessary to enforce the law. His words.

Life is odd.

Sunday Evening

I think I owe you an update. Now that I can give it.

About a couple of weeks ago, I told you of an interview that I had with a reporter. And the fact that I was very apprehensive. I said then that I had rolled the dice, and did not have any control on how they landed.

Well, the interview was aired. On WBS-TV Sunday evening.

My debut on national television. Guess what, I was not anywhere near a television set!

It is hilarious. I was informed that the program was on the air, when I was on my way to a ‘joint’, a bar. We had left home when there was a power cut (they are becoming really common these days. Uncommonly common!), so we could not return. We continued to the bar.

Now, Sunday evening was special. Kampala, Uganda holds its collective breath when there is a major Premier League match being played. Forgive me, not the Ugandan Premier League- the English Premier League. What with the advent of satellite TV, and the fact that our local league had gained a terrible reputation, those who love the beautiful game (all Ugandans apparently) are usually tuned in.

I was informed that my debut on TV was imminent. I was impatient. How telegenic am I? That is a question any normal human being wants to know. Beamed miraculously into the homes of many Ugandans. I would have loved to see how suave I was. How collected and impressive!

Sadly, it was not to be. Most people on the streets were glued on the premiership match. Arsenal against Liverpool. Crowds in the bars where televisions sets were turned to the street to attract clientele. They stood on the sidewalks, and looked into the bars. I am not sure whether they bought anything. It was a tense match.

I don’t know when Liverpool scored the first goal. I know it was in the first half. Walking the street to my bar, there was this air of gloom. Little conversation, the tvs blaring, radio commentaries. The gloom of the evening was not in the low light. It was the atmosphere generated by so many people ‘feeling’ for Arsenal. I didn’t know that plucky club had such a following!

That was a detour.

About my telegenic self. I knew it was a risk to appear on tv. Too many uncontrolled variables. But I figured that it was worth it. Now with Pastor Ssempa arguing that we gay Ugandans were using HIV as entrée to gain acceptance. Of course we are. It is our lives on line. If we don’t wake up to the fact that we are dying slowly but surely, we will die. We must destroy those myths.

I know I have outed myself. One more time, that is, if you watched the WBS programme. If you didn’t, well, I don’t know how much you missed. I did not also!

When I got to the bar that I wanted to use, I found that there were two competing programmes. There was Arsenal vs Liverpool, the second half, and of course Maureen being ‘evicted’ from the Big Brother Africa 2 house. When I demanded that the channel be changed to see my self, I was woefully booed down. You know football fans. Anything about changing the channel at that moment is a capital crime offence. The punishment swiftly meted out.

I was in the bar when Arsenal equalised. The roar was deafening.

Thereafter, it was the match’s post-mortem. A verbal dissection of every move and counter move. Needless to say, my pleas for silence were not heard. Who wanted to hear about the risks of gay men and HIV?

I know I said my piece. And Ssempa said his piece, and the Uganda AIDS Commission said theirs. Yeah, you may have recognised me, or not, but then, that is a small price that I will pay. A progressively controlled outing to the whole of my Ugandan country mates.

To those who know my identity, please don’t use it as yet on this blog!!!! Let me retain that last bit of my anonymity!

GayUganda

PS. For the next week or so I may not post that regularly. Something has cropped up which needs my attention for the near future.

No, it is not the police at the door. The beauty of media is that once the broadcast is done, then one has to use legal means to check the discussion. Of course I am vulnerable in other ways, but those risks are bearable.

gug

HIV Prevention in Uganda

One thing really bothers me about HIV prevention campaigns in Uganda at the moment. They are purely and shamelessly driven by the morals of ‘good sex’. Does it work?

Someone has decided what constitutes good sex, and that is what is being promoted, in the name of HIV prevention.

For example, the current fad is that older men are preying on younger girls to have sex. So, campaigns are under way to target ‘something for something love’ and ‘cross generational sex’. It is being funded by the AID from the American Peoples (USAID)! Sorry, I was wrong. It is PEPFAR.

Sorry to all Bushites, but his influence is lasting more than a generation in Africa. Problem with these campaigns is that for me as a gay man, gay sex is considered immoral. So when will they decide to mount an HIV campaign for gay men in Uganda? They have not yet!

PS. Please, please, look at the spread from Daily Monitor today. Stupendous!

GayUganda