Is Gay OKAY?

"Don't be gay. It is wrong to be gay. If you're gay, you are a 'sick genetic freak'. If you're gay, you will face life imprisonment. If you're gay, you deserve the death penalty...."



As an American citizen who values freedom and equality, these ideas are incredibly foreign to my mind. Obviously I know that people still hold these views, but that still doesn't really eliminate the shock factor for me. Aren't we in a "progressive age"? This kind of hatred and ignorance is repulsive. In some sense, we can read those statements in a mocking tone. It's laughable how outrageous these ideas are. We sort of feel enlightened and "above them". A part of you reads those statements and thinks "how could anyone in this day and age possibly believe this ?" 

Until you realize that these statements are real....

 America has come a long way in terms of securing gay rights and passing anti-discrimination laws. This isn't to say that America is perfect and everyone advocates for sexual equality. There are people who still hold these beliefs, and there is a struggle every day against hatred and discrimination. However, we are lucky in that we have made progressive strides as a country. We have paved the way to wide acceptance of gays, and discrimination is illegal. If you're gay, ITS OK! You can live your life (although of course there are still tragic cases of discrimination, social ostracism, and murder). BUT all extremists aside, as a country, we have accepted homosexuals and advocated for their rights. We recognize everyone as equals, and there isn't a penal system that kills you or imprisons you for your beliefs. We are allowed to openly discuss sexuality whether we are engaging in conversation, surfing the internet, watching films, protesting, etc. We are allowed to have gay pride celebrations and awareness campaigns. I am allowed to write this blog post in the first place. These are little things that contribute to the advancement of gay rights. These little things are often overlooked because we have our sights on further progress. For example, we've used these conversations as a springboard to legalize same-sex marriage. I'm not saying everything in America is just peachy, but other countries are far from seeing this kind of equality.

When we take off our rose colored glasses of American privilege, we start to see the harsh realities of the world we live in. For the purpose of this blog, I am going to focus on some current events in Uganda.

"In 2011, prominent Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato was bludgeoned to death at his home after a newspaper splashed photos, names and addresses of gays in Uganda on its front page along with a yellow banner reading 'Hang Them'".

Yes. This was a REAL newspaper article inciting the community to kill all of the gays. This wasn't just an open declaration of homophobia. This newspaper took it to the next level by providing names and addresses of the gays in Uganda. Because Uganda has historically opposed homosexuality (e.g  legislation banning gay sex between men), this article was a death sentence in itself. Based on the subsequent events, the death sentence became a reality.

This terror progressed when Ugandans demanded a law sanctioning the death penalty for homosexuals. I am glad to say that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni denied this demand. However, life imprisonment was the next punishment placed on the political agenda.

In December 2013, the Ugandan Parliament passed a bill for the lifetime imprisonment of homosexuals.
Other crimes include:

• Failure to report homosexuals
• Conducting same sex marriages
• Promotion of homosexuality (even merely talking about it without condemning it)

Fortunately, a massive amount of backlash opposing this anti-homosexuality ensued. Rights activists around the world marched for gay rights in Uganda. For example, Kenyans protested the Ugandan bill by wearing rainbow wigs and masks. Consequently, Museveni refused to sign the bill in January 2014. He doesn't support homosexuality, but he believes that these "sick genetic freaks" have a "right to exist".  

In calling homosexuals "sick genetic freaks", Museveni disputed the view that homosexuality is an 'alternative sexual orientation'. Instead, Museveni reasoned that "You cannot call an abnormality an alternative orientation'". This means Museveni viewed homosexuality as a genetic mistake. Only in this context would Museveni tolerate the existence of homosexuals.

However, that was January and this is February. Museveni was hot and then cold when he declared that he would sign the bill. 

When a team of Ugandan scientists told the president that there was no definitive gene responsible for homosexuality, he decided homosexuality is a behavior learned through life experiences. Because this behavior is "wrong", there is no reason it should exist. Without scientific justification for homosexuality, there is tremendous pressure to sign the bill in order to preserve Uganda's moral fibre.

 Fortunately, Museveni does not advocate for the harshest punishments suggested in the bill. Because of this, he  is currently seeking a compromise with Parliament.

To complicate matters more, the US got involved. Surprise! Since the US has been one of Uganda's largest foreign aid donors, President Obama is using this power to influence Museveni. He told Museveni that if he signs the bill, relations between the US and Uganda will "become complicated". This pressure might prove to be significant in this crucial struggle to squash the bill. 

Only time will tell of the fate of homosexuals in Uganda.

If you want to know more about the status of gay rights in Africa, check out this map and link below. 

Here is the link