'Homophobia is not rooted in Uganda but influenced by extreme western churches' – Frank Mugisha Q&A
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http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/mar/11/frank-mugisha-uganda-gay-lgbt-any-questions Version 0 of 1. 2.12pm GMT14:12 Thank you so much for the Q&A , I hope i was able to answer most of your questions. I do so much appreciate the support . Thank you 2.08pm GMT14:08 And just about time for a few quick questions from Twitter: @frankmugisha how can we support progressive faith leaders to work with their peers to be more accepting? @GuardianAfrica @theAidsAlliance Support community church projects and empower citizens, the message is easily spread that way @frankmugisha why are so few African leaders open about their sexuality or HIV status? @GuardianAfrica @theaidsalliance @semugomanp Society prejudice, fear and stigma @GuardianAfrica @frankmugisha do messages of support from international leaders help or hinder in your advocacy for LGBTI rights in Uganda? Some messages help if they are well thought out, but some times they cause problems for our work. 2.05pm GMT14:05 Also on Facebook Ugandan Ssempijja Lwanga said: Uganda condemns homosexuality but no homosexual has been threatened or publicly humiliated. European tabloids are good at tarnishing the African image. I really don’t understand the gains from such false reporting. Hilda Rose added: No one is threatening Homosexuals in Uganda, self engineered articles are possible to attract sympathy for self gain. So I suggest balance when looking at this story. Ugandans are too friendly to attack anyone who is living their life and minding their own business. They don’t like it but will not attack. Frank said: Actually, many homosexual Ugandans have been threatened, in fact, it is now under reported because of the misplaced belief that the LGBT community are reporting cases of violence to get sympathy: the comments on some of the newer news articles from Uganda will give you a good picture of this. I do agree though that homophobia is not deep-rooted amongst many Ugandans, though it is condemned. Updated at 2.07pm GMT 1.50pm GMT13:50 Frank, how can we support progressive Ugandan faith leaders to work with their peers to be more accepting? Find more churches and liberal voices to support faith groups in Uganda and beyond. Partner with them and support them to do projects that empower citizens. This is what the extreme conservative groups have done, they partner with their Ugandan friends to support orphanages, provide clean water, medical supplies and build schools. We should support liberal groups and local communities as they preach the good message of love for all Updated at 2.07pm GMT 1.45pm GMT13:45 How do you survive? Does international attention protect you somewhat? Do you have family? The international community protects me from the state – maybe – but I don’t think it can protect me from the threat of an extreme homophobic person. But yes, I have support from my many friends and my family Updated at 2.07pm GMT 1.42pm GMT13:42 Dear Frank First of all, kudos to you for being a "top gay" in Uganda and bloody well being willing to fight it out. Some of the questions I'd have asked have already been asked and I look forward to your replies. My question is: Are you ever tempted, given you may well legitimately seek asylum on these grounds, to move to a more liberal country just for the sake of your sanity, lifestyle, and possibly your life itself? I have been tempted a few times, when it feels too much: internal problems draining my energy; dealing with everyday problems; the laws that come and go; homophobic statements. Related: Gay Ugandans face new threat from anti-homosexuality law When I sit and think sometimes I am like: “What am I doing here why not leave?” But I love the struggle, it has registered some progress and it keeps me going. Updated at 2.06pm GMT 1.36pm GMT13:36 Hi, My name is Ms. Arao Ameny. I am a writer and journalist. I had the pleasure of meeting you in New York City several years ago. I am part of the Ugandan Diaspora here. I wanted to know if you if you've had any luck getting support and getting allies from the Ugandan Diaspora here in New York or around the world to help bring awareness about how gay Ugandans are treated. I understand as Ugandans we used to let people live their lives, regardless of whether or not we fully understood their sexual orientation. I am curious about if you are making any headway with building allies in the Diaspora. Well wishes and I pray for your safety. The Ugandan LGBT community in the United States is trying to build its profile. We have some allies in the US but they are mostly NGOs working on human rights. What we want is solidarity from ordinary LGBT Americans and the Ugandan diaspora groups can help bridge that gap. Updated at 1.41pm GMT 1.35pm GMT13:35 Why doesn't 'Africa' (currently an illusive political idea) express a more continent-wide coherency around issues such as these. Surely all African countries don't live in utter isolation from one another ? I can't imagine a more appropriate area than LBGT to build a continent-wide social and modern articulate which is not so victim-helpless centric. There is very little space for the LGBT community to organise. Extreme Christians are pushing for the expanded criminalisation of homosexuality in most African countries and unfortunately, many are buying into it. Updated at 1.40pm GMT 1.30pm GMT13:30 Do you witness any influences from western churches, especially American ones, that negatively affect the tolerance of LGBT people in your country? What were the pre-colonial attitudes? I'm trying to understand the mindset with a historical perspective. Homophobia in Uganda in not deep-rooted, it is mostly influenced by extreme western churches. Updated at 1.40pm GMT 1.27pm GMT13:27 How can non-Africans assist in practical ways that avoid making things worse? The current backlash against LGBTI in Uganda appears to be closely connected with certain foreign interventions, and most people would want to avoid such measures. But some don't wish to just stand back and claim to believe in non-interference, so would you be able to make some suggestions? Talk to your politicians, ask them not to issue public statements that could cause problems for LGBT Africans. Make friends with people and politicians in Africa so when you discuss human rights, and LGBT rights, it is a level-headed conversation: no one party should be telling the other what to do – it should be a dialogue. Updated at 1.29pm GMT 1.24pm GMT13:24 On Facebook Edmund Lubega from Uganda asked: As a Ugandan, I am ashamed and embarrassed by the frank and stupid homophobia in our society. However, I wonder whether the west (maybe with good intentions) makes things worse for LGBT activists in Uganda? For example the only time human rights violations are ever considered is when gay rights are involved. Frank what is your take on this? To which Kalule Herman Shasha added: @Edmund Lubega I agree with you, while I am gay and living in Uganda, I think it’s double standards for the west to front gay rights when all manner of human rights abuse go unhindered. They [the west] rarely lift a finger in the struggle to win hearts and minds especially in homophobic Uganda. We need to come out on all aspects of human rights violations, after all, gay rights are human rights. Frank said: The western world finds it easy to raise concerns about LGBT rights based on what’s going on in Uganda and other countries. They have seen homophobia in their own countries and don’t want to see it repeated. Sometimes the intention is good, but the message is wrongly sent out and wrongly received. Updated at 2.29pm GMT 1.16pm GMT13:16 I lived in Kenya for a year as an openly gay (white) man and found Kenyans to have no problem with homosexuality - even if they disagreed with it. In fact the attitude there is people should mind their own business. What do you think makes Ugandan people different from Kenyans? Actually Ugandans are not as homophobic as they are portrayed. The fear of homosexuality has been indoctrinated into Ugandans by extreme Christians, it is not deep rooted. Uganda has the nicest people I know and when we try to talk one-on-one many Ugandans understand and listen. But the propaganda by extreme Christians makes many people fear to speak in favour of homosexuality. Updated at 1.21pm GMT 1.10pm GMT13:10 Hi Frank, do you see evidence of 'brain drain' with able gay Ugandan's leaving the country and taking their talents elsewhere? And are those left behind and closeted able to reach their full potential with all the stress they must be under? It would be good if no one had to flee Uganda, but if people’s lives are at risk I understand if they feel they need to leave. It has left a very big gap in our struggle and some of our strongest voices have left, but there are new ones coming, and many of the old voices keeping the struggle going too. For those who remain in Uganda it’s hard to reach your full potential with the stress. We have so much to deal with, both externally and internally. Updated at 1.20pm GMT 1.05pm GMT13:05 In such a hostile atmosphere, how do you protect yourself on a daily basis - do you have security measures? Also, how do you trust new people that you meet? I do not have a bodyguard, but I employ random minor security measures. I take precautions to avoid places where I know I will get noticed, and where I could be hurt. Trusting new people is hard, but I have to take the gamble and meet new people. In fact, these new people are the people I support the most. Updated at 1.18pm GMT 1.02pm GMT13:02 Hi everyone, just to let you know that Frank is ready to begin. There have been loads of great questions so let’s get on with it and we’ll try to get to as many as we can in the next hour. First up: Hello, Friends thank you for joining me in Q&A. Will do my best to answer your questions , appreciate the support Where were you and how did you find out you had been outed by Red Pepper? And what was your immediate reaction? The first time my name appeared in a tabloid I was visiting a friend. Another of our friends showed up with the paper which had printed the list. So much was going on in my head. My biggest worry for the people named who had not yet come out to anyone publicly. Updated at 1.17pm GMT 6.00am GMT06:00 I was outed as a ‘top homosexual’ by a Ugandan newspaper – any questions for me Less than 20 Ugandans are living as publicly “out” and Frank Mugisha is one of them. The activist, and leader of LGBT campaign group Sexual Minorities Uganda, was listed by the Ugandan tabloid Red Pepper as one of the country’s “top 200 homosexuals” last year. Writing in the Guardian at the time he said “as a gay Ugandan, I know I am one of thousands. But as someone who has chosen to be ‘out’ and is still living in Uganda, I am in a minority.” Mugisha added that whilst historically Uganda is a conservative society “it never used to be a cruel environment for gay people. Twenty years ago we were not pursued by mobs, tortured by police, or run out of our homes.” A few years earlier his friend and colleague David Kato was outed by the defunct national newspaper the Rolling Stone – weeks later he was found bludgeoned to death in his home. Mugisha has also received threats, suffered violence and has been forced out of his home. Not cowed Mugisha and his organisation helped coordinate opposition to a draconian law which proposed life sentences for homosexuals. It was overturned last summer but activists are worried that new legislation being proposed by the government will tyrannise Uganda’s gay and lesbian community further. Mugisha will join us for a live Q&A on Wednesday 11 March between 1-2pm GMT to discuss his experiences. Post your questions in the comments below and he’ll answer as many as he can. If you have any problems commenting you can email your questions to maeve.shearlaw@theguardian.com, or tweet @GuardianAfrica Updated at 8.03am GMT |