Excerpts from a hearing on the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 with religious leaders

Wamala Dennis Mawejje has published a comprehensive report on a hearing on the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill which took place on 28 October 2009, based on notes taken by Soo-Ryun Kwon: http://denkrosslifeinuganda.blogspot.com/2009/11/another-meeting-on-ugandan-anti-gay.html

Wamala, aka denkross, is a Ugandan citizen in his early twenties, a graduate with a BA in economics, now practicing as a private researcher with an office at “the most prestigious university in Uganda.”

The meeting was presided over by: Menhya Simon Gerald, Chairman of Presidential Affairs Committee. Various religious leaders addressed the meeting, including the Rev. Canon Mwesigye from the Church of Uganda.

The contributions made by different religious leaders reveal the mentality and understanding of homosexuality which underlies the proposed legislation.

David Bahati, MP for Kabale, who drafted the bill, said one of the reasons for proposing the bill is the massive recruitment of young people, especially in schools, into homosexual behavior. What he is describing, if there is any truth in what he says, is the tendency of adolescent boys in single-sex schools to release their sexual energy with other boys. Except that he specifically says there is a massive recruitment drive.

He repeats the discredited research peddled by American conservatives, that the life expectancy of people engaging in homosexuality is reduced by 20 years. He claims that “As males participate in homosexuality, over 6 years, they spoil their organs and in some cases are forced to put on nappies as children.”

He claims that UNICEF distributed a book to all schools in Uganda, saying homosexuality is normal and encouraging young children to participate in it. I’d like to see evidence of this claim. He says he receives calls every day from children in a number of schools telling him recruitment to homosexuality is happening - children are being lured and coerced into this creeping evil because of poverty.

He says a person commits an offence if a person penetrates the anus or mouth with his penis or any other contraption. We expand to include the anus, the mouth (he says), because these are some of the tactics they use to engage in homosexuality. He seems to be unaware that he will be criminalizing some heterosexual members of the population because they too engage in the same activities. You can draw your own conclusion about the ignorance and naivety displayed by the drafter of the Bill.

Rev. Canon Mwesigye speaking for the Church of Uganda said the Church has taken an upper hand in fighting homosexuality since 2004. In June 2008, the Church took 105 people to Israel to participate in a Global Conference (GAFCON) discussing way forward with Homosexuality. It’s salutary to read an honest acknowledgment of GAFCON’s purpose.

He referred to the position paper against homosexuality written in 2005 and posted on the Anglican Communion web site: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/listening/world/docs/doc6.cfm

He questions whether human rights are absolute. He opposes the death penalty and the extra territorial jurisdiction element of the Bill. His contribution is confused, but that may be the fault of the note-taker.

James Sabutoro, the Minister of Ethics, said: “Nothing will sway our determination to do what is right. Anal sex is not something anyone should grant creditable consideration. We believe it’s a danger to human civilization, and Ugandans are decent people.” “In our religious camps, some have come under influence that anal sex is something we should recommend to our children. We can’t be swayed by those, but I’m happy the leadership of the church is clear-minded about what it believes.”

Mohammad Ali, representing his eminence the Mufti of Uganda, said: “Humans are not homosexual by nature, as people allege, but become so because of their environments, particularly during puberty. Suggestions, ideas, and strange dreams. They are strongly reinforced.”

Professor Peter Matofu, representing the Metropolitan Orthodox Church of Kampala, described a visit to New York in 1969 when he claims he escaped death when in the company of gay men: “…because these homosexuals are dangerous people. They’ll see that you’re not, and they know you’re pretending and then they can knife or gun you.”

He referred to p3 of the Bill which talks of other related matters, and he goes on to enumerate some of them:

“… such as exhibitionism, when somebody is not interested in a woman, but is interested in looking at the vagina when it is there open, and he feels sexually satisfied; the second is voyeurism, when someone uses an instrument, especially the knickers and shoes of women, and use it like this, stand, smell, and smelling the knicker, any type of knicker, unwashed, the best way is unwashed, or a shoe, any female shoe, this is called voyeurism; another is fetishism, and this is exactly when anything related to what is preferred, and when it’s a man, it’s a homosexual, then they can use that instrument. I don’t know what it is about the feet, but a homosexual will use a male shoe. A lesbian will use a female’s shoes. There is tranvestisism. Be very careful. This kind of transvestisism is both for normal and unnormal people. Normal people—it’s a defence mechanism, a beloved object. Boys were stealing dresses from young girls and he keeps it in his room, he opens it and looks at it, that’s a kind of transvestisism, even photographs, some young men and women have photos, and look at the photos in a special way until they reach a climax. That’s transvestisim. Then we have sado-mashochism. It’s very dangerous, and when I teach my students, I tell them to be very careful when playing sex. The cries of women, this affects children, and children will want people having that kind of cry, between mother and father, and they’ll imitate it. On top of homosexuality, there are others. They need to be included.”
“We need to use a real language to show that people who are practicing homosexuality are mentally sick. They’re not stylists. They’re mentally sick, and they need real psychotherapeutic approach.”

Professor Matofu has a rich fantasy life.