Image via WikipediaI guess is should be natural that African homophobia gets exported to the countries we go as immigrants.
Pity my friends in Uganda who would love to run off to these countries, and will get there and want to stay connected to their African brothers and sisters. Yes, it will be easier, but, we do not leave all our demons home. We move with them. Even in Europe.
'Homophobia widespread within UK African communities'Of course, it is kind of logical. We are very, very homophobic. Us as Africans. The seeds of that have been well laid in the teachings of the churches in Africa. And, yes, I do lay it at the churches themselves.
DISCRIMINATION: Hostility towards gay men and women on the rise
HOSTILITY TOWARDS gay men and women within African communities in the UK is on the increase, claims a leading African magazine.
Mambo, a health lifestyle magazine for Africans, reveals in its new edition what it's like to be gay in UK African communities, where people can experience a life of victimisation, abuse and discrimination based on misplaced beliefs about homosexuality.
Discriminating against gay, lesbian or transgender people is a crime in the UK, yet Africans who are not heterosexual often suffer serious abuse, verbal and physical assault from their own community says the magazine. Some are even disowned by their family. As a result of this hostility, only very few gay Africans have the courage to openly declare their sexuality.
In an opinion article written for the latest Mambo, which is published by HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), award-winning journalist Sorious Samora describes his shock at the levels of hostility that he found towards gay people during his visit to east and central Africa to film his documentary, 'Africa's Last Taboo', for Channel 4's 'Dispatches' programme.
Samora says that homophobia is being encouraged by religious leaders, the very people he says should be promoting tolerance and understanding.
Here is another article. It is an analysis of the Pastor Wars in Uganda.
This article exemplifies what so angers me with the 'church' in Africa. Read through the article, from top to bottom, and see whether you agree with me.
We kuchus in Africa come off as the scapegoats. We are turning Christians homosexual. [Sigh], and we are blamed for the churches going empty.... [No. that may be happening in Europe, in Africa, the churches are bulging at the seams.] I know, I have at least five churches within a km of where I live in Kampala.
Kuchus are blamed for turning the pastors gay. But, what comes out in the article is that the pastors are fighting each other because of simple greed and jealousy. Of course, all in the name of Jesus. Imagine, outside the courtroom, the believers took to deciding the problem with fistcuffs. No. There were not homosexuals fighting it out with the Anti-Homos there.
And, for your information, even the pastors who are accused of being gay cannot dare stand up for gay Ugandans. It would be social suicide for them. And, they have their money generating machines to protect at all costs.
We, as in Gay Ugandans, gay Africans are losing out. Because it all continues to ferment the climate of sickness. Kuchus, gay africans cannot be good. Look at this excerpt from the article above.
"We came in to stop the fight of Christians from the two camps. One of the groups fighting claimed that their priests were being framed by malicious priests. The others supported the ones who pointed out the priests they claim to be gays."
Some Christians are buffled by the wars between pastors. "I am confused by the stories saying that some of our priests are gays", said 59 year old Simon Kasumali, a catechist in St Andrew church in eastern Uganda. "It is difficult to confirm whether the accusations are true. I personally do not believe in them. Our priests are being framed" he added.
But 45 yr old businessman, Andrew Nyeko thinks otherwise. He said: "I am not surprised about the accusations. Some of the churches in the country are managed by money hungry and amoral people. They can do anything evil."
We personify what is evil. Not the pastors fighting with each other. It is us the kuchus who lose out.
It is a sobering article in a way. Because, for once someone dares to look beyond the 'gays are evil' and take a kind of closer look at the people who are saying that gays are evil.
And, do not mistake me, very few Ugandans have this point of view. Very few Ugandans are actually looking and assesing what is coming out of the mouths of these 'men of god'. Ssempa, Male, they are honoured guests of honour at any function in Uganda. And, I bet you they will soon be receiving more 'anti-homosexuality awards'. Because,
Well, they are fighting the war for god. Isnt it?
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A lot of these missionaries and African pastors are using religion to make their people ignorant. Its a shame!
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