If you replace “Uganda” with “United States,” it’s almost as if Ugandan lawmaker David Bahati is a stand-in for Mark Sanford or Virgina Foxx. Bahati is behind Ethics Minister James Nsaba Buturo, the man pushing Uganda’s “death to gays” bill, which would make homosexuality a crime punishable by execution in some instances (for repeated offenses, for having sex while HIV-positive, and having sex with someone under 18 or disabled). And now Bahati is joining Buturo’s talking points, setting himself on a mission to deflect criticism of the bill, and ensure everyone knows that Uganda is not like other countries. Namely, those that believe in civil rights.
“The Anti-Homosexuality Bill is a nice piece of legislation,” he writes in Uganda’s Observer newspaper. “It is a consolidation of values of Ugandans and the country at large. It aims at holding the integrity of Ugandans high in the sky. And we shall not compromise on this cause. Uganda is not a copycat of other countries. We can’t do what other countries are doing—especially when such countries are doing the wrong things. The fact that the moral fabric in America and Europe has been put under siege by the supporters of this creeping evil of homosexuality should not suggest that we should follow suit. And I think supporting the cause of this Bill will provide Uganda as a country an opportunity to provide leadership in this area of safeguarding the traditional family. … We are happy that we are involved in this issue of attacking homosexuality head on. And generally people have started to see this cause as something that is highly needed. It is not an easy task. Combating homosexuality is not easy. There is massive recruitment in schools—mostly single-sex schools.”
And here’s the kicker — the one every bigot includes as a footnote: “I must also point out that this Bill is not about hate or discrimination. We are not involved in a hate campaign. … But ever since we tabled this Bill, we have come under attack. People have argued that we are promoting a hate campaign against homosexuals. And these attacks are coming mostly from civil society members who claim that homosexuality is a human right. These same groups have persistently continued to place this evil in the category of human rights. They have rallied people to resist the Bill. They argue that we are targeting homosexuals, we hate them. But some of the people behind these messages are mothers and respectable people in our country.”
It must be resonating with some; the Facebook group “We are Ugandans and we do not support Gay” has more than 1,200 “fans,” and include comments like this:
How about we take this to the next level?
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terrwill
This piece of shit with arms and legs sticking out of it has the balls to say they are not copying other counties. This backward cess pool of a country “copys” other countries in a huge way:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/katine/2009/oct/26/us-aid-to-uganda
Our ways are not so horrific to you for your scum infested country not to accept A QUARTER BILLION DOLLARS IN UNTIED STATES AID is it???? Contact every elected representive and demand the monies earmarked for this cesspool of subhuman filth be denied any of our GAY dollars………….
naghanenu
Wow…im actually embarassed about this as my father is an African. Not all Africans are this tyrannical, i assure you but this is just horrible.
Lets pray that they realise that killing gays will not is a terrible thing to do.
God help us
Desdemona
What makes these people think murder is alright in gods eyes? Even when you disagree with someone, it doesn’t give you the right to murder them! And what the hell is so disgraceful about gay people anyway? Because we have sex a little differently doesn’t make us a different kind of human being. There are so many more aspects to a person besides their sexuality. I can’t believe these comments from the people on facebook- they are so ignorant, backwards & filled with hate. Get out of Africa and see the world-get cultured a little bit and come into the 21st century!
Keith Kimmel
This is one case where I’d support using “The Company” for “wetwork”. Sometimes, I do think assassination is a legitimate tool to be employed in the fight for world peace. This would be one of those cases. We should kill this guy now and spare the world another Saddam.
What I want to know is why is the fucking UNITED STATES government being so silent on this? Why aren’t they threatening to demand UN sanctions and promising to severe diplomatic relations if this passes? Why hasn’t OBAMA gotten off his ass and given a speech condemning this? Why isn’t there anything on the front page of the HRC website denouncing this?
Mike
I just reported the page to Facebook. Let’s see how long it takes them to remove it.
El Brucio
Wow, if they were aiming to portray Uganda as barbaric, they’ve certainly achieved this. Sadly, I suspect that gay people face the same situation in many other African countries, whether by law, or simply tradition.
vernonvanderbilt
@Keith Kimmel
I’m 110% with you on this issue. This man’s existence should come to an end, and I would argue that the same should be done to those who endorse his primitive views. But why wait for someone else to do it? We should just put together a gay-rilla army and start taking out bigots ourselves. How’s that for proactive?
I (half) kid, of course.
One thing we all should definitely be doing is writing to our elected representatives at all levels and encourage them to speak out against this subhuman swine and the atrocity he wishes to commit. Without publicity, this will get swept under the rug like countless other human rights abuses before it.
If third world countries want to be taken seriously by civilized nations, they should consider, I don’t know, acting like human beings? Might be a decent start.
greybat
I reported them,too. And I’ll share the link as well. This is really beyond the pale.
romeo
These are backward, woebegone countries with little future in the world as it’s shaping up. Not surprising that they vent their rage on their most vulnerable. Ignorant cowards usually do.
The future belongs to Europe and Asia, and there we’re doing pretty well.
But, if, say organizations like the Human Rights Campaign want to verify their reason for being, they could start organizing underground railways, you know, Florence Tubman style, to help get our boys and girls out of such countries. After all, study after study has shown that we’re the most talented and civilized of any other demographic. We’d be smuggling out their best and leaving the rest, like those posters in that comment section, to stumble around in their own shit. Bet you they’d be good workers and model citizens in all the civilized countries into which they were given asylum.
I’m serious. Who knows? If we’d start looking at the big picture and helping each other out, maybe more of us would feel better about ourselves.
Daniel
Uganda is extremely tribal. When one tribe comes into power, the others generally ignore the central government which is always racked with corruption regardless of who is in control. Ultimately Uganda will fall back into civil war with most of the corrupt players wiped out. It happens in the region all the time. Tribalism is even more powerful than religion in Africa. The various genocides that pop up in Africa are always tribal in nature. Uganda is scapegoating gay people. It is nothing new in the region.
Matthew
From a person who is gay and who lived in East Africa for a considerable time, this portrayal isn’t completely far off. It was interesting when I was in Kampala (Uganda’s Capitol) my boyfriend and I were surprised that at an Expat club there were men dancing with one another (In a club flooded with prostitutes both male and female). We took it as the first time he and I could actually dance close to one another. Later we found out that that’s how the gay male prostitutes draw out their prospects for the night. We lived in Tanzania the majority of the time and there he and I had to keep our relationship completely under wraps because whenever we would slightly mention it to a local they would tell stories/rumors of what has happened to local gay people. Some were well received by the news (but this was rare).
Keith Kimmel
Good idea, Mike and Greybat. I love the smell of a little armchair activism in the morning. Lets get everyone flooding them with reports. I have to be honest, one half of me says that reporting it is censorship. The other half of me says fuck it, its not like they are making an intelligent arguement against homosexuality in thier country, its just hate-filled rhetoric Fred Phelps style.
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“But, if, say organizations like the Human Rights Campaign want to verify their reason for being, they could start organizing underground railways, you know, Florence Tubman style, to help get our boys and girls out of such countries.”
Another good idea, but I’d settle for them just MENTIONING the issue on thier website. If you search thier site for “Uganda”, you find they are paying precious little attention to a life and death issue.
Larry
It’s “not about hate or discrimination,” just like the American religious right’s anti-gay efforts here. And speaking of the religious right, more of a stink needs to be raised about the role that Scott Lively, Caleb Lee Brundidge and Don Schmierer played in the events that led up to this legislation. Those three men are going to have a lot of explaining to do if this becomes law, or even if it doesn’t.
If not for the horror of the situation, Bahati’s comment that “the fact that the moral fabric in America and Europe has been put under siege by the supporters of this creeping evil of homosexuality should not suggest that we should follow suit” would be amusing. As if a politician from a corrupt, underdeveloped Third World shithole of a country that will probably never amount to anything despite having rich natural resources has any right to lecture the West about “moral fabric.”
Attmay
@13 Keith Kimmel:
“Another good idea, but I’d settle for them just MENTIONING the issue on thier website. If you search thier site for “Uganda”, you find they are paying precious little attention to a life and death issue.”
Of course not. If it doesn’t help Democrats get elected, they don’t care. Did they do a damn thing to help pro-gay marriage Republican Dede Scozzafava? Nope!
But back to the main topic at hand, death to David Bahati! I will write to my congressman and senators and demand that economic sanctions be placed not only upon Uganda but any nation where homosexuality is illegal.
naghanenu
actually…As someone who spent some time in Africa…the people are not backward..actually very to date. The issue is Gays are seen as an abnormal set of humans..and let me tell you many so called civilized westerns think so too. Its just its no longer cool to say gays are perverts thanks to laws that protect gays
In Africa they tell you as they see it…i know of a case a gay man was burned to death at a market in Nigeria and publicized in local tabloids as a pervert who had it coming.
When gays here complain they should really think about gays in other countries are faring. In America its a case of benefits but in many countries its a case of life and death.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
The only thing Ugandans are good for is sitting in trees and eatin’ bananas.
jessi
I hope all those bigots die of famine and plague! It would serve them right.
Aaron
Wow, those people on the Facebook page are savages.
romeo
@ Naghanenu: Look at your post. Look at what you wrote! Sounds backward to me. OMFG Good luck, fella, on pleading Africa’s case.
Also: need to correct my earlier post; remembered it’s Harriet Tubman, not Florence. I think I cross-wired her with Florence Nightingale.
Attmay
@vernonvanderbilt:
“I’m 110% with you on this issue. This man’s existence should come to an end, and I would argue that the same should be done to those who endorse his primitive views. But why wait for someone else to do it? We should just put together a gay-rilla army and start taking out bigots ourselves. How’s that for proactive?
I (half) kid, of course.”
I must say, it’s very tempting.
Keith Kimmel
Facebook page still up.
No. 17 · Aaron
“Wow, those people on the Facebook page are savages.”
Ya don’t say?
vernonvanderbilt
@Attmay
You bet your sweet bippy, it is. I have a thirst for equality, but if I can’t have that, blood is a reasonable substitute.
sekaiichibankawaii
Sometimes, I think we need to do like Israel and make our own country. At least, we wouldn’t have to worry all the time about people murdering or using us as scapegoats when they government wants to distract the people from their real problems. We would finally then have all of our rights and an a safe haven for our GLBT people stuck in countries like Uganda.
Zeke Krahlinl
New Declaration of Independence
http://www.gay-bible.org/write/4_newdec.htm
killa
more blessings for uganda,please kill all the gays. am 100 percent behind. u am hormophobic. this fools claim they are urban, but let me advice them being urban is not fucking feaces in people’s assholes go to hell gay people.
Storm Christopher
BOYCOTT UGANDAN COFFEE!
See recent blog posts at http://www.JointheImpact.com and http://www.conversiontherapy.blogspot.com for details regarding this boycott of Ugandan Coffee. The boycott is just one response to Uganda’s draconian “Kill the Gays” law, which is expected to pass Uganda’s parliament in the next few weeks.
To the list of coffees included in the first post, please at UGANDAN DELICIOUS PEACE COFFEE. This coffee is currently distributed in the United States by the Thanksgiving Coffee Company, located in Fort Bragg, California. The motto for this coffee is “Not just a cup – but a JUST cup.” However, there is no justice at all in Uganda for gays and lesbians.
Drop this business a note or call them to tell them you why you will not buy their product and that they’re supporting a homophobic and oppressive government.
Thanksgiving Coffee Company •
Mail Order (800) 648-6491 • Wholesale (800) 462-1999
19100 South Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
BOYCOTT UGANDAN COFFEE!
Uganda is on the verge of passing a horrific new law that would sentence gays and lesbians in that country to death or life inmprisonment. It would sentence people who know homosexuals and do not report them to three years in prison. Rachel Maddow has covered this proposed “Kill the Gays” law extensively on her program, and news stories about this massive human rights violation are all over the internet. This law has not yet passed the Ugandan parliament, but no one doubts that it will.
What can we here in America do? Uganda’s national budget is extremely dependent upon foreign aid, and the United States provides a large portion of that aid. Contact your legislators and senators. Insist that they take notice of what’s happening in Uganda and urge that, if this law passes, all American foreign aid immediately be discontinued.
But we can do more. We can boycott Uganda’s largest export product, and that’s coffee. Particularly, it’s coffee made from Robusta and Arabica coffee beans.
Do not buy coffee labeled Robusta or Arabica without consulting the label. These are the two primary types of coffee grown in Uganda. If the label says Uganda, put it back on the shelf and inform the store owner why you will not buy it.
Starbucks is a huge purchaser of Ugandan coffee. Let your local coffee shop know about this law. Inform them that you won’t be buying any coffee product from Uganda. Ask them to discontinue that coffee.
Dean & Deluca, an upscale specialty store with locations in many major cities, carries a variety of Ugandan coffees.
Millstone Coffees also distributes brands made with Ugandan beans.
Boycott any coffee labeled “Ugandan Gold,” which is produced and distributed by an Evanglical Anglican group in Uganda and distributed by Old Time Coffee Co out of Middlesex, PA.
Boycott any product called “Ugandan Mountain Coffee,” which is distributed by Coffee Legends, Inc.
Act now. Don’t wait. Enlist your friends and spread the word. Boycott Ugandan Coffee.