Ugandans protest, call for deportation of American journalist covering gay issues

[DSM4Life]

Hundreds of people held an anti-gay protest in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, Tuesday and called for the deportation of an American journalist who covers gay issues in the east African nation.

''Homosexuality breaks the laws of God, the laws of nature, and the laws of Uganda,'' said Pastor Martin Ssempa, spokesman for the Interfaith Rainbow Coalition Against Homosexuality.

''We are asking the government to be strong and uphold the laws of our country banning this repugnant practice in spite of great external pressure,'' he said.

Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda and carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

A coalition of religious groups, including Christians, Muslims, and Bahai, organized the protest. Hundreds of people gathered at a Kampala sports ground waving banners with antigay messages, including posters that said ''Deport Roubos.''

Katherine Roubos, a 22-year-old from Minnesota, arrived in the East African nation in June to begin a three-month internship with the Daily Monitor newspaper. She was assigned to cover gay issues in the country.

''We people of Uganda have values. If this lady cannot respect them then she had better be deported,'' said Eddie Semakula, a member of the Interfaith Rainbow Coalition Against Homosexuality.

''She is advocating for the rights of homosexuals in a paper that is read by children even. We must protect our children.''

The group is writing a protest letter to the Aga Khan—the spiritual leader of 20 million Ismaili Muslims—who owns the Monitor newspaper, he said.

Last week, Uganda's gay community spoke out publicly for the first time at a news conference in Kampala. Many attendees wore masks to hide their identities for fear of recrimination. They asked for Ugandans to respect their human rights and allow them to live in dignity.

Roubos insists she has been impartial in her reporting. She has worked with numerous advocacy groups in the U.S., including on gay rights issues.

''I was given this assignment by my editor, I didn't ask for it,'' she told the Associated Press. ''I just present facts. None of my personal opinions are in the stories.''

Most African states have laws forbidding homosexuality, and gays are frequently harassed or beaten up in many places on the continent. (Katy Pownall, AP)

ref http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid48312.asp

[Tock]

From Uganda's largest newspaper --
Looks like those folks over there in Uganda are nuts, especially this "Pastor Martin Sempa" guy. I was looking at some of the websites he's connected with, and it looks like there's an awful lot of Christians there bad-mouthing other Christians, disputing who's a "real Christian" and who isn't, and barking over odd things like how being "born again" isn't sufficient for salvation. And from these people come the efforts to make homosexuality a crime punishable by life in prison.
Sheesh.

Not unlike what US gay activists went through back in the 1950's.
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http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news08212.php

Churches plan demo against homos
EPHRAIM KASOZI
KAMPALA
CHRISTIANS opposed to homosexuality will hold a rally today, just days after gays addressed a news conference for the first time demanding respect for their rights.

Under the umbrella body, Interfaith Rainbow Coalition (IRC), devout Christians will rally against homosexuality, something they say goes counter to Uganda’s morals.

Pastor Martin Sempa, a key organiser of the event, told reporters yesterday that the rally is a direct reaction to the gay community’s quest for equal rights.
He said the rally, to be held at the Kyaddondo rugby grounds in Lugogo starting at 9 a.m., would help highlight problems of “victims of homosexuality”.

“Our laws say that homosexuality is a criminal act against the order of nature,” said Pastor Sempa, who also is the head of Makerere Community Church. “It is repugnant to our culture and a health hazard that spreads HIV/Aids.”

The rally theme is, A Call for Action on Behalf of the Victims of Homosexuality. “It is a crisis before us because people are suffering, seeking for justice and are confused of their gender; they do not know what to do after being sodomized and molested,” Pastor Sempa said.

The IRC brings together the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC), the Bahai Faith, Pentecostal churches and faith-based non-government organisations.
Homosexuality is generally frowned upon in Uganda. But by actively denouncing gay Ugandans, Christians, who should be the most tolerant people, are only fanning the discrimination of fellow citizens.

Last week, gays held their first press conference to launch a media campaign advocating their rights. They complained of police brutality, discrimination and difficulties in dealing with HIV/Aids.

Through Sexual Minorities Uganda, a coalition of four Ugandan lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex organisations, the gays demanded: “Let us live in peace.” “To successfully stop HIV/Aids, we must treat every person with the dignity and attention they deserve,” they said.

Uganda’s much lauded policies against HIV/Aids have not addressed the specific concerns of gays.
Fr Sylvester Arinaitwe, the deputy head of UJCC, said at the same event: “Homosexuality is abnormal according to God’s laws and nature of creation in the Bible. It is against our faith and our society moral values. That is why we are against it and its practitioners.”

Pastor Solomon Male of Arising for Christ Ministries said: “The homosexuals and lesbians aim at promoting this confusion in the country through their activities like press conferences and planned demonstration by these misguided and confused people. They are the ones who need to change, not change our laws to suit them.”

Homosexuality has recently caused bitter divisions within the worldwide Anglican Communion. Countries such as Uganda and Nigeria have strongly opposed the ordaining of gay priests as bishops.

Dr Lydia Kiryabwire, the health co-ordinator of the Church of Uganda, said homosexuality has created “a dent in society” leading to psychological torture, trauma and depression.

“The most affected people are the young generation who are taken up by financial attractions,” she said. “This is a threat to our moral values, culture and health.”

[DSM4Life]

From Uganda's largest newspaper --
Looks like those folks over there in Uganda are nuts, especially this "Pastor Martin Sempa" guy. I was looking at some of the websites he's connected with, and it looks like there's an awful lot of Christians there bad-mouthing other Christians, disputing who's a "real Christian" and who isn't, and barking over odd things like how being "born again" isn't sufficient for salvation. And from these people come the efforts to make homosexuality a crime punishable by life in prison.
Sheesh.

Not unlike what US gay activists went through back in the 1950's.
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Maybe we don't have it that bad over here.

[mcpeepants]

My birth country has very urgent issues it should be dealing with and seeing this uproar over homosexuality is just embarrassing. Ugandans and other Africans should be the last people discriminating after the bigotry and injustice they have suffered.