By Arthur Baguma
and Patrick Ogwang
GAY rights demonstrators beat security and sneaked into the venue of a global HIV/AIDS meeting at the Imperial Royale Hotel yesterday but ended up under Police arrest.
A woman and two men beat the security detail and sneaked with placards and a 67-page document soliciting for funding of their activities in Uganda. The activists, now detained at Jinja Road Police Station, were identified as Pepe Juliana Onzema, a freelance journalist, Usaam Mukwaaya and Valantini Katende.
Police spokesperson Simeo Nsubuga described them as intruders. “We are looking at a case of criminal trespass against them. They are not delegates and were not invited. They did not have accreditation cards.”
The suspects, he said, had placards calling on the participants to consider gays in the planning and prevention of HIV/AIDS.
“Gay Ugandans also need HIV prevention”, read one placard. Another said: “Since 1983 up to 2008 zero shillings to HIV prevention for gay Ugandans”.
Anti-gay campaigner Pastor Martin Sempa termed the incident as unfortunate. “These people are illegal. They are in a wrong place and a wrong forum. In Uganda, we don’t have a place for such people.”
Earlier, the demonstrators managed to distribute their document to some of the delegates, drawn from across the globe.
In the paper, the gays urged the donors and other funding agencies to help reduce the rate of infection and to alleviate the suffering of anyone infected and affected by AIDS.
Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda under the Penal Code and is categorized as an unnatural practice. Ethics minister Dr. Nsaba Buturo has condemned gay activities.
The document said the gays are organized under four organizations namely Freedom and Roam Uganda, Integrity Uganda, Icebreakers Uganda and Spectrum Initiatives Uganda.
The meeting opened on Tuesday and drew over 1,700 participants from over 70 countries. President Yoweri Museveni opened the conference. He called for a
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
To Vote Obama is to kiss Death
To the voters in America, you should know that to vote the man getting more popularity, and actually now Democratic Nominee, 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.
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.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
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.
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.
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