Hi Billy, Okay, let me put you on the spot: what do you think government policy should be towards homosexual activity? Would you support criminalization as appears to be the case in most of Africa?
-- Ernie P. On Feb 23, 2010, at 9:38 AM, [email protected] wrote: > > Religion, politics and Africa's homophobia [ i.e. legitimate revulsion at > psychopathological sexuality ] > Pumza Fihlani ("BBC," February 23, 2010) > > Kampala, Uganda - Since a Ugandan MP proposed the death penalty for some gay > people, homophobia has been on the rise in other parts of Africa. > > Earlier this month, US President Barack Obama's criticism of the Ugandan > proposals led to huge anti-gay rallies in neighbouring Kenya. > > Soon after, rumours of a gay wedding near the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa > resulted in several arrests - although no evidence was produced and no-one > was charged. > > For the past few weeks, police in Malawi have been openly pursuing gay > activists and anyone suspected of being homosexual. > > The Malawian authorities say gay activists should be more open - but say if > they do come out into the open they will be arrested because homosexuality is > illegal. > > Monica Mbaru, from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, > describes these crackdowns as a ripple effect from the Uganda situation. > > She says many African leaders and communities remain hostile to gay people > because of pressure from religious leaders. > > "Our politicians have great respect for religious leaders and are careful not > to disagree with them, especially not on homosexuality," she says. > > "So they pretend that homosexuals do not exist or that they can be 'cured' > and communicate this message to the community." > > 'Flush out gays' > > Both Christian and Muslim clerics have publicly condemned homosexuality for > many years - describing it as a sin, abnormal or immoral. > > One of the most extreme examples of religious leaders advocating repression > of gay people is Ugandan Pastor Martin Ssempa. > > He openly endorses Uganda's anti-gay bill, and last week screened gay > pornography at a church in Kampala to drum up support for the proposed > legislation. > > In Kenya, too, religious leaders have been at the heart of anti-gay campaigns. > > In a statement last week, US-based Human Rights Watch quoted witnesses as > saying Christian and Muslim leaders had joined together to call for > communities to "flush out gays". > > The group wrote to the Kenyan government calling on it to end the attacks on > gay people, which it described as planned rather than spontaneous. > > "The police need to arrest the attackers and put a halt to what appears to be > a co-ordinated nationwide attack on people perceived to be homosexual," said > HRW's Dipika Nath. > > No understanding > > While HRW describes a climate of fear in Kenya's gay community, other rights > groups say the upsurge in homophobia is encouraging gay-rights campaigners to > be more forceful. > > Ms Mbaru says activists are rising up against homophobia. > > "Many see this as unjust and have begun to co-ordinate with each other and > put pressure on retrogressive societies," she says. > > "When you deny people the right to be who they are, you are forcing them > underground and ultimately they rebel." > > Gay-rights group Behind the Mask believes there is a lack of understanding of > gay issues, fuelled by misrepresentations in the press and fiery speeches by > religious leaders. > > "When many hear the word homosexual they immediately think of sodomy, > paedophilia," says the organisation's Noma Pakade. > > "They don't understand that a homosexual relationship can be a commitment > between two consenting adults based on love, just as it is with > heterosexuals." > > Homosexuality is illegal in many African countries - particularly Arab North > Africa and those with a British colonial past such as Kenya, Uganda and > Malawi. > > British colonial legislators outlawed "carnal intercourse against the order > of nature with any man, woman or animal". > > It is that law which Uganda is now proposing to strengthen, from a 14-year > sentence to prison to life. > > The bill also proposes the death penalty for a new offence of "aggravated > homosexuality" - defined as when one of the participants is a minor, > HIV-positive, disabled or a "serial offender". > > 'Love, not hate' > > There are small pockets of resistance within the religious community - but > theirs is a hard fight. > > Reverend Michael Kimundu served the Anglican Church in Mtwapa, Kenya, for 30 > years. > > But recently the Church expelled him because leaders found out that he headed > a religious organisation called The Other Sheep, which preaches tolerance > towards gay people. > > "I am a preacher I should be spreading love, not hate - that is why I don't > believe in treating the homosexual community with disdain," he says. > > "My Church didn't want to be associated with such beliefs........ > > _______________________________________________ > Centroids mailing list: [email protected] > http://radicalcentrism.com/mailman/listinfo/centroids_radicalcentrism.com > Archives at > http://radicalcentrism.org/pipermail/centroids_radicalcentrism.com/
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