The Lessons of Uganda

The Lessons of Uganda In the wake of David Kato’s murder in Uganda, LGBT activists in the United States wake up to a growing problem: America is exporting—and now reimporting—hate. BY ANNE-CHRISTINE D’ADESKY PRIDE XI P11_UgandaXX.indd 74 5/25/11 10:23:02 PM A woman mourns during the funeral of activist David Kato (left), whose murder was preceded by anti-gay demonstrations (this page) he month of December in Africa istypically quiet. Government employees often request early leave— enough time to travel Tlong roads to visit relatives in rural areas. Everyone knows that if you have a cause, no matter how important, it’s a poor time to get people’s attention. That’s one reason why, as gay eyes around the world focused on the unfold- ing drama over Uganda’s infamous “Kill the Gays” legislation, someone quietly handed a bill to Malawi’s president outlawing lesbianism in a country nick- named “the warm heart of Africa.” By the time U.S. and other global activists found out, early in 2011, it was late in the game to do much. “We didn’t know about this until late, late, late last year—late 2010—the same week that it came up for a vote in Parlia- attacks. It’s also concealed something March—for the time being. (A government,” said Julie Dorf, senior adviser at bigger: an anti-gay campaign by U.S. ment spokesman explained the Sexual the watchdog Council for Global Equal- religious extremists who are export- Offences Bill already covered many ity. “It had been sitting in committee in ing their beliefs to other developing provisions in the proposed bill.) But its Parliament for a year and a half, and no countries. sponsors are determined to win its pas- one in the gay movement knew about it! “Everyone knows about Uganda, but sage: On May 13, Uganda’s parliament The local activists finally say something fewer people know about other places adjourned without voting on the bill, like, ‘Hey, you know, we have a problem … we are seeing this like Malawi or now but Bahati pledges to reintroduce it and this is passing in Parliament tomorrow.’” the [Democratic Republic of Congo] anti-gay militants boast of a petition Recounting the bill’s advance, Dorf where there are other connections signed by 2 million people demanding said there was “no grassroots orga- between the U.S. right wing and anti- that it become law. nization on this.… There’s no human gay movements growing there,” Dorf And with fresh victories like Malawi rights campaign, no [International Gay said. “It’s so far beyond that.” behind the U.S. extremists, Kaoma sees and Lesbian Human Rights Commis- The Rev. Kapya Kaoma, an African a new tactic of the proxy war spreading. sion], no one does any action.” Instead, researcher and project director at “They are not going to go away,” Kaoma diplomats intervened: Germany with- Political Research Associates in Boston, warned. “At PRA, we are very disap- held aid, followed by the United States, went undercover in Uganda for six pointed because I’ve said that what is TheThe LessonsLessons ofof UgandaUganda which blocked $350 million promised months to study the ties between U.S. happening in Uganda is really happen- InIn the the wake wake of of David David Kato’s Kato’s murder murder in in Uganda, Uganda, in energy grants. “But by then, it’s evangelicals and emerging anti-LGBT ing in Rwanda, and it’s now happening LGBTLGBT activists activists in in the the United United States States wake wake up up to to a a growing growing problem: problem: all too late. Everyone is focused on groups there. In his eye-opening report, in the Congo where conservatives are Uganda,” Dorf said. Malawi’s president Globalizing the Culture Wars, Kaoma highly involved in trying to bring up AmericaAmerica is is exporting—and exporting—and now now reimporting—hate. reimporting—hate. signed the bill “without any fanfare.” revealed a disturbing new “proxy the same kind of laws. Malawi, Zambia, Initially, she conceded, “we missed culture war”—in which U.S. pro-family Zimbabwe … they are using the same Malawi.” leaders found allies in African churches kind of rhetoric.” These same groups BYBY ANNE-CHRISTINE ANNE-CHRISTINE D’ADESKY D’ADESKY As she and others see it, the big media to promote their homophobic agenda invited Africa’s now-famous homo- focus on Uganda since its anti-homo- and attack HIV-positive groups and phobes—like David Bahati, the member ES AG sexuality bill was introduced in 2009, women. “Everyone needs to connect the of Uganda’s Parliament responsible made even greater by the murder in dots,” he said. for the “Kill the Gays” bill, and Pastor January of LGBT lawyer-activist David After major international pres- Martin Ssempa, who is leading a cru- AFP/GETTYIM Kato, has overshadowed more anti-gay sure, Uganda’s bill was shelved in late PRIDE XI PRIDE XI 75 P11_UgandaXX.indd 74 5/25/11 10:23:02 PM P11_UgandaXX.indd 75 5/25/11 10:23:04 PM Before his murder, a newspaper printed David Kato’s name and photo as part of its list of “top homos.” that criminalizes lesbians for the first time, in this day and age,” said Dorf, spying a trend. “It happened in Burundi … and now in Malawi.” As of April, the International Gay and Lesbian Association listed 76 countries that outlaw gay sex; many criminalize male homosexuality but don’t address lesbianism. For evangelicals, after Malawi comes Moldova. This quiet Baltic country, with a name like a fancy tropical drink, marks the latest victory for the far right. Shortly after the Malawi win, Scott Lively, a U.S. pastor and lawyer who helped develop the Uganda bill, sade to ”kick sodomy out of Uganda”—to 10 percent and 30 percent of urban flew to Moldova this March. He’d just the United States to inspire pro-family dwellers have HIV. As in Uganda, the heard about the impending passage of activists. epidemic has stoked anti-gay a nondiscrimination bill that 76 COUNTRIES THAT While here, the visitors may focus stigma but also increased the OUTLAW GAY SEX included sexual orientation— on American issues and might never visibility of gay Malawians. one LGBT activists had long Afghanistan, Algeria, mention Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” bill Like a lion patiently stalking Angola, Antigua and sought. Lively rallied the by name, according to Evelyn Schlatter, hyenas in the tall yellow bush, Barbuda, Bangladesh, group Pro Familia to oppose Barbados, Belize, a researcher at the Southern Poverty U.S. evangelicals had been Bhutan, Botswana, the bill. Pro Familia has since Law Center who monitors anti-gay hate watching a gay drama unfold Brunei, Burundi, created an online “black list” Cameroon, Comoros, in America. But she said pro-family in Malawi and spied an open- Dominica, Egypt, of Moldovan public figures groups are studying the strategies being ing. In December 2009, the Eritrea, Ethiopia, who support gay rights. They Gambia, Ghana, used to build a broad anti-LGBT move- announcement, and overnight Grenada, Guinea, also persuaded the government. “In this country, it’s a lot harder tabloid coverage, of a traditional Guyana, Iran, Jamaica, ment to ban a planned gay Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, to put legislation through any legislative marriage ceremony between Lebanon, Lesotho, pride march in Moldova this body that says we should kill gay people a transgendered woman— Liberia, Libya, Malawi, year. With a string of anti-gay Malaysia, Maldives, that have homosexual sex,” Schlatter Tiwonge Chimbalanga—and a Mauritania, Mauritius, victories, the battlefront will said. “But having said that, a lot of larger gay man—Steven Monjeza—led Morocco, Mozambique, only widen. Myanmar, Namibia, and even smaller [churches] are looking to denouncements by religious Nauru, Nigeria, Oman, The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle at how they managed to do it in Uganda, groups, which fueled public Pakistan, Palau, Papua is director of Integrity USA, New Guinea, Qatar, what was the rhetoric behind it, how homophobia. The duo were St. Kitts and Nevis, a faith-based organization in does it apply to situations like, ‘Should quickly arrested, put on trial, St. Lucia, St. Vincent San Diego with a chapter in and the Grenadines, we have gay marriage in our state?’ or and convicted of a maximum Samoa, Sao Tome Uganda. As he sees the proxy ‘DADT [Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell]—should sentence of 14 years hard labor and Principe, Saudi war developing in Africa, it’s a Arabia, Senegal, we repeal it?’” under Malawi’s harsh sod- Seychelles, Sierra win-win situation for evange- omy law. There, as in Uganda, Leone, Singapore, lists on both sides. The African Solomon Islands, AN EXPANDING FRONT local pastors allied with U.S. Somalia, Sri Lanka, pastors gain visibility and Small, landlocked Malawi, far off the evangelicals argued that gay Sudan, Swaziland, money for their churches— Syria, Tanzania, Togo, radar of the average American gay per- marriage was a Western import Tonga, Trinidad and even if it’s notoriety, as in the son, is a very poor country where U.S. and “un-African.” Tobago, Tunisia, cases of Bahati, who uses his Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, missionaries regularly do charity work, All this set the stage for Uganda, United Arab political connections to orga- bringing clean water and food, building what became a quiet strike Emirates, Uzbekistan, nize Uganda’s National Prayer Yemen, Zambia and schools and homes. Many arrive to work during the downspeed days of Zimbabwe. In addition, Breakfast, or Ssempa, who sat gay sex is illegal in the ES in faith-based AIDS programs that December later that year: add- beside Kato in a public forum AG Cook Islands (a self- promote abstinence and fidelity in a ing women to the law against governing democracy held weeks before the activist’s nation where the 2010 UNAIDS report same-sex relationships.

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