Kenya’s ‘Family Protection’ Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Parliament

Kenyan MP George Kaluma journeyed to Uganda for that conference. The conference where Ms Sharon Slater schooled Africans on matters of African sovereignty, and Traditional Family Values. [Doesn’t it seem funny that someone needs to come from Arizona, US to school these poor Africans leaders about matters of family and African sovereignty?]

Pull back a second and wonder…, but, it is a matter of fact that the people who listened to the ‘Family Watch International’ came fired up. They came energised as foot soldiers to come and protect the ‘Family’ and assert our ‘Sovereignty’ which apparently are threatened. The Americans had given a passionate presentation!

Last week, Mr Kaluma went ahead and translated his lessons into action, the practical results the ‘Family Protection Bill’, which was offered up to the consideration of the Kenyan Parliament. The language in the bill is very familiar, but, it goes a step further. It is Family Watch International propaganda, undigested. American right stuff, which shouldn’t be out of place in so called ‘Bathroom bills’ in Florida and other states. Any American following their politics will be surprised at this language appearing in a bill in an African country.

“bill also seeks to ban Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in pre-primary, primary and secondary schools education programmes. He avers that the content teaches children masturbation, Abortion on demand parental information or consent, pornography, homosexuality, and LGBTQ and that they are trapped in the wrong body.
The bill if passed will uphold the prior rights of parents and guardians to their children’s education.”

That, that was a ‘copy and paste’ operation. That is in the bill that is currently in the Parliament of the Republic of Kenya.

This begs the question, has nobody talked to these willing pawns about what is happening? In Uganda, Dr Sylvia Tamale and Nicolas Opio seemed quite aware of what was happening. Check their comments in the Guardian about the conference on ‘Sovereignty and Family’, Of course, if you have any somewhat positive attitude to kuchus in our countries, then everything that you say is tainted. But still….! Dr Tamale called it a mix of ‘manipulative organisers and gullible participants’, and MP Kaluma proves her point. He took what was ‘taught’ by rote, copied and pasted it into his brain, and from thence into a bill for the National Parliament!

Talk of gullible participants. My own president was convinced that Africa was needed to save the world from homosexuality of course!

MP Kaluma’s ‘Family Protection Bill’ of course has the Family Watch International staple on anti-LGBTQ propaganda and presumed actions.

“It will also criminalize the promotion, recruitment, and funding of homosexuality and LGBTQ behavior.
defines “sex” as the biological state of being male or female observed and assigned at birth.
The MP also wants the state to limit rights to assembly, demonstration, association, expression, belief, privacy, and employment in childcare institutions in respect of homosexual convicts. The bill further prohibits adoption by homosexuals”

Wow, talk of a ‘hate bill’ all dressed up as ‘protection of the family’, for our ‘traditional values’

Most of this stuff is well presented in the Southern Poverty Law report on Family Watch International. No wonder they label FWI a hate group. But, it is more that a hate group. It is a group of proselytizing fanatics determined to bring their vision of America to Africa. They have been suffering series of defeats in the US. In Uganda, Kenya and the rest of Africa, when they dress up issues as ‘Family Values’, ‘Traditional Values’, ‘Sovereignty’ and other catch phrases, our politicians lap it up, not actually having an understanding of what they are hearing. The cultural imperialism is camouflaged, blamed on we, African kuchus, while the real imperialist cozen with our leaders, political and religious.

 

gug

Debunking lies: Aggravated Homosexuality equals Aggravated Defilement 2

Someone read this blog post and was concerned. He was worried that I had my references wrong. That Bahati and Ssempa didnt lie.

This is what the guy wrote;

I just read your latest blog post in which you make reference to the penal code.

Question: Which penal code are you referring to? The one I have says:

129. Defilement of girl under the age of eighteen.

(1) Any person who unlawfully has sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of eighteen years commits an offence and is liable to suffer death.

(2) Any person who attempts to have unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of eighteen years commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for eighteen years, with or without corporal punishment.

In this version it explicitly refers to girls below eighteen. Is the version of the penal code that I have an old one? Have a look the full pdf attached. You might need to check your/ Tamale’s sources, just so that your critics don’t hound you over it.

He sent me a copy of the Penal Code Act which he had. I am posting it here.

Hey, I was worried. Really worried. But, I do trust Dr Tamale as a source. So, I sent off an email to Dr Tamale, praying for confirmation that I was right, and that Bahati and Martin Ssempa are lying.

Meanwhile, as I waited, I inserted a note of caution into this post. Hey, I do really dont want to grovel at Ssempa's feet, asking for forgiveness.

Dr Tamale delivered. Magnificently. Here is her reply

Hi (gug),

Yes, that's an old version of the Penal Code.  The section that I sent you the other day was an amendment that was added in 2007.  You will find it in the Penal Code (Amendment) Act, 2007 (Act No. 8 of 2007).

Cheers, 

And, Here I go yeah!!!! YEah, Yes!

That is the perfect Old Year Present for me. Proof that Martin Ssempa and David Bahati are lying and that they know that they are lying. It is so good that I have to quote them again. Here is what they say.

Bahati: Just in a second, just to emphasize what Pastor Ssempa has said, that actually there has been a lot of distortion, er on the clauses within the bill. Er, the pro-gay community picked on the death, the word death, in the bill, and just turned it around to attract sympathy in their country. We are not providing for death penalty for two adults, we are providing for death penalty to be consistent with the Defilement Act that we passed in 2007, er where an adult, engages, rapes, a minor of 18 years and below… (Ssempa: a girl) and when that adult has HIV/AIDS, or you are a guardian, you are a parent, you want to rape the kid that you are looking after, this is what we are proposing.

Now, David Bahati is a member of the 8th Parliament. The last elections were in 2006 (or 07?). But Bahati became a member of the 8th Parliament then. He was one of the members of parliament who passed that particular ammendment to the Penal Code Act. He MUST have known that the old penal code didnt cover 'defilement of boys'. And, that the new one does, and very, very comprehensively.


To recap, Bahati and Ssempa say that the 'aggravated homosexuality' provision is to make the law more complete, because in the current law (here they cite the old, defunct act), there is no provision for the defilement of boys.


So, they lie that the law does not cover the defilement of boys.


Then they lie that they only want the death penalty for the defilers of boys. Not other homosexuals like me.


Poof. There go those lies.


I am glad that I was not mistaken.


And, I am glad that it is Ssempa and Bahati who I have caught in that lie. Oh, Ssempa is a very good liar. He gets  a bit of the truth, and then builds a huge lie on top of it. So big that you wonder that, most likely the guy cannot be crazy, but he is telling the truth.


Yes, I will go into the New Year singing that. Ssempa and Bahati are lying.


And, I will not let them get away with it. Not when they are threatening my life.




gug

Debunking lies: Aggravated Homosexuality equals Aggravated Defilement

Woke up feeling good, with my lover in my hands. It is a wonderful thing, this thing we call love.

No, I don’t plan that this ecstasy is denied me. Not in any way. Not by the law, not by the constitution, not by anyone. I am a simple, normal human being, and love is my right. One of those simple human rights…!

Inalienable rights of human beings. Please laugh with me….

[Glare] You don’t?

But, to more serious stuff. From Dr Tamale, here is the relevant section of the Uganda Penal Code that has been refered to again and again in the making of the Bahati Bill. It is in connection with ‘aggravated homosexuality’- the one that leads to the death penalty.

I got it from Dr Tamale.

Here's Section 129(3) and (4) of the Penal Code in full:

129(3)

Any person who performs a sexual act with another person who is below the age of eighteen years in any of the circumstances specified in subsection (4) commits a felony called aggravated defilement and is, on conviction by the High Court, liable to suffer death.

129(4)

The circumstances referred to in subsection (3) are as follows-

(a) where the person against whom the offence is committed is below the age of fourteen years;

(b) where the offender is infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV);

(c) Where the offender is a parent or guardian of or a person in authority over, the person against whom the offence is committed;

(d) where the victim of the offence is a person with a disability; or,

(e) where the offender is a serial offender

And, in comparison to the Bahati, Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, Here is the comparable quote. The text of the Bahati Bill is here.

3. Aggravated homosexuality.

(1) A person commits the offense of aggravated homosexuality where the

(a) person against whom the offence is committed is below the age of 18 years;

(b) offender is a person living with HIV;

(c) offender is a parent or guardian of the person against whom the offence is committed;

(d) offender is a person in authority over the person against whom the offence is committed;

(e) victim of the offence is a person with disability;

(f) offender is a serial offender, or

(g) offender applies, administers or causes to be used by any man or woman any drug, matter or thing with intent to stupefy overpower him or her so as to there by  enable any person to have unlawful carnal connection with any person of the same sex,

(2) A person who commits the offence of aggravated homosexuality shall be liable on conviction to suffer death.

(3) Where a person is charged with the offence under this section, that person shall undergo a medical examination to ascertain his or her HIV status.

Now, Hon. Bahati says that no, you have taken him out of context. That, he does not plan to kill gay people. He says that the section on aggravated homosexuality deals with only that sex with minors. And, that it is completely in accordance with the Penal Code. The existing law in Uganda.

I beg to differ.

I really beg to differ. It seems as if there are some superficial similarities. I am sure Bahati did read this part of the Penal Code as he was drafting the bill.

But, there are some major changes to what Bahati is suggesting, and Ssempa and other supporters of the bill are suggesting. They decided to 'improve' on this part of the penal code which very, very specifically deals with sex with minors.

Check out these things, which he must have considered. Remember, this is his document. (The text is here) These are his thoughts.

• For aggravated defilement, the Penal Code specifically refers to minors, those under 18 for the aggravated defilement clause. It is very, very specific.
  
  The Bahati bill, for aggravated homosexuality, for which the penalty is death, expands from sex with a minor, to include consensual acts of sex amongst legal adults. Legal language is pretty specific. 
  
  
• Check out the instances when adults having consensual gay sex would be liable to death, when you compare with the penal code.
  
  
• When one of them is HIV positive
  
  
• When one of them is disabled in any way.
  
  
• When one has had a previous conviction for any homosexuality related offence. (as a ‘serial offender’, which again is well defined in the Bahati Bill.
  
  
• When one of them is ‘parent’ or ‘guardian’
  
  
• When  one is in ‘authority’ over the other.

In my view, and, I remind you, I am a Ugandan, this is not an issue with the language. With English. The Penal Code very, very specifically restricts the provisions for sex with a minor, defined in Uganda as one under 18 years. The Bahati Bill also clearly sidesteps and expands the issue ‘aggravated homosexuality’ to include consenting adults. No, it is no mistake. At least, I don’t believe it is.

There are other differences, which you may note. I have chosen to deal with this alone this time.

Again note, THE PENAL CODE SPECIFICALLY AND DEFINITELY DEALS WITH SEX WITH MINORS. THE BAHATI 'ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL' IS GIVING THE DEATH PENALTY TO CONSENTING ADULTS. (and, as a by the way, also including ANY sex with a minor)

For now, I am not commenting about the fact that sex with minors is adequately catered for in this section of the penal code. I mean, the issue of equal protection of the ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ child. I have dealt with that elsewhere.

For now, I am debunking the ‘Aggravated defilement’ is Equal to ‘Aggravated Homosexuality’ lie. It is a lie.

gug

Debunking lies: Protecting the ‘Boy Child’

 This I got from no authority other than Dr Sylvia Tamale. You remember, she wrote and gave this speech at the Dialogue.

It is not true that the Penal Code provision on "Aggravated Defilement" does not cover abused boys.  S. 129(3) clearly says: "Any person who performs a sexual act with another person who is below the age of eighteen years... commits a felony called aggravated defilement".  It does not limit it to girls.

Where do I catch out Ssempa and Bahati lying about that? Here we go.

The Broadcast that was taped and put on Box Turtle Bulletin. I have read through the transcript, and something like this springs out.

From Ssempa, it is muddled.

From Bahati, the same thing, put in more succinct language.

Bahati: Just in a second, just to emphasize what Pastor Ssempa has said, that actually there has been a lot of distortion, er on the clauses within the bill. Er, the pro-gay community picked on the death, the word death, in the bill, and just turned it around to attract sympathy in their country. We are not providing for death penalty for two adults, we are providing for death penalty to be consistent with the Defilement Act that we passed in 2007, er where an adult, engages, rapes, a minor of 18 years and below… (Ssempa: a girl) and when that adult has HIV/AIDS, or you are a guardian, you are a parent, you want to rape the kid that you are looking after, this is what we are proposing.

I am crossing out the unnecessary parts of that quote. Living the ones that are relevant to this post. I am debunking the lies one by one, this time I am focusing on the ‘protecting the boy child myth’. The law of the country, of Uganda, currently protects both boy and girl children. 

There is no deficit on the law about that.

Again, I will state it. Ssempa and Bahati say that their bill is providing providing equal protection for the boy and girl child. It is a matter of fact that the current law on ‘defilement’ or sex with a minor in Uganda covers both the boy and girl child.

Here is a letter that Ssempa wrote to Warren Throckmorton

The law was discriminatory in that the rape/sexual violence of a boy was not accorded the same legal protection as that of the girl.

This law simply provides for equal protection of the girl and the boy child.

Here, he repeats the same lie in his letter to Rick Warren. The text is here on the Throckmorton blog. And, here are the same words.

This time, this provision intends to provide equal protection of boys, among others.

The quote from Dr Tamale again. The proffesional opinion of a Ugandan Associate Proffessor of Law, at Makerere University in Uganda.

It is not true that the Penal Code provision on "Aggravated Defilement" does not cover abused boys.  S. 129(3) clearly says: "Any person who performs a sexual act with another person who is below the age of eighteen years... commits a felony called aggravated defilement".  It does not limit it to girls.

That is a favourite Bahati and Ssempa lie. It is a lie. SSEMPA, BAHATI, STOP LYING ABOUT THE BILL YOU WROTE.

How can they get that message? Again, it baffles me why Ssempa lies. It is a continuous, predictable thing with him. He lies, and lies, and lies. But, he is a 'man of god'. Why does Ssempa lie? I dont know.

Oh, dont tell me that he didnt know this fact. I was there in the dialogue when Sylvia Tamale presented her deconstruction of the bill. And, he wrote those things, has said them. It is his responsibility to fact check the things that he says so many times.

gug

The ‘Dialogue’

It was this afternoon.

Sure, and I did attend. Kind of funny that I was there, and, of course it was interesting. On my part, to learn what the ‘other’ side thinks. And, of course, to see reason weighed down by the burden of unthinking emotion.

Afterwards, a friend commented that, in a way it was frightening. That, 2-300 years ago, that was how a ‘court’ judged summarily a witch. And, afterwards, they would go ahead and burn her. I didn’t dare point out to my friend that, just last year, in one part of Uganda, three people were accused of being witches by a village court. They were found guilty, and the sentence of death was quickly and immediately carried out. That was in modern day Uganda.

Oh, the sentence was carried out by the Biblical method of ‘beating/stoning’ to death. Here it is.

The dialogue had the atmosphere of a kangaroo court. True, and, the issue had already been judged. The judges came in well aware of what the judgement was to be. Sadly, for them, the sentence was not to be carried out. Because this was a dialogue. Not a debate. A ‘kimeeza’ in the local parlace.

Time check 1300 hours. That is when the debate was supposed to begin. There was only a handful of people inside. Mainly people from outside the campus….! And, of course the debate was not supposed to start at that time.

Time check 1345 hours. That is when the dialogue was supposed to start. Auditorium was about half to two thirds full.

Time check 1400 hours. The ‘moderator’ comes and gives us the oldest African excuse. We are tardy. We don’t know time. So, because the moderators wanted the debate to start at around 1400, and knowing the time keeping habits of their audience, they had put the ‘official’ time forward by a fantastic hour. A full hour….!

But, even then, the discussants were not yet in.

Time check 1430 hours. Dr Tamale has been seated for a while at the front bench. So has Major Rubaramila. The room is now overflowing. Standing room at the doors. We are beginning to murmur that they should have chosen a bigger venue.

But, of Mr. Bahati, there was no sign. We were told, some ten minutes ago, that he was some two-three minutes away. (I call them 3 African minutes…, bite me, I am African, and I do know how elastic time is here.)

Time check 1440 hours. MP Bahati in the house. And, the crowd settles down, for what is to happen.

NB. The fourth ‘discussant’ was found not to be the Provincial Secretary of the Church of Uganda, as had been put in the billing. It was Stephen Langa. The organizer of the 3 day anti-gay seminar. Earlier on this year.

Why the change? I don’t know. We were not told. Of course, I am able to speculate freely. The Church of Uganda is still seriously studying the bill, and has no ‘official’ position.

And, the Church of Uganda cannot have the official Church spokesperson giving the as yet unmade church position as he has done more than three, four times ago.

Sad. I was really waiting to see what the good Reverend was going to say! More nails in the coffin.

MP Bahati gave the first presentation. On why the Bill is necessary.

He is a young man. Said he has one kid, who he is very fearful that he can be ‘recruited’ into being a homosexual. He is an accountant by profession. A chartered accountant, I think that is the word? And he is of course also an MP. Of the ruling party. And the public face of the ‘Anti-Homosexuality Bill’

He gave the usual reasons. Why the bill is necessary. You know them. Homosexuality un-natural, abnormal, un-African. The threat from outside the country. The imposition of ‘outside values’, etc, etc. They have been well laid out in the bill.

And, he goes on about the threats that he has been receiving. Didn’t say from where.

He is a politician. And dull, as a speaker. Didn’t impress me with his intelligence. I mean, he just seems to be the guy who decided to be the ‘fall guy’. Anyway, he was what he is.

Anyway, then came Stephen Langa. Odd, he is an Electrical Engineer, from the University of Nairobi.

Then followed the most hopelessly illogical and inconsistent reasoning that I have ever listened to. No, I am not a stellar logician. But, I am a person who knows the consistency of logic when a person is presenting it.

Langa presented a conspiration theory. The ‘Gay Agenda’. The support from outside. The ‘recruitment’ (maybe it was him whispering into the Presidential ear? You know, recruiting European Homosexuals). A conspiracy theory which begins by trying to upset the opposition point of view. Listen well, they are going to lie, they are going to cry, they are going to say they are human. It was sad. And scaring.

The audience lapped it up. It was his. Yeah, he is also a Pastor, I am told. Yes, a pastor, in the Ugandan, evangelical sense. He talked of science, but showing the most unscientific evidence. Gosh, it was so bad. Morality taught as a science. Dr Tamale had to jab at him that, he was, as a pastor, had a right to believe and talk as he was talking. But, he was not supposed to make us believe that what he was saying was right.

Fear mongering. I have heard of the term. Never really seen someone do it, so effectively. And, he was quoting The Pink Swastika. By none other than Scott Lively. It is a matter of fact that we are going to feel the after effects of his preaching for long afterwards. God bless you, dear Lively

In the middle of the Langa presentation, Pastor Martin Ssempa made a grand entrance. The audience clapped, drowning out the speaker. He swaggered up the auditorium, to where the most noise was being made. His brown shirts were all seated together. It was his place, his crowd. And they showed it.

Oh, this will be too long.

And I don’t need to say much more, do I?

The Major is a well intentioned individual who is fighting a war without knowing the crowd. But, he is a soldier. He scored his points.

Last came Associate Prof. Sylvia Tamale.

Well, the lady did it. Taking the bill apart in a few concise words. She gave the same arguments as she wrote in the article. But this time had the time to open up on what she meant. And, the lady is damned good.

End of it all, her recommendation to the Honourable MP? He should either withdraw the bill as an embarrassment to the Country Uganda. Or, it should be let to die quietly in committee.

I will post her speech. Well, I will get it. It was fantastic. Don’t have it now, but will.

Then came the mess of the Q&A.

I was embarrassed. This is supposed to be the premier university of Uganda. Most of the people present, and peeping in through the windows, were students. Yes they were.

But, the clear logic of Tamale had not been any impression. They commented. And commented, and showed their ignorance.

I am a Ugandan. Yes, of course I am gay. But, I was acutely embarrassed at the reasoning capacity, the logic behind what people were commenting. Because it was too illogical.

These university students were ready to take in the ‘here is the information, believe it’ preaching of the preachers. Logic was left behind. And, it was extremely, well, village meetingish.

A University dialogue in the Faculty of Law was no more than a village meeting. I am Ugandan enough to be acutely displeased. And worried.

Yes, there is a big problem, if those we call our bright future are no more than ‘believers’ in some illogic.

Maybe I was an Egyptian in a long gone life…! Hey, I have to blow my own horn, (trumpet for you.)

I was complaining about that and someone told me, smugly, that I am gay. That means that I am logical, and, I come from a long line of super inventors. I claim the sexuality of Leornardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Alan Turing, and many others. Hey, I am gay, and have to look at the brighter side of life!

Anyway, the dialogue ended at well past five. As scheduled!

And I made my way out. Cause I had to congratulate the people of the minority opinion. MP Bahati was very encouraged by the positive crowd. And, he was having all these people congratulating him and giving him hugs. To them, he had definitely won the day.

Well, my opinion was different. But then, I am gay, aint I?

Someone, Kaybie, has surprised me by having made a comment about the dialogue. He or she was there, and their impressions are here. They are interesting. Do check them out here.

Dialogue? No, it certainly wasn’t a dialogue. It was a kangaroo court. But, I was impressed by the logic, and illogic, of the sides. Very interesting. Maybe the fact that I am gay, and Ugandan, makes me more susceptible to being critical?

gug

Dialogue?

PRESENTS

A PUBLIC DIALOGUE

ON

THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL, 2009

Date: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009 Time: 1pm-5 pm Venue: Faculty of Law Auditorium

SPEAKERS:

Hon. David Bahati, MP Ndorwa East and Sponsor of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Assoc. Prof. Sylvia Tamale, Coordinator, Law, Gender & Sexuality Research Project, Faculty of Law.

Rev. Canon. Aaron Mwesigye, Provincial Secretary of the Anglican Church of Uganda

Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga, Human Rights and HIV/AIDS Activist

Round ups, Was off!

Yeah, and it seems, even less than 24 hours off the net makes more info available on the bill. The Bahati Bill of course.

Anti-Homosexuality Bill No. 18 of 2009 of the Parliament of Uganda. They will come to rue that.

First, here is a fantastic article, detailing some of the effects on HIV prevention in Uganda. Adding a D to ABC. D for death. Thanks Warren. You can really fight the good fight! Its well worth reading. I know diamonds when I see them. Can quickly differentiate them from broken glass!!

And another article, urging Christians in America to intervene. Christians urged to speak out against the Uganda's Anti Gay Bill.

You ask why I emphasize that? It is because it is Christians in Uganda who are persecuting gay Ugandans. And Christians in Uganda who believe they are so moral that it is their God given right to pursue homosexual Ugandans because the Bible tells them to Stone them.

The Christians, all over the world, this is my prayer. That you will join hands to negotiate and open the eyes of Ugandan Christians. They believe that this is a chance for them to show the world how Ugandans can lead. Fact. That was what Bahati, Ssempa, Nsaba-Buturo, the master minds of this genocidal bill believe. Death and life imprisonment for any homosexual. In the name of the 'traditional family,' and Christian values.

So, Christian, are your values the same, or not? Will you keep quiet? I challenge you, in the name of Christ. Speak up, or never again hold your head up as a Christian. You wont deserve because you are simply not Christ like!

Sorry. I refuse to parse words. To moderate them. It is my life's worth if YOU dont speak out. They can hear you. Me, am a sinner whose every complaint does not deserve to be heard.

Sylvia Tamale's legal opinion gets more play. The lady is a firebrand.... And she leads from the heart. Good for you lady!

Over in Kenya, the debate is very different. A Gay Census, when homosexuality is illegal? So, is it stand up and be counted and then go to jail? Well, well, well... I will leave that to my neighbours to the east. If that was to happen in Uganda, the sum total of Gay Ugandans would be ZERO...! ha ha ha. You know why. I bet Bahati would take that as proof that his bill has worked...

Truth Wins Out comes out with a call that would label me unpatriotic for highlighting it here. But, for you hypocrite who dares to label me unUgandan, and unAfrican, dare tell me what I owe to a country whose legislature plans to kill me. What do I owe them? My love for my country does not include a love of suicide. Sorry. I dont parse my words. No longer.

Do you think the support outside is resonating in Uganda?

No, it isnt. Rather, some people have their backs up. In addition to the facebook group that is fighting the bill, there is another one. This one is saying that they are Ugandans, and they do support the Bill. Reading through their commentary is something nauseating. But, you have to understand where we are. Where we gay Ugandans are coming from. The Facebook group. 

Yes, the comments are nauseus. The bill, according to many, is really overdue! Death, castration, and all other things for the gay Ugandan. God help us. It is not nice to be vindicated. Hatred and pus is not a pretty picture. Fact.

And, there is this gentleman who takes on Buturo and Bahati. They are more dangerous than gay Ugandans. Read it, it is really long! Or, should I say 'lawyerly'!!!!!

And, I have joined the group of Ugandans that hate gays. Serious. I have joined them. Very likely to elicit more hatred... But, why should I hide the hate that spills from some very good Christian souls and my country mates?

Dont have any reason to hide our dirty laundry. None at all, dear Ugandan.

No, I will not curse my mother land, but, I might come periliously close to....!

gug

PS. It is okay for the persecuted to ask in bewilderement, "But Why?"

Why all the hate, why the belief that I am bad, evil, only good for the grave? Why do people that I look to actually come out to condemn me with such venom? How come I am so bad?

No. I cant believe in my badness. Sorry, I went through that, and I will defend my self. But, it is good to find a bit of peace for my questioning, bewildered mind. Read this. It might explain a little, put in some academic terms the fact of gay hate in Uganda.... It soothes me. A little. At least I can begin to understand. And fight back, more effectively. Maybe.

Why...?!

Ssempa !

No, he is fine.

He will be in Spain, at a Pro-Life Conference, in Zaragoza Spain . No, he is only anti-life when the person is a homosexual. For others, he is pro-life. And a revered speaker and activist.

Rick Warren kind of got fed up with him. And, the people at Exodus International are wondering about his credentials as a Christian Pastor.... Seems they do not believe in protection of the 'boy child'....

Sylvia Tamale weighs in on the 'anti-homosexual bill'. Dont know whether this hurts or helps...(Grin), she is a known homosexual sympathiser in Uganda. Granted, she is also the Dean of the Faculty of Law at Makerere, and she is outspoken on other issues. But, the one which makes her, errr, infamous, in Uganda is the defence of gay issues. The lady is fire....!!!!!!

And I?

Looking around again. Yesterday, this morning it rained. Day has been cool to cold, and beautiful, all the way. The mud, the cars of the city, the clear air,...
Ok, I have been walking the city streets. I must admit I love doing that. The streets in Kampala are full of people. Mainly young men. Eye candy, eye candy,  eye candy!!!!!

Well, it is a break from following the Bahati Bill, isnt it?


gug

Ready for CHOGM

It has sneaked up on me. Chogm.
It’s funny how the world moves even when we are still. I have been very concerned with ‘Kuchu’ affairs. What is happening, what we plan to happen, what the campaign has been doing. I have taken off time to write in the blog my frustrations, desires and hopes. At the periphery of my consciousness has been the awareness that Chogm was coming. The roads in the city have been ripped up and mended. The buildings have been repainted. The few times that I have taken the time to notice what has been happening outside of me, I have noticed. But it seems not enough.
Chogm is the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting. It happens once in two years. It is political. It is a social occasion. Our president had this vision that it should happen in Uganda, and he has poured his energy into it. And it is happening. The Queen, as head of the Commonwealth, has landed, and Ugandans are ready.
I took a walk in the city, just to look at what has been done.
It is a lot. Yes, I am usually critical of the lack of planning that happens consistently. A lot of money has been poured into this meeting. And it has been poured into Kampala, the capital. It is ridiculous thing that little has happened of government programs outside the capital for months. The Treasury is effectively bankrupt, till the next financial year.
But Kampala has been prettied up. And it shows.
We are ready for Chogm. That was the rallying call. To get ready for Chogm. And the populace, at least in Kampala, have taken note of it. Today most decided to stay safely at home. The traffic in the last few days has been horrible. But today, it has been light. Very light.
The streets are clean. That is amazing for this city. The roads are shining with the newly installed lights. Ugandans love window dressing. We have a huge problem with an insufficiency of electric power. We have scheduled blackouts, regularly. But not during Chogm. And we have added onto the grid a lot of new street lights, into every nook and corner. It looks beautiful, I must say.
Yet it is wasteful. This is going to cause more strain on the electric grid. Means more scheduled power cuts, after Chogm.
People are happy. 3 holidays declared in the middle of a working week. (Apparently so that we can sit back at home and watch the festivities on TV. Actually to rid the city of cars that had gridlocked roads the last few days.) And down town looks prettier than I have ever seen it in my life. A flower in bloom, well tended, and it is during the next few days that it is going to be at its most alluring.
We have planned a lot for it. Freedom is when we can take it. And who is going to abuse us when we talk about our sexuality at the People’s Forum? So, we shall.
And we have published books, to give to the Delegates. ‘Homosexuality; Perspectives from Uganda’ edited by Dr Sylvia Tamale. Feminist, human rights activist, and of course, by her detractors, the leading proponent of homosexuality in Uganda.
And we used the cover of this meeting to blow our own closet wide open.
Has it been worth it?
I must say, for the LGBTI community in Uganda, we have been ready for CHOGM. We have challenged the status quo, and despite the deafening roar from the rest of the community for us to shut the hell up, we have managed to have our voice heard.
Viva to all the Kuchus in Uganda.
And I hope you attend the People’s forum at Hotel Africana.

GayUganda