Gay bashing will get us all bashed. For the first time in fifteen years a well respected news column was refused by the Uganda based Sunday Vision. The author, Dr. Clarke was told his article could not run because of “editorial policy”. With many readers in key position in Uganda, eTN decided to publish Dr. Clarke’s column in full.
Dr. Ian Clark, a naturalized Ugandan, owner of the International hospital in Kampala and major of the Makindye division of Kampala (who beat all his African opponents hands down at the last elections) is the latest target of radical Ugandan politics.
This weeks column is entitled: “Gay bashing will get us all bashed”:
The few members of Parliament who were present to pass the anti-Gay bill looked pleased with themselves, and no doubt the Speaker is happy that she has finally delivered her ‘present to Ugandans’, but the consequences of this bill will be bad for us all.
While I understand the wish of parents to protect their children from what is perceived as a ‘western evil’, this is not the way to go about it. I have children and grandchildren whom I wish to protect from any evil, but I am totally against a bill which victimizes other human beings, just because of their sexual orientation. The proponents of the bill have sold it on the basis that Uganda must defend traditional and family values against the western gay lobby, who are seeking to recruit our young people. They have made the argument that being gay is against the natural order, and we as Ugandans must make a strong stand against this ‘western’ evil. The arguments have been laced with colourful homophobic descriptions and illustrations of ‘depravity’, which has been eagerly taken up by the tabloid press, and gained a populist following.
Most Ugandans don’t understand two important factors behind this debate. The first is that the anti-gay lobby is being heavily influenced by the American evangelical lobby, through such pastors as Martin Sempa, certain bishops in the Church of Uganda, and parliamentarians such as David Bahati. The second is that the moral outrage being voiced against Uganda in the west is primarily about human rights, it is not a gay lobby.
The two foremost Christians who have commented are Pope Francis, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Pope Francis did not condemn gays, but rather said ‘If a homosexual person is of goodwill and is in search of God, I am no one to judge’ – like Jesus who said about the prostitute ‘let him who is without sin cast the first stone’. Archbishop Tutu commented that ‘to persecute people because of their sexual orientation is every bit as unjust as that crime against humanity – apartheid’. In other words, the world has moved on to see gays as human beings, who have the same rights as the rest of us. The most recent figure to come forward to advocate sanctions against Uganda is Sir Richard Branston. This man is not gay, but is appalled that any country could pass draconian laws against their citizens, because of their sexual preference.
Uganda and the rest of the world seem to be having two different conversations. Ugandans claim to be worried about the influence of gays on their children, while western leaders see the anti-gay bill as a major infraction of basic human rights. Opinions have been skillfully manipulated within Uganda by a well meaning and vocal Christian lobby, while the speaker Honourable Rebecca Kadaga, has recognized this is a populist issue and jumped on the bandwagon. Other saner politicians have sounded a note of caution, because they are concerned for the overall effect on the country.
Internationally, Uganda has struggled with a poor image for decades, first because of Idi Amin, then civil war, and most recently Joseph Kony and the LRA. We are just getting our head above water now, do we wish to have another self-inflicted injury by branding ourselves as the homophobic capital of the world? The gay bashing, that many are indulging in so gleefully, shows a darker side of Ugandans leaving us wide open to international scorn and criticism.
The bill is ill thought through, almost impossible to implement and will achieve nothing, apart from giving Ugandans a reputation as homophobic. Is this what Uganda needs right now? Is gay bashing so important to the national agenda? There are other questions we also need to raise? Was there a quorum in Parliament? Is this bill in line with individual rights under our constitution? And was this just another example of more populist ‘politics’, which in the end will hurt us all? We can only hope that the President will show statesmanship when he deals with this bill – which is defined as impartial concern for the public good.
no wonder yo not even brave enough to publish your identification cos u know the nonsense your narrating is totally false.it woudln’t be surprising if they soon told us to dress Scottish courtesy of people like you.i thought each country on this world big or small has values that need to be respected,problem is people like you who are endlessly used to assimilate us into Western cultures even on our home turf.you talk about bashing,so what?,the west has been demonizing China over it’s human right record,has it slowed down it’s economic development?,or you think we don’t know the countless hypocrites associated with the so called good Western policies?When u dig deep into slave history,you would be alarmed at the actions of Africans that facilitated slavery to the extent that they owned their folks as slaves,however,African scholars hardly revisit such unpleasant episodes b’se of they embarrass us as Africans.I don’t think of you any better,i know your paid for these columns that you can twist facts to impress your pay masters.westerners colonized us,even after the so called independence,they’ve been here with their carefully crafted economic retardation policies,what miracles are you still preaching to come from them that you want us to trade our values for?people like Tutu have over played their hand,i think age is catching up with him that whatever he doesn’t believe in is apartheid.After being naturalized,now Mr.Ian Clarke has the audacity to even lecture us on how to live our lives in our very own back yard!!!where was Mr.Branson for all this long?,let him keep his billions,have we been surviving on his dime!!!.All they know better is blackmail.Whites think we ain’t human enough and we don’t think straight,we’ve to be directed on what’s right and what’s wrong,no wonder they are losing their grip on their former spheres of influence.i know Museveni has made way too many mistakes,if he could only give me that,he would earn my vote come 2016,but let me sum up this by letting money mongers like you know that the law matters not,but rather the feeling of the majority of Ugandans that matter,u can even arm twist the president’s decision with your threats,but that won’t change the mindset of Ugandans,period.Otherwise,continue skimming money from your bank rollers,hope they come to terms soon that this is a lost cause soon and soon enough.