Ugandan newspaper outs the country’s 100 “top homosexuals” - Polidicks

[url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130672582]NPR[/url] [release]The front-page newspaper story featured a list of Uganda's 100 "top" homosexuals, with a bright yellow banner across it that read: "Hang Them." Alongside their photos were the men's names and addresses. In the days since it was published, at least four gay Ugandans on the list have been attacked and many others are in hiding, according to rights activist Julian Onziema. One person named in the story had stones thrown at his house by neighbors. A lawmaker in this conservative African country introduced a bill a year ago that would have imposed the death penalty for some homosexual acts and life in prison for others. An international uproar ensued, and the bill was quietly shelved. But gays in Uganda say they have faced a year of harassment and attacks since the bill's introduction. The legislation was drawn up following a visit by leaders of U.S. conservative Christian ministries that promote therapy they say allows gays to become heterosexual. "Before the introduction of the bill in parliament most people did not mind about our activities. But since then, we are harassed by many people who hate homosexuality," said Patrick Ndede, 27. "The publicity the bill got made many people come to know about us and they started mistreating us." More than 20 homosexuals have been attacked over the last year in Uganda, and an additional 17 have been arrested and are in prison, said Frank Mugisha, the chairman of Sexual Minorities Uganda. Those numbers are up from the same period two years ago, when about 10 homosexuals were attacked, he said. The bill became political poison after the international condemnation. Many Christian leaders have denounced it, and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signaled to legislators that they should not take it up. Four members of parliament contacted by The Associated Press for this article declined to comment, and instead referred queries to David Bahati, the parliamentarian who introduced the bill. Bahati did not answer repeated calls Tuesday. Homophobia is rife in many African countries. Homosexuality is punishable by death or imprisonment in Nigeria. In South Africa, the only African nation to recognize gay marriage, gangs carry out so-called "corrective" rapes on lesbians. Solomon Male, a pastor and the head of a group of clergy in Uganda, said he is glad the anti-homosexual bill has not yet passed, but said there needs to be an investigation to find out "why homosexuality is increasing in the country." The Oct. 9 article in a Ugandan newspaper called Rolling Stone — not the American magazine — came out five days before the one-year anniversary of the controversial legislation. The article claimed that an unknown but deadly disease was attacking homosexuals in Uganda, and said that gays were recruiting 1 million children by raiding schools, a common smear used in Uganda. After the newspaper hit the streets, the government Media Council ordered the newspaper to cease publishing — not because of the newspaper's content, but rather that the newspaper had not registered with the government. After it completes the paperwork, Rolling Stone will be free to publish again, said Paul Mukasa, secretary of the Media Council. That decision has angered the gay community further. Onziema said a lawsuit against Rolling Stone is in the works, and that she believes the publication has submitted its registration and plans to publish again. "Such kind of media should not be allowed in Uganda. It is creating violence and calling for genocide of sex minorities," said Mugisha. "The law enforcers and government should come out and protect sex minorities from such media." Rolling Stone does not have a large following in Uganda, a country of 32 million where about 85 percent of people are Christian and 12 percent are Muslim. The newspaper published its first edition on Aug. 23. It publishes about 2,000 copies, but a single newspaper in Uganda is often read by 10 more people. The paper's managing editor, Giles Muhame, said the article was "in the public interest." "We felt there was need for society to know that such characters exist amongst them. Some of them recruit young children into homosexuality, which is bad and need to be exposed," he said. "They take advantage of poverty to recruit Ugandans. In brief we did so because homosexuality is illegal, unacceptable and insults our traditional lifestyle.' Members of the gay community named in the article faced harassment from friends and neighbors. Onziema said the proposed bill already has led to evictions from apartments, intimidation on the street, unlawful arrests and physical assault. "We are an endangered species within our country," said Nelly Kabali, 31. "We are looked at as if we are outcasts. One time I was in a night club with a friend when someone who knew me pointed at me shouting 'There is a gay!' People wanted to beat me up but I was saved by a bouncer who led me out."[/release]

That's fucking Uganda for you, what a load of shit Fuck you Africa, you don't deserve my donation money

[QUOTE=Tetracycline;25518806]That's fucking Uganda for you, what a load of shit[/QUOTE] Hahaha are you my grandfather?

[QUOTE=Jobby;25518823]Hahaha are you my grandfather?[/QUOTE] Probably

Wow what a nice country

Boy its a good thing all those missionaries years and years ago spread the word of Christ to all those godless Africans, it looks like it's really helped the country with it's various xenophobic problems, now the "outsiders" are gays.

Why do countries like Uganda have to exist.

more proof africa is a lost cause and a waste of money we should pull out of every shitty country in there except south africa and let them kill themselves in their own problems

[QUOTE=Incognito;25518985]Why do countries like Uganda have to exist.[/QUOTE] "Because god wants them to :downs:" If they didn't make it such an issue, it would never be a problem in the first place. But if they simply called it highly acceptable and allowed it in the first place, it wouldn't create such drama.

[QUOTE=The_Putty;25519020]more proof africa is a lost cause and a waste of money we should pull out of every shitty country in there except south africa and let them kill themselves in their own problems[/QUOTE] bad idea

[QUOTE=Lambeth;25519057]bad idea[/QUOTE] not like there's any hope for it now anyway

It's funny because certain american evangelical interests have contributed to the anti-homosexuality fervor in Uganda, The Family/C Street among them.

It's like a giant game of hide and seek for gay people, except if you get caught, you die

This is dumb. Uganda is horrible for what they do to gay people.

[quote]We felt there was need for society to know that such characters exist amongst them. Some of them recruit young children into homosexuality, which is bad and need to be exposed,[/quote] This angers me so much... You can't influence somebody to feel an attraction to the same sex. It's just a scare tactic designed to spread hate.

Maybe they just mean hang out with them, and someone accidentally deleted "out with". Lets not jump to conclusions.

[QUOTE=Xen Tricks;25519108]It's funny because certain american evangelical interests have contributed to the anti-homosexuality fervor in Uganda, The Family/C Street among them.[/QUOTE] Yeah, this is important to note. It's something a lot of people are over looking. Anyone remember when Uganda's parliament try to pass anti-homosexual legislation (popularised as the "kill-the-gays bill?) Or the influence of American religious right groups in Uganda? This is what it's causing. Not saying that the nations in Africa were necessarily a haven for homosexuals before then- they weren't- but their homophobia is being whipped up by religious groups.

UN, I thought this is why we had you. Get in there. Now.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUHkQ9vP_lA&feature=related[/media]

Yep, religious groups which are centralized and controlled by white Americans who preach their own version of the word of God, then try to spread that tainted message to underdeveloped nations. Fucking pathetic scum, and the worst kind of people America has given birth to.

I hope you're happy with yourselves, Family Research Counsel.

And the worst thing is, unlike a rational and reasonable and developed nation, there is no proper education, so there is no proper discourse about this. Just bullshit. Mounds and mounds of religious bullshit.

[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;25519833]And the worst thing is, unlike a rational and reasonable and developed nation, there is no proper education, so there is no proper discourse about this. Just bullshit. Mounds and mounds of religious bullshit.[/QUOTE] Go where no one has the means to disagree with you and your message is sure to prosper, that or kill those who oppose.

Fucking assholes. They should get with the times for once. I mean, almost [b]everyone[/b] is already acceptant with homosexuality except for them.

[QUOTE=Tetracycline;25518806]That's fucking Uganda for you, what a load of shit Fuck you Africa, you don't deserve my donation money[/QUOTE] Wow, that was really not necessary, not all of Africa is bad...

I remember when this whole issue popped up a while back, I was somewhat surprised that a bass-ackwards third-world shithole like Uganda didn't already execute people for being gay.

Africa isn't a country, it's a continent.

[QUOTE=The golden;25520120]It may be an assholeish thing to say, but I don't like giving my money to a country that doesn't want to change. They still have tribes slaughtering each-other for fucks sake. The money usually goes to governments which are corrupt anyway. If Africa said: "We desperately want to get our situation cleaned up but we need the resources" that would be fine. However, this is not the case.[/QUOTE] agreed - i want to go over there and build houses or something for people but man...

[QUOTE=The golden;25520120]It may be an assholeish thing to say, but I don't like giving my money to a country that doesn't want to change. They still have tribes slaughtering each-other for fucks sake. The money usually goes to governments which are corrupt anyway. If Africa said: "We desperately want to get our situation cleaned up but we need the resources" that would be fine. However, this is not the case.[/QUOTE] Not all of them are however.

Ah Missionaries, they do such good for Africa :geno: