The following piece was written by David Kato for our magazine “All God’s Children” in March 2010. David was brutally murdered on 26 January 2011. We are re-publishing his article in honour of him. The article itself outlines the dangers that he and others were facing. In our communications with him, he was very anxious that our edited version of the piece did not endanger the lives of any LGBT people in Uganda.
David Kato, of Sexual Minorities Uganda and Integrity Uganda, currently in the UK reports upon dangerous and frightening times in Uganda for all sexual minorities, Christian and otherwise, and for all those who would dare to support them.
Integrity Uganda is a faith-based organisation that has been in existence since 1999. It was set up basically to provide spiritual food for marginalised minorities and to offer guidance and counselling for those who were in conflict with their religion in regard to their sexuality.
Initiated by Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, it was not an easy thing to do since government laws were and still are against homosexuality.
For dealing with this issue of homosexuals, helping them gain self-esteem and guiding them into a positive way of living, the Bishop was excommunicated from the Anglican Church. But he continued doing the work with his flock. These are people that have been thrown out of their families, schools, homes, work places and after being found out as gay or lesbian.
The media has been so negative in reporting on LGBTI issues. Once they reported the Bishop himself as being gay, which is not true. Working hand in hand with SMUG (Sexual Minorities Uganda) Integrity has been involved in advocacy, calling upon religious leaders to dialogue; but this has been in vain.
In 2008 people from the American Religious Right came to Uganda with a mission to protect the Traditional Family and they preached much against the LGBTI community saying that it recruits the young generation in homosexuality. Their one week workshop in Kampala ended with the formation of a task-force to encourage law makers to enact laws which would wipe out homosexuals from Uganda!
Their claims were unfounded. SMUG along with Integrity came out to deny these allegations in the press and this, as on other occasions, provoked religious leaders, mostly the pastors from Pentecostal churches like Martin Ssempa, Kyaze and Male to blame the government for allowing gay people to air their views in the media. From this there has been a ban on LGBTI community using public media. One radio station has been fined a large sum of money for hosting homosexuals.
Poverty in the LGBI community has caused many problems. When the Religious Right came to Uganda with their agenda, the pastors manipulated wit promises of money two activists such that they ‘defected’ and threatened the privacy and security of the LGBTI community. Georgina Oundo and Kagaba Paul, once worked hand in hand with Integrity, but as a result of this manipulation they now work with religious fundamentalists. They say they are now ex-gays and have labelled all gay organisations recruiters of people into homosexuality. Kagaba had been the treasurer for Integrity and he knew much about the organisation, its members and so on and has continued to talk much ill against us and the Bishop. He has insisted upon condemning the gay community and sending threatening messages that we are doomed, going to hell, and that we are to suffer if the Bill becomes law.
Georgina is a good speaker and for this reason has caused more havoc than good since her change of position.
So as a result of all of the above policy-makers like Nsaba Buturo, Minister of Ethics and Integrity and Member of Parliament Bahati David, came up with the Private Member’s Bill that is in parliament as the the Anti-homosexuality Bill. This Bill will put at risk not only the gay community but others; it wants a ‘police state’ mentality of everyone spying on one another – mother reporting son/brother reporting sister. One wonders how this is strengthening the traditional African family where LOYALTY to family is being broken down by the state.
If Integrity has been counselling HIV and STD victims and referring them to friendly non-homophobic medical personnel, now they are to be referred to the police, so the HIV rate that Uganda and the whole world is deal with will become higher if gay people go back in the closet.
So the future of Integrity is at stake. That is why we have set up an organisation that we do not want to name although Kagaba and Georgina have already hinted that the Bill will wipe out all NGOs protecting or fighting for LGBTI rights, with the claim that they are promoting Homosexuality. These will have their registration certificates withdrawn, be deported or bosses jailed.
Many petitions from within and outside of Uganda have been delivered to parliament including one with the Bishop and Rev. Gideon Byamugisha calling the state to respect the plight of the marginalised minorities.
