{"id":14571,"date":"2011-09-26T12:00:07","date_gmt":"2011-09-26T11:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=14571"},"modified":"2011-09-21T01:13:23","modified_gmt":"2011-09-21T00:13:23","slug":"ugandan-bishop-calls-on-christian-america-to-%e2%80%9cstop-exporting-hate%e2%80%9d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2011\/09\/ugandan-bishop-calls-on-christian-america-to-%e2%80%9cstop-exporting-hate%e2%80%9d\/","title":{"rendered":"Ugandan Bishop Calls on Christian America to \u201cStop Exporting Hate\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

The work of Bishop Christopher Senyonjo,<\/a> a retired Anglican Bishop from the Diocese of Western Uganda, has become increasingly vital over time, heightened by the intensifying<\/strong> persecution of homosexuals in his country. Taking the courageous step of ministering to LGBT people in his country, <\/strong>the Bishop is calling on America to \u201cstop exporting hatred\u201d as he continues to advocate for the global decriminalization of homosexuality.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a well known fact that Christian Evangelicals from the United States of America have planned, funded and implemented a direct attack on homosexuality in Uganda, citing biblical interpretation and transporting myth and lies to a country plagued by poverty and seasoned for \u2018scapegoating.\u2019<\/p>\n

Homosexuality is currently considered by most Ugandans to be criminal under current legislation. \u00a0Section 140 of the Ugandan penal code criminalizes \u201ccarnal knowledge against the order of nature\u201d. However, homosexuality is not explicitly mentioned in the Act, leaving room for judicial interpretation.<\/p>\n

David Bahati, an ambitious young member of parliament, is seeking to close this legislative \u00a0gap. After meetings with U.S. backers and receiving encouragement from Uganda\u2019s first lady, the Anti-homosexuality Bill, (AHB) otherwise known as \u201cThe Kill the Gays Bill,\u201d was born. The AHB takes existing legislation much further by mandating harsh sentences such as death and life imprisonment. It also provides for the arrest of those who fail to report people whom they know to be homosexual.<\/p>\n

Currently the AHB is languishing in uncertainty, causing a conundrum, not only amongst the LGBT community and concerned activists, but within the Ugandan government itself.<\/p>\n

In an explosive new Wikileak report out today by Paul Canning of LGBT Asylum News<\/a>, it is confirmed that the Bahati Bill has the support of the wife of President Museveni: \u201cAccording to<\/a> a newly released US diplomatic cable, the wife of the President of Uganda, Janet Musceveni, \u201cis ultimately behind\u201d the Anti-Homosexuality (AHB, \u2018Kill gays\u2019) Bill. It is signed by the US Ambassador to Uganda, Jerry Lanier.<\/em><\/p>\n

It quotes a 2009 private conversation with Senior Presidential Adviser John Nagenda, who had just published a column<\/a> in The New Vision newspaper comparing the AHB to McCarthyism and the Inquisition. He told an Embassy Political Officer:<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cPresident Museveni is \u201cquite intemperate\u201d when it comes to homosexuality, but that the President will likely recognize the dangers of passing the anti-homosexuality legislation. He said First Lady Janet Museveni<\/a>, who he described as a \u201cvery extreme woman\u201d, is ultimately behind the bill.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe added that the bill\u2019s most vociferous public supporter, Ethics and Integrity Minister Nsaba Buturo, is a \u201cvery bad guy\u201d responsible for a campaign of mass arrests \u2013 known by the Swahili term \u2018panda gari\u2019 \u2013 during the early 1980s under the Obote II regime while serving as Kampala\u2019s District Commissioner. Nagenda said Buturo is using the anti-homosexuality legislation to redefine himself and \u201cwill do anything in his power to be a populist.\u201d He advised the U.S. and other donors to refrain from publicly condemning the bill as it fuels the anti-homosexual and anti-western rhetoric of the bill\u2019s proponents.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Since the introduction of the AHB, the anti-gay sentiment in Uganda has increased dramatically, and the LGBT community has suffered greatly with targeted attacks such as the murder of gay activist David Kato.\u00a0 Street justice is not uncommon; gays and lesbians have been subject to arrest and torture. \u00a0As Bishop Christopher notes in the video interview by GAY U.S.A. the Movie, \u201cThe Christian right from here (the USA) has caused a lot of these repercussions, these problems, and we wish that people from America should not export hatred. Christian religion is based on love and compassion,\u201d<\/p>\n

Early in his advocacy the Bishop attained the support of Bishop Desmond Tutu. Now the Bishop has also reached out (in an open letter) to the Archbishop of Canterbury in the United Kingdom:-<\/p>\n

\u201cAs human beings, we must respect our differences and be united in our call for listening and sharing with each other. To understand God, we are all called to understand the mystery of each other, including our sexualities. God has given us this gift and to defame, condemn, imprison and kill human beings because of their God-given nature, is a great human error.\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The Bishop asserts that if the AHB passes: \u201cIt would be dangerous, and that is why we appeal to people (like) in the United States; (that) maybe doors will have to be opened, for many people that will all be seeking asylum.\u201d<\/p>\n

We cannot allow the uncertainty of the Anti-homosexuality Bill\u2019s status to divert advocacy from the fact that homosexuality is already criminal in Uganda. The fate of the AHB should not derogate from the imperative focus on this \u201celephant in the room.\u201d The current interpretation of the law encourages persecution of gays, lesbians and transgender people in Uganda. \u00a0LGBT persons in Uganda will continue to live in these lethal circumstances until homosexuality is decriminalized.<\/p>\n

The absolute decriminalization of homosexuality is the only way the AHB can be eradicated forever. In the name of human rights for all, religious and political leaders around the world must heed the current danger. \u00a0A strategic educational and advocacy campaign is the only way to counter what Bishop Christopher describes as \u201cmisinformation and a lack of education.\u201d This can only be accomplished through a collaborative effort between the groups which represent sexual minorities in Uganda, international activists, faith based leadership and the support of governments around the globe.<\/p>\n

_______________________<\/p>\n

GAY U.S.A. the Movie and Blog, 2011-09 \u00a9 All Rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n

Melanie Nathan, Publisher: GAY U.S.A. Blog Melanie@gayusathemovie.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Support the Bishops work by Clicking here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tell Ugandans that AHB will result in protests and boycotts \u2013 Please sign\u00a0 this Petition at : http:\/\/www.change.org\/petitions\/uganda-is-set-to-pass-the-kill-the-gays-bill-within-two-weeks<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Go to Original \u2013 gayusathemovie.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The work of Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, a retired Anglican Bishop from the Diocese of Western Uganda, has become increasingly vital over time, heightened by the intensifying persecution of homosexuals in his country. Taking the courageous step of ministering to LGBT people in his country, the Bishop is calling on America to \u201cstop exporting hatred\u201d as he continues to advocate for the global decriminalization of homosexuality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[127],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14571\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}