Cross posting from the LGBT Group: Ugandans Both Proud and Brave

[William769]

While the Anti-Homosexuality Bill from David Bahati languishes in Uganda’s Parliament, LGBT activists dared to declare their pride in public events this weekend.

After months of preparation, and despite arrests, Uganda’s gay community concluded all its planned Pride events, including a beach parade, parties and a film festival. All were well attended by a courageous LGBTI community, considering that Uganda is a country that criminalizes homosexual sex acts and seeks legislation to kill its gays for “aggravated homosexuality” with long prison terms for so-called “promotion of homosexuality.”

Adding to the country’s antigay climate, the Ugandan Minister of Ethics and Integrity Simon Lokodo faces a court clash with gay rights activists for breaking up a legal meeting at a private hotel resort in Entebbe earlier this year. And the government of Uganda was recently embarrassed by unwarranted arrests of foreign visitors at a meeting held at a private resort to discuss human rights issues.

The international community has shown its support for sexual orientation as a human right with examples such as United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Uganda this past week, when she paid tribute and gave an award to a coalition of human rights defenders for their LGBT advocacy.

http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/commentary/2012/08/08/see-photos-ugandans-both-proud-and-brave

[RKP5637]

1. Incredible strength and braveness. I often think LGBT have far more guts and

integrity than the bigots, haters and the rest, who are petty little people, could ever hope to have.

[William769]

2. I agree 100%!

[DevonRex]

6. I couldn't say anything to top that.

Great post.

[NYC_SKP]

3. K/R (nt)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. These Ugandans have my complete respect and support!

Their courage knows no bounds.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. K&R

[UnrepentantLiberal]

7. Lest anyone forget...

Americans’ Role Seen in Uganda Anti-Gay Push

By Jeffery Gettleman
The New York Times
January 3, 2010

KAMPALA, Uganda — Last March, three American evangelical Christians, whose teachings about “curing” homosexuals have been widely discredited in the United States, arrived here in Uganda’s capital to give a series of talks.

The theme of the event, according to Stephen Langa, its Ugandan organizer, was “the gay agenda — that whole hidden and dark agenda” —and the threat homosexuals posed to Bible-based values and the traditional African family.

For three days, according to participants and audio recordings, thousands of Ugandans, including police officers, teachers and national politicians, listened raptly to the Americans, who were presented as experts on homosexuality. The visitors discussed how to make gay people straight, how gay men often sodomized teenage boys and how “the gay movement is an evil institution” whose goal is “to defeat the marriage-based society and replace it with a culture of sexual promiscuity.”

Now the three Americans are finding themselves on the defensive, saying they had no intention of helping stoke the kind of anger that could lead to what came next: a bill to impose a death sentence for homosexual behavior.

More: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/world/africa/04uganda.html

[William769]

8. One thing not listed in the article is Chick-Fil-A is their favorite eatery also.

Who would have thought!

[Jamastiene]

13. But, it's only one prayer!1!@!!

Excellent link. How many times did we hear the "only one prayer" meme when we tried to point out the kinds of things people like Rick Warren are encouraging in places like Uganda? Rick Warren even went so far as to meet with the political leaders who created the anti-gay legislation that would condemn gay people to death, for simply being gay. All we got when we tried to bring that up was the "only one prayer" meme.

It takes some real courage for them to stand up for their human rights in a place like Uganda, that has such strong ties to the hateful anti-gay preachers from the US, that are lining the pockets* of so many preachers there.

*as documented here:
http://www.publiceye.org/magazine/v24n4/us-christian-right-attack-on-gays-in-africa.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/world/africa/04uganda.html?_r=1

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Kick

[rad51]

10. Lots of smiles in those photos!

seeks legislation to kill its gays for “aggravated homosexuality” WTF!

[Jamastiene]

11. They are literally risking their lives.

That takes some real courage in a place like Uganda.

K&R

[sabrina 1]

12. 'Missionaries of Hate'

I don't know if you've seen Current TV's documentary on how American Christian Fundamentalists are fueling the anti-gay hatred in Uganda?

If not you can watch it on Utube starting here:

Below is some information on the documentary. The clips in this article are no longer working, but you can watch the entire documentary starting with the Utube clip above.

http://www.gospelaccordingtohate.com/2010/06/current-tvs-new-documentary.html

They have their own zealous anti-gay preachers but American Fundie Evangelists have been helping to spread the hate:

Uganda is almost 90 percent Christian, and American evangelicals such as Rick Warren, Benny Hinn and Joyce Meyer are hugely popular. An American-led conference in March 2009 promoted the idea of a "gay agenda" and may have introduced Ugandan religious and political leaders to many of the anti-gay ideas that are now widely held. Mariana interviews David Bahati, the member of Uganda's parliament who introduced the anti-gay bill, and Pastor Martin Ssempa, who is angry that Rick Warren has condemned the proposed law.

It is terrifying, the zeal with which they spread their hatred. The documentary is worth watching imo.

Those people are so brave and they must be so terrified. Thank you for the OP.

[MineralMan]

14. What amazing courage they show!

An example to learn from.

[polly7]

15. Kick for these courageous people. nt.

[closeupready]

16. Terrific! Major K&R for these courageous Ugandans!

nt

[HappyMe]

17. k&r

Crazy amounts of brave!

[Solly Mack]

18. K&R

[SidDithers]

19. DU rec...nt

Sid

[Behind the Aegis]

20. Back to page one!

[Jamastiene]

21. Kick

Just in case some people only get to catch up on weekends.

:kick: