Uganda's Next Move

In the long tradition of incitement to hatred within the Ugandan media, Red Pepper has gone one step further.

As one Ugandan posted today:

The bigots have printed an article in red pepper today uganda's news paper that the boss of a national team was caught sodomising players.This is going to bring a new wave of hatred.People are going to put all our failures to win matches on this.I think the bigots are using this as a new strategy to incite the public to demand for the Anti-homosexual bill. More power is needed say no to this bill.

We think he's right. It's a cheap shot that not only shows the puerile mindset of the Ugandan press, but also a shocking disregard for the real issue.

Gay people have sex. Is this really shock news?

If there is a case to answer here, how about: why is a coach abusing his authority to have sex with young players?

That would be a moral issue whether the younger person were male or female.

But then, Uganda doesn't have a particularly sparkling history when it comes to abuse issues of any sort - such as the women denied a rape hearing or the journalist who committed suicide.

As long as Ugandan papers are more interested in printing pictures of people's private sex lives than addressing issues of real importance to their readers, the people of Uganda will continue to suffer. 

Today, gay people. But who will they fill their front pages with once all the gay people are dead?

Which religious group, political party, gender or ethnicity will fall out of favour next?

Take Action

Today, we are asking for a praise petition. Yesterday we reported that Ugandan Prime Minister, Patrick Amama Mbabazi, had told a conference in Italy that his government would not support the Kill the Gays bill.

We're not entirely sure he meant it, but we want to hold him to it.

We are urging you to e-mail, fax and tweet your support for his statement. Tell everyone he said it, and tell him how glad you are that he said it.

It's harder to disappoint people when they're praising you.

E-mail: ps@opm.go.ug

Fax: +256 41 4341139

Tweet: @AmamaMbabazi