ugandan gays in email row with minister

By Nthateng Mhlambiso (BTM Senior Reporter)

July 5, 2007: Gays in Uganda call upon Minister of Ethics and Integrity James Nsaba Buturo to disclose emails alleged to animosity that he claims to have received.

Claiming to have been receiving the emails on a daily basis, the allegation is being condemned by a couple of gay organisations in Uganda.

Victor Juliet Mukasa, chair of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), has denied knowledge of such hate mail but advised that if Buturo “is really receiving the mail, let him expose it so that it can be addressed.”

 Mukasa further said that Ugandan gay organisations would not resort to violence. “When we have a problem we bring it to the table to be discussed. Anyway, Buturo is not an issue for us, what we want is rights and not him.” 

On the other hand, chair of Icebreakers Uganda Frank Mugisha revealed that emails claimed to be received by the minister may be coming from gay adherents around the world.

“Now that he [Buturo] knows the grief that has been receding [sic], dispersing beneath the rage of all gay people, he might change his attitude towards homosexuals”, decried Mugisha.

Although Mugisha is not aware of the alleged threats, he blames Buturo with tendency of discriminatory remarks. “In the past, Minister Nsaba Buturo has had a history of speeches and statements with incitement to hatred and homophobia against homosexuals in Uganda. We recall when he strongly criticized The New Vision [Ugandan Online publication] about Vagina Monologues – a play which he said was promoting homosexuality”, he said.

He continued that “these remarks raised more hate and homophobia in society against homosexuals.”

BTM asked Minister Buturo whether he is planning to expose the mail as challenged by Ugandan gay organisations. He responded; “I am not going expose these emails because if I do, then I will be giving the matter a publicity that it does not deserve.”

He said that another reason he couldn’t expose the emails is because the language used in them is very distasteful. “At this point the best way to deal with this problem is to ignore these emails. Some countries have chosen to be liberal about homosexuality but here we have laws against it that should be followed”, he explained.

However, Mugisha warned that “for as long as people like Minister Nsaba Buturo continue to blind themselves to homosexuality in Uganda, all gay people around the world will be hurt, and lobbying emails from sympathizers will continue.”