Maravi

Uganda cleric shows gay porn film

COMMENT - I am not gay, however, I can recognize an encroachment on civil liberties when I see one. It makes me far more uncomfortable that citizens get to sit in judgment on other citizens civil rights than that someone somewhere is watching gay porn. Also, I believe that this issue is pushed by corporatist US evangelicals to create division between Blacks and Gays politically, when we should all be standing together against the transnational corporate takeover of the the world's national and local economies.

Fortunately for Uganda, they have a very expansive Constitution, which makes discrimination on the basis of 'sex' (which I guess would include homosexuality) unconstitutional, making even existing anti-gay legislation unconstitutional, and therefore unenforcable in court. Any conviction would be overturned on appeal. I cite from Chapter 4, Article 21, clauses 1 through 5 of the Ugandan Constitution of 1995:

CHAPTER FOUR—PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF FUNDAMENTAL AND OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS.

General.

21. Equality and freedom from discrimination.

(1) All persons are equal before and under the law in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life and in every other respect and shall enjoy equal protection of the law.

(2) Without prejudice to clause (1) of this article, a person shall not be discriminated against on the ground of sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, tribe, birth, creed or religion, social or economic standing, political opinion or disability.

(3) For the purposes of this article, “discriminate” means to give different treatment to different persons attributable only or mainly to their respective descriptions by sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, tribe, birth, creed or religion, social or economic standing, political opinion or disability.

(4) Nothing in this article shall prevent Parliament from enacting laws that are necessary for—

(a) implementing policies and programmes aimed at redressing social, economic, educational or other imbalance in society; or

(b) making such provision as is required or authorised to be made under this Constitution; or

(c) providing for any matter acceptable and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.

(5) Nothing shall be taken to be inconsistent with this article which is allowed to be done under any provision of this Constitution.

In other words, Uganda has a very decent and protective constitution. This pandering is just politics, and is pushed by an American evangelical political organisation called 'The Family' or 'The Fellowship'.

Uganda cleric shows gay porn film
By BBC News
Thu 18 Feb. 2010, 13:20 CAT

The pastor showed the pornography to about 300 people in his church

An anti-gay clergyman in Uganda has screened gay pornography in his church, in an attempt to gain support for proposed anti-homosexuality laws.

"We are in the process of legislation and we have to educate ourselves about what homosexuals do," Pastor Martin Ssempa told the BBC.

Gay rights activists suggested the pastor "needed medical help".

The anti-gay bill, which proposes the death penalty for some gay people, has caused outrage around the world.

US President Barack Obama described the proposals as "odious".

Moral defender?

Homosexuality is already against the law in Uganda and punishable by lengthy jail terms.

[Laws that are already unconstitutional - see above. These would be just more unconstitutional laws. - MrK]

But supporters of the bill, including the pastor, want the punishments ramped up.

"In Africa, what you do in your bedroom affects our clan, it affects our tribe, it affects our nation," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

He showed the pornography to about 300 people in his church.

The pastor had planned to lead a march in the capital, Kampala, but was forced to abandon the plans because of "security concerns".

Monica Mbaru, from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, roundly condemned the pastor's behaviour.

"You cannot screen pornographic material to your followers and then want to argue that you are upholding society's morals," she told the BBC.

"I think we are dealing with someone who needs medical help."

The anti-gay proposals garnered wide support among Ugandan MPs, but President Yoweri Museveni recently hinted that he was coming under international pressure to scrap the private member's bill.

Labels: BBC, HOMOSEXUALITY, UGANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:13 PM