Update on Jennifer Ikanza

[UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2013: It has been reported by an LGBT rights organisation working with Ms. Ikanza that this was a domestic incident and not directly related to her work as a campaigner.]

A few days ago we reported on Jennifer Ikanza, the 25-year-old Ugandan lesbian woman beaten and left for dead in the street.

Reports are emerging that she may have been tricked by her attackers who faked a phone call to draw her into the open:

Uganda lesbian attacked by mob as she rushes to bi woman’s aid

Jennifer Ikanza, 25, had received a phone call from a woman in trouble from a neighboring village near Jinja.

The woman said she feared her husband would discover she was bisexual and would be killed if he found out.

After she said she desperately needed someone to talk to, Ikanza rushed to her aid.

On the way there, Ikanza was attacked by a mob.

Another source states Ikanza's condition as critical:

Our contact in Uganda reports that a woman set her up by claiming to be a lesbian & wanting to meet her. Jennifer was then brutally attacked by a mob. She is suffering multiple organ failure due to internal bleeding. Her health is in grave danger. She is at the hospital where she is slowing dying. The doctors & nurses are not giving her any proper medical attention because they know she can’t afford to pay for the treatment. 

We will look into this and keep you updated.

Uganda: Access Denied

Ugandan Security Minister, Muruli Mukasa

At the beginning of the year we praised Facebook for its quick action over a Ugandan homophobic hate page. It's also interesting to learn that the Ugandan Government put in an application for user identity information, and was denied.

Facebook Rejects Uganda Govt Request For User Data

Social Media site Facebook has revealed that the Ugandan government is among the 74 countries that requested for user account information in the first six months of 2013. 

The requests are made under the dockets of national security and criminal investigations by Governments. In a first release of the Global Government Requests Report, Facebook’s general Counsel Colin Stretch noted that the release of the report is aimed at helping the on-going global debate about proper standards for governments around the world to access user information.

It's also a clever move which should help deter governments from making arbitrary requests, because those requests will become public knowledge. A huge step towards global political transparency.

Perhaps the most worrying part of the article is this:

The report comes just months after Security Minister Muruli Mukasa revealed that government was in the final stages of setting up a social media monitoring unit to follow social media discussions and weed out people damaging the reputation of government and its officials.

What began with the Public Order Management Bill is set to escalate into full blown human rights oppression. 

You can e-mail Muruli Mukasa to let him know your concerns: wmmukasa@parliament.go.ug

Full contact details here.

Reporting on Wrongdoing

Patience Akumu

Excellent article in The Guardian about Ugandan journalist Patience Akumu.

I've had hate mail and lost friends – but I will not stop writing about gay rights in Uganda : Patience Akumu has written about the lives – and deaths – of gay activists for five years in the Kampala Observer. Here she explains how a deep-rooted discrimination blights her country

I never meant to write about gay rights in Uganda. The issue just crept up on me as I got lost listening to the cries of battered women and holding the hands of dying children.

These faceless, mysterious, ominous homosexuals tagged at my skirts and beckoned my heart to look their way. I looked for a moment and knew it would be cruel to turn away again. I never meant to give up the possibility of a lucrative career in the law just to be an advocate for the accursed and rejected – and to be accursed and rejected myself. I never meant to spend two hours before my computer, thinking of ways to explain why on earth I meddle with homosexuality just to break the hearts of my kinsmen, disappoint my father and worry my fiancé; to cause my mother and daughter to be pitied.

Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda and in 2009 a bill that suggested the death penalty for certain homosexual acts was tabled before parliament, highlighting the brutal, government-sanctioned discrimination against sexual minorities that blights my country.

Courageous lady, of which the world needs more. 

You can find her blog here.

Ugandan Activist Beaten and Left for Dead

Jeniffer Ikanza

[UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2013: It has been reported by an LGBT rights organisation working with Ms. Ikanza that this was a domestic incident and not directly related to her work as a campaigner.]

 Lesbian activist in Uganda beaten and left for dead

A Ugandan gay activist is fighting for her life after a frightening attack just outside Jinja, in eastern Uganda.

Jeniffer Ikanza, 25, is part of Gender Equality and Health Organization (GEHO), a queer group in Jinja that operates a network of safe houses for LGBT people fleeing homophobic families and police arrest.

GEHO executive director Andrew Waiswa says the attack happened on Aug 18. Ikanza got a call about a woman in trouble from a neighbouring village. The woman said that her husband didn’t know she’s bisexual and that she feared she might be killed if he found out. She told Ikanza that she desperately needed someone to talk to.

On her way there, Ikanza was attacked by a mob, Waiswa says. “Just before reaching her destination, she heard a woman call out to her. Jeniffer doesn’t know if that was the same woman who phoned her. Suddenly, a gang of women came out from the bush out of the blue and started beating her, kicking her and throwing rocks at her.

Update on this story here.

SMUG v. Lively Will Proceed

 

And now also for doing the same in Uganda.

Taking their sweet time about it, and turning their back on international human rights violations in between, the Supreme Court of America has finally made a ruling on whether Scott Lively can be tried for his hate mongering in Uganda.

Over a year and a half ago, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), the coalition of Ugandan LGBTI organisations, filed a lawsuit in America against this lead hate preacher for his part in encouraging the 2009 Kill the Gays Bill, and spreading general bile and venom throughout the country.

Lively then tried to go to the UK to tell the British why they should hate gay people (although, to be fair, the UK has its own version of Scott Lively in the form of Paul Shinners) but was apparently denied access.

What did the Supreme Court decide?

Court Allows Groundbreaking Case Against Anti-Gay Religious Leader to Proceed

In a first-of-its kind case brought by a Ugandan LGBTI advocacy organization against a prominent U.S. anti-gay extremist, a federal judge ruled that persecution on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is a crime against humanity and that the fundamental human rights of LGBTI people are protected under international law. The ruling means that the case brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) on behalf of Sexual Minorities of Uganda (SMUG), a Uganda-based coalition of LGBTI rights and advocacy groups, can move forward over defendant Scott Lively’s request to dismiss the lawsuit.

Absolutely fantastic news!

Ntagali: Spiritual Cancer

Archbishop Stanley Ntagali

There seems to be no end to the line of people willing to stand up and announce to the world that they are a vicious, bigoted cretin. The latest person to step forward is Archbishop Stanley Ntagali:

Archbishop Stanley Ntagali, the head Uganda’s Anglican Church of Uganda, said that gay bishops are a “spiritual cancer” and do not belong in the Church.

Because, obviously, only people like Stanley belong in the Christian church. 

If you can be bothered to read more about him, the full article is here: Uganda archbishop: Gay bishops are ‘spiritual cancer’ that ‘infected’ Anglican church 

Otherwise, here's a cartoon.

Uganda's Human Rights Crisis

 

Following on from the passing of the Public Order Management Bill (POMB), and with violent instability predicted for Uganda's future, a group of human rights representatives have been called upon in an attempt to open up rational conversation with the country's Parliament:

Uganda: Human Rights Defenders Meet with Minister of Internal Affairs:

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, met with nine human rights defenders at his offices in Kampala this morning. As the new Minister begins his work, the delegation sought to emphasise the important contribution of civil society to the country and the need to fully integrate respect for human rights into the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is hoped that the meeting will mark the start of an ongoing open and honest dialogue and working relationship. The organisations represented at the meeting were the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, the Human Rights Centre Uganda, Foundation for Human Rights Initiative, Human Rights Network Uganda, Human Rights Network for Journalists Uganda and Amnesty International.

A parliament already cracking under the strain of just how far to push human rights violations. What began as a simple call to kill gay people has escalated with a bill to imprison anyone talking about politics. This has set hate-monger Rebecca Kadaga on a collision course with only-marginally-less-nuts Prime Minister Mbabazi:

Mbabazi: Kadaga is in opposition:

Questions are now being asked in cabinet about the political loyalty of their own, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga. Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi used Wednesday’s cabinet meeting to label Kadaga an opposition sympathiser.

The premier accused the speaker of ganging up with the opposition on Tuesday, in an attempt to defeat the bill, criticised as a government tool to curtail freedoms of assembly and effectively gag the opposition.

That's nice, Kadaga doesn't believe in quashing freedom of assembly, only in murdering gay people. You could almost grow to like her.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Commission continue with a lengthy waffle about how appalling the POMB is. 

“I am concerned that this law is clearly aimed at obstructing the work of human rights defenders and those who legitimately wish to express their concerns with the Government,” added Ms. Sekaggya.

Yes, we know - do something about it.

Uganda Passes #POMB

We reported yesterday that the Parliament of Uganda was sitting for the final reading of the Public Order Management Bill.

Well, it passed.

BREAKING NEWS: The dreaded draconian Public Order Management Bill has been passed by Ugandan Parliament. Chaos has marred the house as the Bill was passed. The Deputy Speaker Hon. Jacob Oulanya has suspended Hon. Osege Angelian. NRM had larger numbers and voted unanimously in favor of the #POMB

BBC: Uganda public order bill is 'blow to political debate'

The Public Order Management bill was passed despite fierce criticism from religious leaders, opposition MPs and the public as well as rights groups.

Police approval will now be required if three or more people want to gather publicly to discuss political issues. 

Uganda is ushering in a police state, and we've already seen first-hand how they react to peaceful protests.

POMB Final Reading

 

Today at 2pm the Parliament of Uganda will sit for the final reading of the Public Order Management Bill (POMB), which has been widely criticised as a major blow to human rights by curtailing free political debate.

SMUG posted to highlight some of the key clauses:

• The POMB makes public discussions on the state of the country illegal and any space these discussions are held a crime scene.
• If you are in a Christian home cell and you make a comment on potholes, corruption, KCCA, failed leadership, etc you commit a crime.
• If you are having a wedding meeting and anyone attending even suggests that you should increase the price of items because of inflation, you can be arrested for convening the wedding meeting, making the statement, and the owner of the premises or private residence where these discussions are held will also be held liable.

The ongoing case of SMUG versus Simon Lokodo was brought on the grounds that Ugandans have free right to assembly. It would appear that instead of saying 'yes, Lokodo, you acted unlawfully,' Uganda would rather vote to remove that particular right for everybody.

There are already strong predictions that Uganda is headed for violent instability in the near future. This bill would certainly help to grease that slippery slope.

There are calls online for Ugandans to contact their MPs to voice their dissent against the bill.

Please ensure that this is not the last time you have a collective say on issues affecting the nation of Uganda. Please send an SMS to the Deputy Speaker of Parliament of Uganda Hon. Jacob Oulanya on +256 776 913 911 asking him to throw this bill out and refuse to preside over its final reading today in service to our dear Nation. 

You can find a copy of the draft bill online.

Uganda's 2nd Pride Parade

Today saw the closing ceremony of Uganda's 2nd LGBTI Pride Parade. A message from Victor Mukasa on Thursday read:

Happy Pride!!! As We celebrate the second Pride from near and far, I would like to share a couple of words. It has been a long journey for all of us. There have been so many struggles for all of us. There has been loss of lives, esteem, trust, love, well being, pride, dignity, etc for all of us at one point or another. Along the way we have been victors; saving lives, winning cases, creating safe social spaces, the 1st Pride in 2012, awards to our comrades and to the movement, stronger organizing, alliance building, unity, etc. We have all been a part of this. We all deserve to celebrate. We have all been there in different capacities. A movement is no movement without all of us. We have done a great job. A happy pride is in order.

Many mistakes/errors have been made. This is a time to a correct them. This is a time to make things even better. It is a time to reflect. A time to regroup and include all those that have something to offer. It is a time to celebrate our hi/herstory as that is where we come from. It is a time to express gratitude to all those that have supported us. A time to remind each other that this is our struggle. A time to re-energize. Hugely, a time to CELEBRATE US.

Thanks to us all. Thanks to all our allies and partners. Thanks to the all those who have worked hard to make this a reality. Thanks to the Pride Organizing Committee for your leadership on this. Above all, thanks to you and you and yes, you too!

Keep safe and blessed as we celebrate! HAPPY PRIDE!!

As you can see from the picture, SMUG Uganda used the opportunity to voice their support for the LGBTI community in Russia who are also undergoing mass discrimination at the moment, so much so that it's currently threatening the Winter Olympics there.

The Female King

 

This is an interesting article and book promotion for Pre-Colonial Igboland: On Woman to Woman Marriage

While I strongly believe in pre-colonial lesbian secret societies littered across the African continent, at the risk of falling into the trap of Eurocentric and Western (mis)understanding of African social institutions, it should be made clear that the institution in which women were allowed to marry women was not created to facilitate gay marriage...

In Igboland women who were considered exceptional in the eyes of society due to their wealth and/or social standing, and those who were past menopause could marry wives for themselves, for their husbands, for their sons, and/or for their siblings. These influential women were usually viewed as men, due to the fluidity of gender in the pre-colonial Igbo context...

If woman-to-woman marriage was an ingenious way through which women manipulated the existing system to achiever higher and economic status, as this page suggests, what is to say that only heterosexual women took advantage of this?

Thought provoking stuff. A custom still practiced in Nigeria today.