Uganda at Crossroads with Gay Issue.

Rodney Muhumuza
Kampala

International opposition against Ndorwa West MP David Bahati’s proposed anti-gay law continued to grow steadily, drawing support from such unlikely quarters as the White House.

The growing list now includes US President Barack Obama, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Anglican leader Rowan Williams, some US senators, and several newspapers.

Buturo’s U-turn
The pressure from these and other sources was being felt in Kampala, with Ethics Minister Nsaba Buturo now saying he would remain silent about the proposed law until it has been passed or defeated.

“Overall, the proposed legislation is of shocking severity and I can’t see how it could be supported by any Anglican who is committed to what the Communion has said in recent decades,” Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of

Canterbury, was quoted as saying in a recent edition of the Daily Telegraph. “Apart from invoking the death penalty, it makes pastoral care impossible – it seeks to turn pastors into informers.”

In the US, senators Russ Feingold and John Kerry spoke out against the law, saying it had the potential to hurt Uganda-US relations, while Secretary of State Clinton said in a recent speech that she opposed it. “Law should not become an instrument of oppression,” the top US diplomat said in a speech at Georgetown University on Monday.

The White House had released a statement in which it was noted that Mr Obama “strongly opposes efforts, such as the draft law pending in Uganda, that would criminalise homosexuality and move against the tide of history”. The Canadian and British governments have also condemned the proposed law, while Sweden has threatened to cut assistance.
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GROWING OPPOSITION: Gay rights demonstrators protest outside the Uganda High Commission on Thursday in London. Matt Dunham/AP

The Sunday Times, of South Africa, says in a current editorial that the proposed law would “legalise the murder of citizens merely for being who they are. It will encourage hatred and intolerance. It will drive wedges through families by inducing members to spy on each other”. The proposed law, the editorial says, could drag Uganda “back to the dark and evil days of Idi Amin”.

Punish the suffering
The Guardian, a British newspaper, expressed similar views in a Dec. 5 editorial, noting that Mr Bahati’s work “was a wretched piece of legislation intended to rile the West and torment an already suffering part of [Uganda’s] population”.

Mr Bahati denies the accusation that he is in a hate campaign, saying his goal is “to protect the heterosexual family. It is under threat. Anybody who says it is minor underestimates the damage being done”.

In the weeks after Mr Bahati tabled the Anti-homosexuality Bill (2009), Dr Buturo sought to own it, telling multiple press conferences that it had the government’s support. “Homosexuals can forget about human rights,” Dr Buturo told reporters on October 29, just over two weeks after the proposed law was tabled in Parliament.

By yesterday, however, the official stance was that the government had not yet reached a position on the proposed law.
 
Huyu jamaa sijui alikuwa anafikiria nini. Halafu watu wenye mawazo kama haya sijui kwa nini hata huwa wanachaguliwa!!!
 
Tiger Woods angekuwa gay wala wasingemwandama hivi. Wazungu bwana kazi ipo.
 
Huyu jamaa sijui alikuwa anafikiria nini. Halafu watu wenye mawazo kama haya sijui kwa nini hata huwa wanachaguliwa!!!

Huyu ndo anajua kuwa watu wake wanaathirika na nini na ni mwakilishi wa kweli. Madhara ya jambao hili (Sodoma) ni makubwa sana heri lisifike kwenye familia yako!!
 
Hawa wazungu kwa unafiki wao mpaka wanaboa!

Mbona hawaandamani tunapokuwa tunaumizwa na sera zao za kifashisti? Hivi huu unafiki utaisha lini? Bila aibu eti watakata misaada? so what? tumepoteza ndugu zetu wangapi kwa sera zao za kigaidi?

Honestly, inaniuma sana, lakini sina budi kusema ngoja China na yeye afunue msuli! Perhaps hawa jamaa watapunguza kujifanya viranja wa dunia. They are so obessed with giving orders mpaka inauma.

What I say is: Tumenyanyaswa vya kutoshwa! Hata kama China anakuja kutuibia..let our governments go to bed with China and other countries considered "undemocratic". Its high time..tuachane na hawa wazungu..na kuwakumbatia karne kibao..na kutuibia miaka nenda rudi..hatujafaidika lolote..

Uganda, being poor as it is, it has right to decide what is good and appropriate for their country!

To me kinachoniboa kuliko vyote ni huu unafiki wa hawa jamaa..wa kujifanya..they know what is good for everybody!

Its so annoying kweli!
 
Hawa wazungu kwa unafiki wao mpaka wanaboa!

Mbona hawaandamani tunapokuwa tunaumizwa na sera zao za kifashisti? Hivi huu unafiki utaisha lini? Bila aibu eti watakata misaada? so what? tumepoteza ndugu zetu wangapi kwa sera zao za kigaidi?!

Hizo sera za kifashisti ni za kina nani na kwa nani?
 
Museven na Regime yake wameishiwa hoja za kuijenga na kuiendeleza Uganda sasa wanaanza kuweka sera na sheria za kuwagawa Waganda. Shame on them...

Adhabu ya Kifo au Kufingo cha maisha kwa sababu mtu umezaliwa Gay ni ujinga, udhalilishaji na kinyume na haki za binadamu.

Ni ukosefu mkubwa wa Elimu kuamini kuwa mwanamme mzima mwenye nguvu na akili zake anaweza akaamua tu kuwa Gay kwa kujitakia...mbaya zaidi ni ulimbukeni uliopitiliza kudhani kuwa sheria kali zitafanya watu wasiwe Gay.

Hakuna mtu anayezaliwa gay, usichanganye mambo mkuu. Homosexuality ni learned behavioural disorder, watu hujifunza hii tabia na kuiendekeza. Ni zao la uhuru usio na mipaka (extreme liberalism) na ubinafsi wa kibepari.

Hata wewe mkuu ukijifunza usenge leo unaweza kuhitimu tu, ni swala la kuiweka akili yako katika kufikiri kuwa jambo hilo ni sawa na tena ni zuri! Hatari zaidi ipo pale watoto wanapofundishwa hiyo kitu katika ule umri tete wa hatua ya kujenga tabia (behaviour acquisition), huo ndio umri ambao tabia yoyote ambayo mtoto atajifunza ndiyo atakayoshika.

DEATH TO GAYS, wauawe wote!
 
This would be nice, it is probably a combination of genetics and environment, but to me whether it is genetic or not is immaterial.Kila mtu anaishi anavyotaka mwenyewe, kama hajakuingilia katika anga zako why should it matter?

Waacheni wawe gay, waoane and all, waonje joto la ndoa, wa divorce, labda watachoka na kurudi kuwa straight. lakini as long as mnafanya kuwa gay ni such an otherwordly phenomenon kuna watu wanataka kuwa kwenye counter culture tu, mainstream society ikiwa straight, wao wanataka kuwa gay.I bet mainstream society ikiamua kuwa gay yote kesho wao watataka kuwa straight.

Kuna mchizi mmoja anasema yeye anavuta bangi kwa sababu imekatazwa, na siku ikiruhusiwa tu anaacha, kwa sababu inapoteza value ya kuwa kitu kilichokatazwa.

Kama hupendi the gay lifestyle, the best way to fight it is to let it be and allow it to co-exist with mainstream society, utaona watu watakavyoona illicit appeal ya kuwa gay itakavyoondoka.

Hapa tutatofautiana hadi kiama. Gays wanatuingilia kwenye anga zetu:
  • Wanafundisha watoto wetu kuwa ati gay ni kitu cha kawaida na ni choice ya kawaida kwenye maisha, kinyume na tunavyofundisha sisi kuwa hiyo ni deviant behaviour. Kwa hilo wanatuingilia.
  • Wanashawishi watoto wetu wawe gays kama wao, jambo ambalo sisi tunajua ni uharibifu. Hapo wametuingilia tena.
  • Wanapooana wao kwa wao, wanataka kuasili watoto wetu ambao wamezaliwa kutokana na straight relationships. Kumlea mtoto katika mazingira ya usenge ni kumkosea mtoto haki, ni sawa tu na abortion. Mtoto ambaye ni defenseless analazimishwa kuishi na jinuka mavi senge la kiume linalotaka mtoto huyo aliite ati 'mama', hilo ni uonevu kwa mtoto huyo, na ni kumkosea haki yake ya kupata malezi natural ya mama.
Kwa uharibifu huo na mwingine, adhabu inayowastahili ******* hao ni KIFO tu, ni sawa na kupalilia magugu shambani, kuiokoa jamii dhidi ya mijitu isiyofaa.
 
A major South African newspaper, The Sunday Times, has lashed out at the Ugandan leadership over the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which it says seeks to legalise murder of innocent people.
The Sunday Times uses particularly strong language in its December 12 edition, even claiming that Uganda is going back to the days of Idi Amin. Titled ‘Evil minds rule Uganda’, the paper says in its editorial that both Ugandans and donors must act before a single gay person is executed.

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill, a private member’s bill promoted by David Bahati (Ndorwa West MP), seeks to punish “aggravated” homosexuality, and those who indulge in it while infected with HIV, by death.

The proposed law has predictably sparked uproar abroad, especially in Western countries, where homosexuality is commonplace.

During the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad & Tobago last month, President Museveni was confronted by the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and other world leaders, over the legislation.

Sweden has threatened to cut off aid, while the European Union has expressed its displeasure. Several global human rights organisations have also spoken out against the proposed which is yet to be debated in Parliament.


THE SUNDAY TIMES editorial in full
Evil minds rule Uganda

Not long ago, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni earned kudos for the way his government set about tackling Aids and improving education.

Now he presides over a Uganda where human rights are increasingly scarce, especially for gay people.
Practising homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda, but a new bill seeks to punish repeat offenders - and those with HIV - with death. Not only that, it has harsh penalties for family and friends who fail to report gays to the authorities, and landlords who rent properties to them.

Proponents of the bill say it aims to restore family values and discourage the “unAfrican practice” of homosexuality.

In fact, the bill will legalise the murder of citizens merely for being who they are. It will encourage hatred and intolerance. It will drive wedges through families by inducing members to spy on each other. It will destroy efforts to deal with Aids by punishing those who test positive for HIV.

And it will drive millions of citizens into exile, or into the shadows. And all because Uganda’s legislators cannot bear the thought that some citizens will seek love and companionship with members of the same sex. Such medieval attitudes have no place in the 21st century.

Donors must use their clout to demand the scrapping of the bill. Ugandans, even before they go to the polls in 2011, must do the same, and demand the return of human rights to their country. And they must do so before a single gay Ugandan is executed. The alternative is to sit back and watch as Uganda is dragged back to the dark and evil days of Idi Amin.
 
Siwezi kuamini, nasoma nini hapa. Hakuna mtu hata moja hapa ambaye anaona hatari ya ile sheria ya Uganda? Leo wanasema wanaua homosexuals na kesho? Labda watu na maskio makubwa. Au watu na mikono mirefu. Wake up!! Hio ni facism!! Mimi natoka ujerumani, na hapa wale Nazis walifanya hivo hivo.
Someone who is homosexual does not choose to be like that. No heterosexual person will wake up one day and CHOOSE to become homosexual. A person who is homosexual, is homosexual. Just like a person who has a big nose, has a big nose. Naomba tufikire vizuri. Homosexual people hawakosea. Na wale watu ya hapa, ambao wanasema mungu hapendi homosexuals, nasema wanasema uongo. Mungu mwenyewe anajua nani anakosea na nani anafanya vizuri.
Na sasa kwa wale watu wanasema, wazungu wameletea homosexuality. Waongo. Homosexuality ilikwepo zamani, ipo leo, na itakwepo mpaka mwisho. Hata Africa.
 
The proposed law against homosexuality is long overdue, Christian leaders have said even as reports indicated that President Museveni was planning to suffocate it.

While delivering their Christmas message in Kampala yesterday, the heads of the Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox churches under their ecumenical body, Uganda Joint Christian Council, referring to the Bible, said homosexuality is sinful.

Media reports indicated yesterday that President Museveni had allegedly assured American authorities he would block the Anti-homosexuality Bill introduced by Ndorwa West MP David Bahati. The proposed legislation has drawn worldwide opposition.


Kampala Metropolitan Archbishop Jonah Lwanga said: “We support the need for a law that prohibits homosexual practices including same-sex marriage which, we are aware, is prohibited under our Constitution.”

Spare lives

However, the cleric was quick to add: “We do not, as a matter of principle, support the death penalty or other forms of extreme punishment such as life imprisonment as proposed by the Bill.”

Asked to comment on Mr Museveni’s alleged plan to block the law, Archbishop Lwanga said the President “might be having his own reasons”, but added that he still treated the media reports as rumours.

The President has in the past been quoted advising the youth to desist from such practices as homosexuality and yesterday’s reports would make him contradict himself.



“You should discourage your colleagues [involved in homosexuality] because God was not foolish to do the way he arranged...Mr and Mrs, but now you have to say Mr and Mr. What is that now?” the President advised earlier.
Archbishop Lwanga said even “those who find themselves trapped in questionable lifestyles such as gays and lesbians” can be helped through mentoring, counselling and rehabilitation


Mr Bahati’s Bill proposes, among other punishments, a death sentence for those involved in “aggravated homosexuality” or imprisonment up to seven years.



Several countries including the US, Britain, Canada and several international organisations have expressed dissatisfaction over the Bill, while Sweden has threatened to withdraw aid. At the same conference, Ugandans were advised against leading reckless lives during the festive season.
 
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