IDAHO

IDAHO, as well as being a state in North America, also stands for International Day Against Homophobia, sometimes elongated to International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). 

That was yesterday, 17th May, and the Ugandan LGBT Community took the opportunity to call on Uganda's media to stop the homophobic outing of gay people:

Despite the High Court judgement against the Rolling Stone newspaper in January 2011, tabloids like Red Pepper routinely flout the fundamental right to privacy of the LGBTI community in Uganda. On February 24 2013, the Red Pepper published an article entitled “Top Uganda Gay Recruiters Busted”, in which it printed names and photographs of people it claimed were gay...

On this 2013 International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, the LGBTI community Calls on Journalists, Editors and Owners of Media Organizations in Uganda to:

1. 1. Respect the spirit and express terms of the judgement against Rolling Stone newspaper, and refrain from publishing articles, which serve only to undermine the deeply held values of tolerance and respect for diversity upon which Ugandan society is founded.

2. 2. Exercise respect for the fundamental right to privacy, as enshrined in the Constitution of Uganda, of the LGBTI community in Uganda.

Calls on the Government of Uganda to:

Reject the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that is still pending in Parliament, that incites unnecessary prejudice, hatred and violence in the communities where we live and makes us daily targets for hate crimes, making it impossible for us to live freely.

Punish any violence targeted towards LGBTI Ugandans for their sexual orientation and identities, as human rights are inherent regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The reason IDAHO is held on 17th May is because:

On this day 23 years ago, the General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from their list of mental disorders. This action served to end more than a century of medical homophobia.

This year: UN chief tells world: Scrap your anti-gay laws

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said ending homophobia is ‘critical’ to the UN’s work and called for an end to anti-gay laws and better education.

His comments were delivered today (17 May) at an event in The Hague, The Netherlands, to mark International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO)...

"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights promises a world that is free and equal, and we will only honor that promise if everyone – without exception – enjoys the protection they deserve."

This ties in nicely with their recent video against homophobia.

Freedom & Roam Uganda have also issued their own statement marking the occasion.

LGBT Rights World Map

Find the full sized map in this PDF issued by ILGA.

Mental Issue in Uganda

Members of America's largest lunatic asylum
Westboro Baptist Church

A few days ago we had an interesting comment on our post about Canada declaring homophobic hate speeches to be hate crimes (see the link there?), which read:

Religious fundamentalism of any sort should be re-classified a mental illness and treated accordingly. You have to have some serious personal issues to wish to maim, kill and destroy the lives of others to make your own life meaningful.

Seems our readers aren't the only ones thinking along these lines:

“Christianity is a mental issue in Uganda”
 

The average Ugandan Christian is a cesspit writhing with jealousy, pettiness, sexual immorality, thievery, dogmatic heresies, selfishness and extraordinary ignorance. This piece of creation thinks that by attending religious services once a week and engaging in all manner of social filth during the other 6 days, it will earn eternal life.

Strong views indeed. It's long been motioned by liberal thinking Ugandans that you can't call homosexually 'un-African' and 'a western import' whilst simultaneously fighting it beneath the banner of Christ. Immediately makes you look like a prat.

Alongside the shocking revelation what Christianity might not be entirely altruistic, Uganda is also waking up to another uncomfortable fact that most of the Western world cottoned onto a few decades back: the Catholic church has a history of harbouring kiddie fiddlers.

Fr. Anthony Musaala “ostracized”for publicizing priest sexual abuse in Uganda
 

He is a celebrity across eastern and central Africa, a gospel music star known to many as the “Dancing Priest.” But for years he also was a keeper of painful secrets — his own and many others’.

In going public, Anthony Musaala has forced the Roman Catholic Church in Uganda to confront a problem it had insisted didn’t exist. And he may stir a debate far beyond Africa’s most Catholic of countries.

The Ugandan priest has been suspended indefinitely by the archbishop of Kampala for exposing what he calls an open secret: Sex abuse in the Catholic Church is a problem in Africa as well as in Western Europe and North America.

Sadly, Father Musaala, welcome to the club of disillusionment when faced with this level of sex abuse 'endemic' in Catholic institutions.

Christian fundamentalists have long enjoyed linking homosexuality to child abuse and paedophilia, largely to detract from the fact that it is not the gay community, but the Church, who are committing these crimes on a global scale.

Freedom & Roam: New Board

 

Freedom and Roam Uganda, one of the key coalition organisations of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) have just elected their new board of trustees:

Kampala: Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG), a 10year old, women’s rights organization dedicated to the strive of rights of Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LBTI) persons in Uganda, elected the second, five member board of directors to a three year tenure, by 29 members of the organization in an Extra Ordinary General Meeting.

Meanwhile, one of their leading members, and internationally recognised human rights defender, Kasha Jacqueline, makes the front cover of Ireland's GCN magazine this month. You can stay up to date with FARUG on Facebook and Twitter: @Far_Uganda

Proud of South Korea

Hot on the heels of the UNHRC Video, and South Korea opening its doors to a Ugandan lesbian refugee, we bring you news that: Over hundred LGBT South Koreans and allies record video against gay hate

The song is called You Make Me Proud

Go South Korea!

UNHRC Video + World Wide Wave

Nice video from UNHRC as UN promises a free and equal world for gays.

World Wide Wave in Australia has also released a podcast focusing on Uganda:

Uganda: Constant fear of being killed
(click play button at the bottom of the post)

It includes interviews with Katherine Fairfax-Wright, director of Call me Kuchu, and trans activist Cleo Kambugu.

Italian Ambassador Pays Visit

 

Kampala: Italian Ambassador Pays Courtesy Call to Human Rights House

The Ambassador expressed his appreciation for the work of EHAHRDP in promoting and protecting the rights of human rights defenders throughout the East and Horn of Africa sub-region. “Human rights defenders are essential partners in promoting democracy and good governance,” said H.E. Mr Dejak. “We see individuals and organisations giving their all to build fairer societies and at times facing threats as a result of their courageous work. EHAHRDP gives them the support they need to carry on.”

Based in Kampala since 2005, EHAHRDP is the secretariat of a network of human rights defenders from Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia (and Somaliland), South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Through its three main programmes of Protection and Security, Capacity-Building, and Advocacy and Research, EHAHRDP seeks to strengthen the work of human rights defenders by reducing their vulnerability to the risk of persecution and by enhancing their capacity to effectively defend human rights.

No specific mention of the situation for LGBT campaigners appears to have been made.