rally denounces homosexuality

By Katherine Roubos (Source: Daily Monitor - Uganda) 
 
August 22, 2007: About 100 people gathered on the grounds of Kyadondo Rugby Club in Kampala yesterday to rally against homosexuality. Members of the Interfaith Rainbow Coalition Against Homosexuality delivered a document to Minister of Ethics and Integrity Nsaba Buturo, calling for stronger government action against what Pastor Martin Ssempa described as "a well-orchestrated effort by homosexuals to intimidate the government".
Born-again Pastor Ssempa of Makerere University Community Church was the key organiser of the event.

The rally was convened in response to a news conference held last week by Sexual Minorities Uganda at which gay, lesbian, and transgender Ugandans asked the government to let them live in peace.

Gays have reported various forms of harassment, especially from the police.
Placards with a variety of slogans ranging from "God hates Homosexuality, He loves Homos", to "Government Fight Homosexuals and Lesbians", "Homosexuality causes Aids", and even "Homosexuals are not ready for Chogm" were pasted along the fence outside the demonstration venue.

Inside, protestors chanted and shouted similar slogans to each other and spoke to the swarming media. The rally was originally planned as a march from Wandegeya to the rugby grounds, but police denied the protesters permission, saying they could not organise sufficient security for the march at short notice. Pastor Ssempa said he convened the protest to urge more government officials to speak out against homosexuality.

He condemned outside pressure from Canada and the Netherlands to change Ugandan laws or increase rights for homosexuals, calling it an "imposition of Western values".
At the rally, Pastor Ssempa warned protesters that every empire in history fell after homosexuality emerged in its culture.

However, he regularly argues that homosexuality is a recent phenomenon with no historical roots. He did not comment on this inconsistency. Homosexuality is generally frowned upon in Uganda and is illegal. Minister Buturo, who is a born-again Christian and is actively opposed to homosexuality, came to show his support at the rally.

"Must press freedom be used to subvert one of our cardinal founding laws?" the minister said in reference to the recent string of articles published on homosexuality.
The Interfaith Rainbow Coalition document delivered to Dr Buturo declares that homosexuality breaks three laws at once: it is against the law of God, the law of nature, and the law of the land.

The document claims that "the majority of Ugandans consider homosexuality culturally repugnant and hostile to civilised society, equity, morality, and the dignity of human nature".

Former Anglican Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo said he supported everyone's right to publicly voice concerns, but felt that the language used at the rally was inappropriately threatening.

"Their use of threatening language is very un-Christian," said Bishop Ssenyonjo, who has ministered to gays. "We are no longer in the era of 'an eye for an eye.' The Lord taught us to respect each person, however different, as full human beings."
On Aids and homosexuality, Dr Paul Semugoma said that "Aids is not a homosexual disease, but homophobia keeps gays from seeking health services, which hurts everyone".

He rejected the idea that homosexuality causes HIV/Aids. He said that Aids treatment programmes should provide outreach specifically to homosexuals.
Said Dr Semugoma: "Are we saying that Uganda has the most homosexuals in Africa because our HIV/Aids rate used to be one of the highest in the world? No!"

Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General Fred Ruhindi has denied reports that he had ordered the arrest of homosexuals as some FM radio stations were reporting in Kampala yesterday afternoon.

"I said the law says [homosexuality] is an offence, but the power to arrest is with the police," Mr Ruhindi said, adding that "if anyone wishes to have a different position on the law, they can go through the normal legal channels to pass an amendment."