Dedicated to Ssempa

Yes, believe me.

I am dedicating this post to Pastor Martin Ssempa. Anti-gay nemesis of Uganda. The man who, even before homosexuality in Uganda was a political hot button and homophobia a vote getter, the man who was obsessed enough to pursue an anti-gay campaign.

I am dedicating it to the 'Inter-Faith Rainbow coalition against Homosexuality in Uganda'. I believe that is the full name. For which Ssempa is the official spokesperson, and Isaac Eyalama the mobiliser.

I dedicate it to all the anti-gay people who have come and debated me in the name of love, which I call hate.

I dedicate it to Kiwewesi. Poor guy, you may find meaning on your journey in life.

I dedicate it to Kimbowa, Tovi, and all members of Pastor Ssempa's Makerere University Community Church, bastion of the fight against homosexuality in Uganda.

Hold,

why should I dedicate something to people who will never, ever read it?

Because, Kimbowa, Tovi, Nevender, when I say you hate me, you do not understand why I say so. When I say you persecute me, you do not understand what I mean by that. You hold your holy books and bring them down, in a passion of holy fury. Hating me, but that hate blinded to believe that it is love.

Well, you do not believe my journey. And I have written bits and pieces of it here, enough to give a few hints. But someone has summarised his journey, his very long journey. One that took years, more than mine has. His struggles and fears, his sexuality and religion.

So, it may be a bit graphical. You are all adults. I dont think my challenge to know a bit of truth about me and my sexuality will embarass you too much. Truth has a cost. Always.

And this truth has a huge cost.

My challenge to you, is that you read of this one man's journey through life.

It is here. A Life of Un-Learning; A Journey to find the Truth

Ok, before I chicken out, I am also dedicating it to a certain, verbose, articulate hater of all things religion, especially Christian... Release that hate, I say. That is, err, you, gug!


Thanks Anthony Venn-Brown. For sharing your story of course.

Hey, seems the doctor put himself on the receiving end!

Homosexuality is a moral disease Tuesday, 30th September, 2008

By Isaac Eyalama

I write in response to an article by Dr. Paul Semugoma titled “Same sex attraction is not a disease,” that was published in The New Vision of September 18. The issue the writer seems to advocate in his article is the acceptance of this vice. But is such behaviour rational, scientifically functional or detrimental to the high level of civilisation that we have achieved?

By claiming their relationships are normal, homosexuals are trying to influence the Government to legally bless their unions. They hope to indoctrinate society to accept it.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “In the biological evolutionary scale, the more complex the species, the longer the offspring is dependent on its mother for survival from the time of birth to maturity.”

Human beings, at the top of the evolutionary scale, require the most time of all species to reach maturity. This increases the duties of parents to their children. The best chance for the successful development of the child into adulthood occurs when both parents are deeply involved throughout the period of child rearing. Hence, marriage lays the foundation for the traditional nuclear family, whose basic constituents are mother, father and a child, and which is the primary unit for ensuring the procreation of human beings and the preservation of their societies.

Scientifically, sex is a means to an end; the end being the propagation of the human race. This end can never be fulfilled by sex between males or females. Therefore,homosexuality is irrational and illogical.

According to psychiatrists Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung who were objective and unprejudiced, psychologically, homosexuality is abnormal. However, large scale lobbying by homosexuals and certain psychologists biased this scientific field of inquiry hence the truth became masked.

Abnormal sexual preference, even when it becomes ‘normal’ to an individual due to abnormal circumstances can be controlled. Just because certain individuals experience sexual desires towards members of the same sex, because something went wrong in their lives does mean that that their behaviour should be accepted.

There is no doubt that Christianity, Islam and traditional religions in Africa strongly condemn homosexuality. According to the Old Testament and the Koran, the people of Lot’s days were destroyed because they engaged in homosexual behaviour, they did not repent and accepting God’s admonishment (Genesis chapter 13, 14, 18, 19 and the Koran 7: 80-84; 4:16).

In Romans 1:22-27), Paul says: “Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error.”

Studies have shown that homosexuality increases the risk of getting HIV/AIDS. Anal sex can cause rectal bleeding and thereby allowing easy transmission of HIV.

It is estimated that the majority of people with HIV/AIDS in the US today are homosexual or bi-sexual males. According the General Social Survey of the University of Chicago homosexual men were at the highest risk of contracting HIV.

The cost of treating people with HIV/AIDS is high. We must, therefore, mitigate its spread.

Dr. Semugoma argued that homosexuality as a natural phenomenon even in the animal kingdom but a comparison of this vice in men with intellect is not justified. Animals at times kill and eat their offspring. We cannot, therefore, justify the killing of our children just because it happens in the animal kingdom

Common sense, science, logic, psychology and religion have contributed to its civilisation. Homosexuality is irrational, illogical, abnormal and immoral behaviour. However, We should not condemn people who practise homosexuality but rather criticise their behaviour and help them find solutions to their problem.

The writer is a public health
professional and mobilisation secretary for the Inter-Faith Rainbow Coalition Against Homosexuality in Uganda