Report from the Uganda conference on homosexuality: Open forum

Frank Mugisha is the chairperson of a gay advocacy group in Uganda called Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). An unnamed person from his group attended all of the meetings in Kampala and filed this report. Obviously, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of it and I think it should be considered one person’s impressions of the event. There are some issues raised in it however, which I am exploring and will probably post about in the future. For now, I am just going to post a link to the report and open the floor for comments.

15 thoughts on “Report from the Uganda conference on homosexuality: Open forum”

  3. Having just read the Mission of GCC, my interpretation (though one inculcated with the supposed sin of subjectivitice) would be that Dr Throckmorton is religiously sticking to the spirit of the mission statement.

  5. Even those who lie, and bear false witness, well, often they see such measures as being justified in a Good Cause.

    Zoe,
    I appreciate the generosity you extend to others and admit I do not have enough of that goodness to do the same. I cannot justify the actions of those who lie and bear false witness as a way to advance their cause, all the while hurting another in their efforts. I see it as cruel and very unnecessary.

    We should also listen to them, because it just may be occasionally that they have a good point, and it’s we who are mistaken. It;’s necessary to have intellectual honesty, and a humble and contrite heart, or we become just like them.

    Yes, I agree. It is a privilege to listen and be listened to. Only we can discern what advances harmony and truth and what doesn’t. Thank you.

  6. I don’t know, Ann. There’s a lot of good people in those groups too, and I don’t want to tar them all with the same brush. Many of the rank-and-file are genuinely trying to do what’s right. Even those who lie, and bear false witness, well, often they see such measures as being justified in a Good Cause.
    We should also listen to them, because it just may be occasionally that they have a good point, and it’s we who are mistaken. It;’s necessary to have intellectual honesty, and a humble and contrite heart, or we become just like them. Ignoring what doesn’t fit our prejudices.
    I’m suffering a bit of fatigue though at constantly trying to correct the more obvious deliberate inaccuracies. The stuff from the “Concerned Citizens of Whatever” or the “Pro Family Foundation” or the “Citizens for Decency and Godliness” or whatever they call themselves. The sheer hypocrisy, and self-delusion. People I’ve known have died because of it, and others ended up in Intensive care, never to walk again. I’m sick at the lack of humanity, of compassion, of Charity.
    From My blog :

    Regarding the laws that restrict religious freedom, by preventing God-Fearing people from associating with the Ungodly, homosexuals, the transgendered, and those freaks the Intersexed… not being able to refuse them service at restaurants, or to refuse to let them rooms because of their sinful behaviour….
    I know of one guy – though I’ve not met him personally, I know many who have – and he’s a bit of a disreputable character. He claims to be deeply spiritual, but when you look at the kind of people he hangs out with, you have to wonder.
    Rather than shunning them to show his disapproval of their sin, he consorts with prostitutes and other lowlives. Money-lenders, even those in the pay of foreign powers. Scum and Filth. No-one, no pastor or upstanding member of the community wants to have anything to do with him. Now he *says* that he does this because these lowlives are the ones most in need. But everyone who knows the scriptures knows he’s violating dozens of laws.
    He *says* he’s obeying the spirit behind them, that the greatest commandments are “Love God, and be Kind to others”, that everything else is subordinate to that and over-ruled by it.
    Well.
    I predict he’ll come to a bad end one day. Certainly nobody respectable has anything to do with him.
    It’s guys like that that are responsible for all of these “human rights” laws we have. We demand the right to persecute others on the basis of our Christian Faith. We’re nothing like this “Jesus” character.

    It’s sad that that’s true. The Pharisees, the Lawyers and the Scribes, the Pastors, the Evangelists and the Church Wardens don’t see themselves as they would be seen by Him. They know Him not.
    Oh well, Excelsior. Never give up, there’s too much work to do for sitting around moaning about the others who persecute us. There’s that bit about “Judge not” too, and relative masses of lumber in the old oculars.
    But if I have to help just one more woman recover from brain-damage, or rape, or deal with rejection by family, and all justified by her perceived sinfulness, I think I’ll have to have a good solid cry for a while. For the victim, but also for their persecutors.
    Enough, Zoe. You have e-mails to write to help others, it’s 2am local, and you have been given the opportunity to make a difference. So stop moaning and start doing.
    I do get tired though. I’m only human.

  8. Hi Zoe,
    It is always good to read what you write. I wonder what would happen if these people you cited in the article, along with Wayne Besen, Regan DuCasse, Fred Phelps, PFOX, and others got together to “discuss” Dr. Throckmorton – what in the world could they say to each other without compromising their unwavering positions on this subject which rarely have anything to do with the truth? I am wondering if their unfair and untrue and unjust and irrational criticism of Dr. Throckmorton would somehow be the adhesive that would allow a conversation between them rather than the usual unfair and untrue and unjust and irrational criticism they have reserved between themselves as one side against the other?

  9. Dr Throckmorton, you now have a response from the “Americans For Truth”.

    Evangelical Gadfly or “Gay Activist”?: Grove City College professor Warren Throckmorton has directed his hostile “reporting” at NARTH, “reparative therapy,” former homosexual Richard Cohen, Sally Kern and now the pro-family coalition campaign to boycott the homosexual activist “Day of Silence” in schools (April 17).
    …
    We will have more in the coming weeks on controversial Grove City College associate professor Warren Throckmorton, who has strayed far from a Biblical worldview on homosexuality, and far from the mission of his employer. (Grove City College’s mission statement affirms that the college “remains true to the vision of its founders. Rejecting relativism and secularism, it fosters intellectual, moral, spiritual, and social development consistent with a commitment to Christian truth, morals, and freedom.”)
    …
    We will provide further excerpts of this interview, and possibly the entire transcript, which we will provide to Grove City College officials (who have already been contacted by pro-family leaders concerning Throckmorton’s controversial statements and tactics).

    They’re gunning for you, to try to get you fired.
    You no doubt have gotten the open letter from the Illinois Family Institute too.
    Good Luck. I’ve often tried to tell you that these people have no respect for intellectual honesty. They lie, A lot. They are not mistaken, or in error. It’s not just an honest difference of opinion. You’ve crossed a line, and they are out to destroy you. That’s what they do.

  10. Timothy – thanks and I agree that the folks in Uganda who are agitating for stricter laws probably will use the conference as an indication that the Christians in the US favor a harsh response to gays.

  11. Warren,
    Thank you for helping bring light to this situation.
    It is my (reasonable) fear that the direct result of this conference will be violence, bloodshed, and death. I especially fear the new ‘organization’ that is being established to ‘wipe out’ homosexuality. I guess we’ll know more after they meet on the 15th to claim that gay people are pedophiles.
    I hardly think that this is what Christ intended for his people.

  12. Btw, Dr. Throckmorton, I expected you to speak out against this atrocity. I have rejected your objectivity and sincere desire for good for some time. Why are you not speaking out against this?

  13. +1 on following the money.
    As I understand Ugandan law: a lesbian Ugandan is looking for housing. She can’t afford to live alone, wishes to live celibately and platonically (for reasons of morals or fear), and finds another lesbian in the same situation and room together. Word leaks out that she and her roomy aren’t heterosexual and they’re imprisoned. That is clearly unjust.
    (Similarly, an asexual person would be in the same situation. Who’s going to believe they’re not claiming to be asexual just to get out of prison? Yet the NT favors asexuality over heterosexuality.)
    I only skimmed the report but I was shocked. The conference said explains why families are valueable, implying the straw man argument that lesbians and gays oppose families which is utterly deceptive. If you believe homosexuality opposes families by their nature, then explain why, but don’t skip over that and just assume it goes without saying.
    Saying that gay rights workers there are super organized and funded?! Now they’re just lying. When someone is lying to me, I just stop listening.

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