Shinners, Full 51 Minutes of Fame

We mentioned the UK hate preacher, Paul Shinners, who was filmed preaching in favour of killing gay people (before the clause was removed from the bill).

Despite claiming he had never been to Uganda, when faced with the evidence, his reaction was laughable:

He immediately played the victim card after his presence in Uganda, and the hate message he conveyed to those attending a religious rally organised by David Kiganda, was exposed by the Freethinker, and by bloggers Melanie Nathan in San Francisco and Daniel Law in the UK.

He accused us all of defamation, and – via a local newspaper – demanded an apology. He said he was being unfairly pilloried, and that his Cornerstone Café in St Neots had suffered as a result of the allegations made against him.

No concern at all for the suffering of the Ugandan LGBT community because of his own actions.

So, here's the full 51-minute rampage by Shinners, courtesy of the stop Shinners campaign blog (and Facebook group). Just to make sure we didn't get anything out of context...

If that's sending you to sleep, there's a brief rundown here.

If you are in the UK, write to your MP and the House of Lords to ask why this man is not being investigated by the Charity Commission. 

Bobi Wine Bottoms Out of UK Tour

We're bored of uploading pictures of Bobi Wine, so we thought we'd use an artist's impression this time.

Startling resemblance.

After the petition against this homophobic singer (we hesitate to use the word 'entertainer' as that would imply there is something entertaining about him), we have a result:

‘Burn the gays’ rapper axed from UK venues

Representatives from the Troxy Theatre in London and the Drum Theatre in Birmingham confirmed they told promoters for rapper Bobi Wine their establishments would not allow someone who promotes discrimination.

Good call, UK. 

Shame the Border Agency didn't rule it out first.

Meanwhile: Bobi Wine’s brother arrested with missing school girl

Uganda Applauds Gay Kiss

John Barrowman is one of the UK's best-loved gay celebrities. Glitter, glitz and entertainment are his trade, so it's hardly surprising to see him kissing at the Commonwealth Games.

What is mind-blowingly surprising is Uganda's reaction:

Uganda C’wealth Games coach praises John Barrowman gay kiss

Grace Eriyo, a coach with the Ugandan team, has praised the kiss. 

She was quoted in The Times as saying: ‘Where we come from it is illegal to kiss a man, but here you can have it on the TV, right in front of the Queen. 

‘To me that is so great.’

Grace, you've just shot to the top of everyone's adoration list. What a brave, beautiful, and hope-inspiring thing to say. It becomes too easy from the media to believe that all Ugandans are hate-filled towards gay people. You are a shining example of why we must never generalise, and why the future of human rights in Uganda rests with the individual. We think you're pretty darn great yourself.

Trans Woman Beaten Blind

Hush (“Mich”) Ainebyona

In September 2012, MtF transgender Mich Ainebyona was brutally attacked outside a bar in Kampala. Since then, her eyesight has been failing. There is now an appeal to pay for medical treatment to try to save her sight. You can read more in the following article, as well as Mich's story in her own words: Seeking to save the eyesight of battered trans Ugandan

Margret Nazziwa

Margret Nazziwa

What is it about the UK and Ugandan lesbians?

After a protest outside the Home Office, Margaret Nazziwa was informed that she was to be released instead of deported yesterday. 

That's a better result than being deported like Prossie N or murdered like Jackie Nanyonjo.

Congratulations Margret, we hope that you can start to rebuild your life after Yarls Wood.

Lokodo Case Ruling

Holy Mother. Hands up who honestly thought we'd ever live to see this day?

After the trial was delayed not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times, we just assumed it was never going to happen. 

But it has.

And the ruling is exactly as you'd expect:

Rights Group Says Ugandan Court Decision Violates Basic Freedoms

Human Rights Watch has condemned a recent Ugandan court ruling against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists, whose workshop on rights advocacy was broken up two years ago by the government.  HRW says the ruling is part of a pattern of intimidation of activists. 

In February 2012, Uganda’s Minister for Ethics and Integrity, Simon Lokodo, stormed into a human rights workshop run by gay and lesbian activists in Entebbe and shut it down. 

The organizers sued Lokodo, arguing that the workshop was intended to develop advocacy and leadership skills.  But on Wednesday Uganda’s High Court ruled against the activists, saying Lokodo had acted in the public interest by protecting Ugandan moral standards.

Rights groups weren't the only ones saying it's unconstitutional. Credit where credit is due for Ugandan MP Fox Odoi. We dearly hope he still has a job, he's far too good for this parliament.

No doubt this ruling had an effect on the closure of LGBT workshops.

The KKK - Sorry, CCC.

The Campus Crusade for Christ, CCC, also known simply as 'the Cru' to its homies, is a US evangelical mission bent of sowing the seeds of homophobia in Africa.

The Christian Do-Gooders Secretly Attacking Gays

Remarkably, CCC is No. 20 on Forbes magazine’s list of the largest charity organizations in America, with $548 million in annual receipts in 2013, $503 million of which are donations. (Presumably the rest are Cru-branded sweatshirts.) This is an impressive achievement, to put it mildly—most of the other top 20 are household names such as United Way and the Salvation Army. 

As its former name implies, Cru is best known for its campus outreach: Bible study groups and the like. But it also has a powerful international arm—there are a lot more eligible converts in Africa than at your typical college kegger, after all—which runs missionary work and conferences... 

According to Truth Wins Out, CCC has been active in Uganda for more than a decade, bringing Holocaust revisionist-turned-anti-gay zealot Scott Lively to the country in 2002.

If you fancy messing with them a little, like sending your spent copies of Out Magazine through the post, here's the address:

Cru

New Life Resources

665 Highway 74 South, Suite 350

Peachtree City, GA. 30269

Tel: 1-800-827-2788

Or, to offer your (sperm) donations: 1-888-278-7233

Mon.-Fri. 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m. Eastern Time, Select Option 1 or 2 

It would seem they accept more than one option in automated telephone forwarding, but not in love.

You can also find their domain registry info on WhoIs.

Meanwhile: Obama’s Evangelical Gravy Train: Despite the president’s promise to cut funding to discredited HIV and pregnancy prevention programs, taxpayer dollars are still bankrolling anti-gay, anti-choice conservative religious groups.

Paul Shinners Hate Video

This is Paul Shinners, a UK preacher and head of a charity (No.1131321) that the Charity Commission of England & Wales pointedly refused to investigate.

He is making a hate speech in favour of the Kill the Gays Bill back in 2012, having claimed that he had never been to Uganda. He is most probably using publicly donated funds from his charity to pay for this trip, headlining alongside lead Kill the Gays supporter (the death penalty clause had not been removed by this point) David Kiganda.

When alerted to Paul Shinners' actions, the Charity Commission took over one year to respond to an enquiry, and only then to say:

Following your concerns raised with the Commission in January 2013 about the charity’s trustee, Mr Shinners, the Charity Commission contacted him requesting an explanation of how his attendance at the event in Uganda to which you refer was in pursuit of charitable purposes. Mr Shinners explained why his attendance at the event was appropriate charitable activity, vigorously denied making any homophobic statements and took steps to make this publicly known.

Well, that's alright then Charity Commission... 

We renew our calls for Paul Shinners to be struck off as a Charity Trustee in the United Kingdom, and for the Charity Commission of England & Wales to start an immediate investigation into Passion for Souls Ministries, explaining how this is a charitable use of money: @ChtyCommission

TAKE ACTION

Stay up-to-date on Shinners via Facebook and this blog. If you're still not too sure who he is, you can search this blog for a back catalogue of his abuses.

Sam Kutesa now President of UN General Assembly

(click to enlarge)

It's fairly hard to argue with a sentiment like that on a day like today.

Ugandan minister wins key U.N. post despite anti-gay law

Uganda's Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa was elected president of the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday despite concerns among human rights advocates, Western governments and U.N. officials about his country's recently adopted anti-gay legislation. 

After his election by acclamation without a vote in the 193-nation General Assembly, Kutesa pledged to promote gender equality and women's rights and to continue a United Nations drive to eradicate poverty and combat climate change. He did not raise the issue of gay rights.

Of course he didn't, and nobody made him.

Besides, who's listening to Navi Pillay anyway? She's only a woman after all, and she makes the old boys at the UN uncomfortable with all her talk of queers.

UK's Legacy of LGBTI Abuse

Harriet Nakigudde

The UK seems to be on a one-track persecution mission against Ugandan lesbians at the moment:

• Jackie Nanyonjo (murdered)
• Prossie N (deported)
• Aidah Asaba (awaiting deportation)

And now Harriet Nakigudde:

UK to deport lesbian to Uganda for ‘being single for five years’: A 30-year-old woman who was raped by her uncle, leaving relationships traumatic, will be deported tomorrow

The UK government will be deporting a lesbian back to Uganda as she has been single for five years.

Harriet Nakigudde, 30, applied for asylum in the UK fearing for her life because of her sexuality.

The asylum seeker, who first came to the country in 2009, fled her native country after an event that left her deeply traumatized.

In 2008, her uncle raped her to ‘cure’ her sexuality. Following this, her family disowned her and she was forced to leave Uganda.

The UK's treatment of vulnerable women is disgusting, and their detention centres are already known for sexually abusing inmates. The international community is horrifically failing Uganda's abused LGBT victims.

Africa's First Openly Gay Minister & MTN's Shame

Zakhele Mbhele

The appointment of Zakhele Mbhele, Africa's first openly gay minister, in South Africa is certainly a momentous occasion.

However, we find his success tainted by the fact that South Africa continues to support an extremely homophobic Ambassador to Uganda, Jon Qwelane. Just Google his name to read about his legacy of hate. 

Not only is Qwelane the South African Ambassador to Uganda, he is also a trustee of the MTN Foundation.

Tweet: @MTNUGANDACARE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MTNUG
E-mail: customerservice@mtn.co.ug

Use the above to contact MTN Uganda to tell them that it is not okay to have Jon Qwelane promoting their charity.

How can South Africa promote equality at home whilst exporting gay hate abroad?

UN Consider Kutesa for President of General Assembly

Sam Kutesa, Ugandan Foreign Minister

[UPDATE: Sam Kutesa is now President of the UN General Assembly.]

You remember that guy who said:

[T]he [Ugandan] government does not support the promotion of homosexuality,just like we cannot promote prostitution.

Yeah, the same guy who resigned in 2011 over corruption allegations?

Yeah - that one.

Well, the UN want to appoint him President of the General Assembly.

Just like the Commonwealth lauded chief homophobe Rebecca Kadaga.

This, just weeks after the UN Human Rights Commission issued a statement saying they support LGBTI rights.

Do they hell.

The UN couldn't give a crap, if their actions are anything to go by.

SIGN PETITION AGAINST KUTESA'S UN APPOINTMENT

Also, a good article by Jay Michaelson, which sums up the situation: The U.N.’s Next President Is a Gay-Hating Friend of Uganda’s Corrupt Dictator

American Cultural Warriors in Africa

A radical new book on the market that might be of interest to readers of this blog:

New book links U.S. conservatives and African ‘Kill the Gays’ laws

One of the original researchers to expose the ties between U.S. right-wing evangelicals and anti-LGBTQ laws in Uganda and other parts of Africa has released a new book that shows U.S. activists how to stop Americans like Scott Lively and Rick Warren from exporting anti-gay animus abroad.

“American Culture Warriors in Africa: A Guide to the Exporters of Homophobia and Sexism is penned by Rev. Dr. Kapya Kaoma and Political Research Associates, the outfit that filmed the explosive undercover footage of Lively in Uganda telling lawmakers and faith leaders that gays from the West were “infiltrating” Ugandan schools to “recruit” and “molest” children...

American Culture Warriors in Africa, Kaoma says, is a first-of-its-kind guide for activists who want to get involved and stop this globalization of homophobia.

Worth getting your hands on a copy. If you live in an African country with a national library, consider purchasing a copy and donating it so that it is available to the public.

White Culture Responsible for Porn and Gays

Simon Lokodo, Minister for Misinformation

Time for a little comedy relief.

Uganda's largest (in every sense) lunatic, Simon Lokodo, as Minister of Ethics and Integrity, has decided that white people are responsible for pornography and gay people in Africa.

Lokodo - successfully making Uganda a laughing stock since before you were born.

Navi Pillay Speaks Out

Navi Pillay

After her memorable video calling on the world to respect LGBT rights last year, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has written an article repeating this point.

Prejudice Fuels the Denial of Rights For LGBTI People Worldwide

RECENTLY, new laws have been adopted to punish, or silence, lesbians and gays in a number of countries. Such laws, and the resulting discrimination — which often affects transgender people too — violate universal human rights...

In reality, homosexuality is a fact of nature, observed in every human society throughout history. It has been tolerated for centuries in many societies, and has only recently surfaced as a political issue. There is no evidence whatsoever that homosexuals “target” children more often than heterosexuals do — paedophilia is a crime, whether the perpetrator is homosexual or heterosexual, and nobody wishes to change that. Calling for an end to the persecution of LGBT people is a call to end discrimination and violence, a basic premise of our universal human rights. It is unrelated to same-sex marriage, a topic that societies may choose to debate at the national level. Furthermore, religious freedom does not mean the freedom to persecute, or to act with prejudice and bigotry.

To counter these prejudices, my office last year launched Free and Equal — an unprecedented United Nations campaign to raise awareness of the rights of LGBT people. We did so because human rights are for all human beings. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is just as irrational, just as wrong, as discrimination on the basis of skin colour and just as clearly violates human rights.

Free & Equal is a United Nations campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender equality. We particularly like their slogan: Love is a Family Value.

Congratulations Clare Byarugaba

Clare Byarugaba

Congratulations to Ugandan LGBT rights activist Clare Byarugaba, who has just been named  2014 Oak Human Rights Fellow at Colby College, America.

Clare Byarugaba, an award-winning Ugandan human rights defender who works for gay and lesbian rights in a country that recently criminalized homosexuality and the “aiding and abetting of homosexuality,” has been named the 2014 Oak human rights fellow at Colby College. Byarugaba is co-coordinator of the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law, which was founded in 2009 to fight homophobia in Uganda and act on behalf of the LGBTI community. 

Byarugaba helped organize Uganda’s first gay pride event, lobbied against the country’s anti-homosexuality bill, and now pushes for its repeal despite the threats that work imposes.

Keep up the fantastic work!

Wake Up Call for Museveni

Jackson Mukasa and Kim Mukisa, the two Ugandans facing trial for homosexuality, have been granted bail.

Meanwhile, Yoweri Museveni, the president who assented the anti-gay law, received a rude awakening in London today.

Protests at hotel interrupt speech by anti-gay Ugandan President

Protests from Ugandan’s and supporters of the equal rights movement interrupted a speech given by Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni at the hotel where he is staying while visiting London.

Noise from drums, vuvuzelas and chants could be heard from outside the St James’ Court Hotel on Wednesday, in a protest organised by the African LGBTI Out and Proud Diamond Group. President Museveni is in the UK for a forum promoting business between Uganda and the UK – and was disrupted when he attempted to give a speech to Ugandan citizens living in the UK with businesses.

Trial Delayed for LGBT Ugandans as Activists Picket President in London

LGBT Ugandans and allies staged a protest outside a London hotel where President Yoweri Museveni was speaking, while the first LGBT people to face formal charges for gay sex were granted bail.

Two LGBT Ugandans who were scheduled to face formal charges of "carnal knowledge against the order of nature" were granted bail Wednesday, the day their trial was to take place, for the first time since they were arrested in January...

There are some excellent photos of the protest on that second article.

Meanwhile, Huffington Post questions why on earth Museveni was invited to speak in the UK in the first place? 

Stoning Gays to Death? Life in Prison for Being LGBT? Britain Cannot Stay Silent Any Longer

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been in London this week as the honoured guest of the Commonwealth Business Council. Among those welcoming him to the grand surroundings of Lancaster House just down the road from the House of Commons and Buckingham Palace was the UK's Minister for Africa. Yet just 10 weeks ago President Museveni made it punishable by life imprisonment to be a lesbian or gay man in his country. Anybody daring even to speak up for the rights of LGBT citizens can now go to jail for seven years.

Probably for the same reason the Commonwealth promoted Rebecca Kadaga to head of women parliamentarians?

Ignorance, arrogance, and a complete disregard for the rights of LGBT people worldwide.

Two Stand Trial

Jackson Mukasa and Kim Mukisa

Last month we reported that the first LGBT Ugandans were soon to stand trial under the anti-homosexual laws.

Ugandan men first to face trial under severe anti-gay laws: The two men face criminal penalties after being charged with engaging in sex acts 'against the order of nature'

A Ugandan court has begun hearing the case against two men accused of engaging in gay sex – the first trial of homosexuals in the country since a severe law was passed in February.

The detained Ugandan couple, Kim Mukisa, 24, and Jackson Mukasa, 19, appeared before a magistrate's court in the capital, Kampala, on Wednesday to apply for bail after prosecutors said they had enough evidence to proceed with the case.

Funny Uganda's police can figure out what's going on behind people's closed bedroom doors, but not where all the money is going with regard to their corrupt political officials. 

#BetterUseofTime ?


[UPDATE: Here is a rundown of their situation and how it progressed to court.]

Uganda Celebrates Ignorance and Hate

(Image from this article)

Seems neither America nor the EU could talk any rational sense with the Mugabe-in-the-making maniacal President of Uganda.

Instead, Museveni has been rolling in his own ignorance like a pig in filth, leading a celebration of his country's descent into the dark ages.

Uganda throws a party to celebrate passing of anti-gay law: Rally shows how homosexuality is being used to represent all the evils besetting the nation

At a stadium in Kampala, 30,000 Ugandans gathered to give thanks to the president, Yoweri Museveni, for passing the anti-homosexuality act. Monday's event combined the fanfare of a mass political meeting with the party atmosphere of a cultural festival.

Uganda president leads anti-gay rally

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has led a rally celebrating his country's new anti-gay laws, saying homosexuality creates grave health problems and that gays have always been regarded as abnormal by Africans. 

Museveni made the comments on Monday at a "thanksgiving service'' organised in the capital Kampala by a coalition of Ugandan religious leaders and government officials who said the president deserves credit for defying Western pressures over the legislation.

Anti-Gay Rally in Ugandan Capital Draws Thousands

Anti-gay hostility in Uganda ratcheted up a few more levels on Monday, when the country’s president, Yoweri Museveni, spoke to a crowd of thousands—including many children—who had rallied in support of the administration’s horrific “aggravated homosexuality” law, which was approved in February. According to reports from Reuters, the throng “applauded when Museveni declared homosexuality ‘unhealthy’ ” and included kids sporting signs “with the word ‘Sodomy’ crossed out.”

As The Guardian article points out, gay people are being used as a scapegoat for all the evils besetting Uganda at the moment, and that's a lot of evils, mostly in the form of corrupt government officials. 

When ignorance and indignation combine, very bad things happen.

Brendan Eich Destroys Firefox's Reputation

Brendan Eich, CEO of Mozilla Firefox

[UPDATE: Result - he's quit.]

Brendan Eich, CEO of Mozilla Firefox, has single-handedly started a firestorm that sees him at loggerheads with the company he heads.

Whilst Mozilla have gone out of their way to assure their customers that they fully support equal marriage, their CEO has farted on his company's equal ops policy by stating that he may continue donating money to fight equal marriage for LGBT people.

You'd sack an employee for racism or sexism, but you promote a homophobe to head of your company? 

Go figure.

Here's five facts you need to know about this limp willy. Including the news that dating site OKCupid have blocked Firefox browsers in protest.

Credo have launched a petition currently over 73,000 people, and Change.org have done the same with almost 100,000 signatures, calling for his dismissal.

Get signing!