Ugandans Battle Amakula's Homosexual Agenda

Film buffs at the just-concluded Fifth Amakula Kampala International Film Festival must have wondered why the film showcase did not start on time last Thursday.

Most had come early to the National Theatre to watch Ugandan filmmaker George Sengendo’s works Adopted Twins and Dangerous Decisions scheduled to show in the morning.

Unbeknownst to them, Pastor Martin Ssempa had thrown a spanner in the festival works and had petitioned the Broadcast Council about the impending screening of a gay-themed movie The Watermelon Woman at 10.15p.m. that day in the Green Room. The Broadcast Council forwarded the complaint to the Media Council who summoned the festival organisers and asked that they preview the controversial film first.

The Watermelon Woman is a loosely constructed faux documentary about black lesbian filmmaker’s obsession with obscure silent film star. Reel.com says it’s the kind of film that would be much appreciated by those seeking mix of tongue-in-cheek humour with thought-provoking exploration of gender, race and identity.

The Media Council then decided that the film contained a lewd lesbian act that was not palatable for public consumption and its secretary Mr Paul Mukasa requested that they suspend the film but that the festival could go on.

Another gay-themed film, Rag Tag by Nigerian born filmmaker Adaora Nwandu had already shown on Tuesday May 6 at 10.10p.m. at the festival before Ssempa’s raised his complaints. Rag Tag is short for Raymond and Tagbo. It is about two inseparable Afro-Brit teenagers who reunite after years of separation.

During a trip to Nigeria they realise that their feelings for each other are more than just friendship. The film paints itself as a depiction of how empty and suffocating life can be for gay Black people.

The fiery Pastor Ssempa has gone on to say that Hivos, a Dutch organisation that is one of the festival’s prime sponsors is also an active pusher of the gay agenda. Festival director Alice Smits who has often been on the receiving end of Pastor Ssempa’s anti-gay activism resents his militant approach to fighting homosexuality which does not promote dialogue.

The two clashed at the Commonwealth People’s Space last November after Ssempa mobilised youth to push Ms Smits off the venue where the Amakula Kampala Cultural Foundation had organised a debate between pro and anti-gay activists.

The halting of The Watermelon Woman’s screening may look like an extension of the personal vendetta between Ssempa and Smits but Ssempa insists that Smits is offending African culture, the Christian faith and breaking our laws in using the festival to push the gay agenda. “There are sections of the Penal Code that condemn homosexuality and indecency which those two films are all about,” says Ssempa.

He would prefer that the Media Council took a more proactive approach to ridding society of this “seedy, dirty, filth” that is on TV and in most films coming out of Hollywood today. “The absence of the censorship board is the reason everyone feels they can bring their filth here.

Hivos and Amakula are computer programmes that may have good content but are embedded with viruses. As civil society, we need stronger anti-viruses to inoculate ourselves against them even as they get more sophisticated,” says Ssempa.

Media Council’s Mukasa knows the regulatory body ought to play a more proactive role. “But you must understand that like most institutions of our kind like the police, someone has to report first,” says Mukasa. He, however, urges restraint in civil society’s pursuit of the anti-gay agenda.

Amakula’s Smit is rather surprised at the whole hullabaloo about the two gay films at this year’s festival. “We are not out to push any gay agenda. The focus this year was on pictures by African filmmakers and the diversity of subjects they are exploring. We showed over 300 films and it is not that the two gay films were pornographic so in my opinion, Amakula did not break any of the laws Ssempa is talking about,” says Smits.

To Vote Obama is to kiss Death

To the voters in America, you should know that to vote the man getting more popularity come November is to kiss death, as he is the biggest supporter of the violation of the fundamental human right to life. In a research carried out by NARAL Pro-Choice America on who is the most pro-abortion presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) emerged the winner of thus dubious distinction.
The Illinois senator scored a major coup yesterday when NARAL endorsed him as its choice for President. The decision surprised the abortion faithful because it signals a major break between NARAL and their ally Emily's List, which has supported Clinton since the early days of her campaign.
The two groups went toe-to-toe in this morning's press, sparring over which candidate is the most radical on their issue. "I think it is tremendously disrespectful to Sen. Clinton," said Emily's List President Ellen Malcolm. "[She helped force] approval of Plan B and... spoke so eloquently during the Supreme Court nomination about the importance of protecting Roe v. Wade..." Both Clinton and Obama scored a 100% on the voting scorecard of abortion interest groups. Both have voted against a partial-birth abortion ban. But only one has the ability to win, and NARAL's money will literally be on Obama.
To pundits, this is yet another indication that the sun is setting on Clinton's candidacy. To us, it confirms that no matter who prevails, the Democratic nominee will be the most radical pro-abortion candidate this country has ever seen.
So Voters be ware, save your nation, save the future, respect the fundamental human rights of every being, born or yet to be born.

Ugandan AIDS Activist's Facts Trounce UN Official Claim that Catholic Church to Blame for AIDS Crisis

Martin Ssempa states that the opposite is true

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

A United Nations official charged with overseeing AIDS prevention programs in Central America is blaming the Catholic Church's condemnation of contraception for the perpetuation of the disease.

Alberto Stella, Coordinator for the United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS) program in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica, told Reuters recently that "In Latin America the use of condoms has been demonized, but if they were used in every relation I guarantee the epidemic would be resolved in the region." He attributed this "demonization" to the influence of Catholicism, according to the news agency.

Martin Ssempa, a Ugandan AIDS activist who has long decried the United Nation's anti-abstinence position, denounced the statement in an interview with LifeSiteNews.

"There is absolutely no scientific evidence to back up what Mr. Alberto is saying," said Ssempa. "Condoms have not reduced HIV-AIDS anywhere in the world...in fact, to the contrary, higher condoms across Africa have resulted in higher HIV. If we look across Africa, the countries with the highest condoms, they include Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, these are the countries which also have higher HIV. And if we look at countries with less condoms, such as Uganda, Senegal, Kenya, these are the countries also with less HIV."

Ssempa noted that "UNAIDS is demonizing the Catholic Church unfairly. In fact, in countries where the Catholic Church is strong, there is lower HIV than places where the Catholic Church is not. Higher condoms have not resulted in lower HIV. In fact, it is the contrary."

As LifeSiteNews reported earlier this year, statistics bear out Ssempa's contention. Reporter Hillary White noted on March 5th that "2003 statistics from the World Factbook of the US Central Intelligence Agency, shows Burundi at 62% Catholic with 6% AIDS infection rate. Angola's population is 38% Roman Catholic and has 3.9% AIDS rate. Ghana is 63% Christian, with in some regions as much as 33% Catholic and has 3.1% AIDS rate. Nigeria, divided almost evenly between the strongly Muslim north and Christian and "animist" south, has 5.4% AIDS rate" (see article at http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/mar/07030610.html).

Despite its insistence on promoting condom use over abstinence, Ssempa notes that "UNAIDS has no success story. UNAIDS cannot point at any country where they have given advice and that country has brought HIV down." Even the World Bank has conceded the problem, he said.

Ssempa speculates that, as with the scandalous oil-for-food program, UN officials may be benefiting from relationships with pharmaceutical companies that produce the condoms.

"I am suspicious of the UNAIDS relationship with condom companies, in light of recent oil-for-food scandals and the corruption that has been exposed in the UN, I am suspicious about...the cause of UNAIDS officials spending billions of dollars on condoms without any evidence to back them up," he told LifeSiteNews.

Dr. Edward C. Green, a research scientist at the Harvard Center for Population and Development, has also speculated about economic motives behind the puzzling support for methods that have proven ineffective in preventing AIDS transmission. "It is by no means clear that empirical evidence can overcome ideological blinders or compete with the big business in pharmaceutical products that AIDS prevention has become," he wrote in a recent article for the Weekly Standard.

Penalties for provocative dressing approved

By Robert Mushabe

Following continuing reports of provocative and seductive dressing by Makerere female students, the University has come up with clear penalties to curb the situation.

"The penalties include, written warnings, public apologies and suspensions have also been approved," Pr.Martin Sempa said.

The penalties apply to all students, academic staff, administration and support staff of the University. This comes as a result of male students claiming that girls do not seduce lecturers only but also them.

Pr.Martin Sempa, head of Makerere Community Centre Church stressed the importance of
Pastor Martin Sempa. Photo/File

a conducive environment for bit students and staff.

The body charged with the duty to ensure that these policies are implemented will fall under the Anti-sexual Harassment Committee led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Livingston Luboobi. It also consists of student leaders and representatives from staff.

Last month, local dailies ran headlines that were of great concern to not only the University administration but the student community as well.

Pr.Sempa urged female students to always use dressing codes that tally with events in question. He advised them not to go to the lecture rooms putting on mini-skirts.

The policies received mixed reactions from the student community.

Tom Kakuru, a first year Industrial Psychology student, supports the new policies."Let them be implemented. We and our Lecturers are suffering because girl dress provocatively to entice us."

Former University Guild, Susan Abbo, accepts that students dress that way to take the attention of men.

"When I was in my first year, I also used to dress in that way but it was not interesting. I argue girls to be morally upright," Abbo said.