Much has happened in Uganda since the Family Life Network’s conference on homosexuality was conducted March 5-7 (All of my posts are linked at the end of this post). This post provides links to the stories and some commentary on the matter.
In short, it appears that the intent of the organizers of the conference is being realized. The conference organizers wanted to fight homosexuality and use the conference as a means of awareness for that purpose. In the days since the conference, a series of news conferences and meetings have provided a steady stream of provocative revelations involving recruiting children. As near as I can tell, none of these revelations are relevant to relationships between consenting adults. And yet, the Family Life Network is apparently calling for “urgent steps” to be taken regarding homosexuality in general.
Here is a chronology:
March 7 – The day the conference ended, this report briefly noted the formation of a group which had a goal to “one day “wipe out” gay practices in the African state.”
March 15 – A follow up meeting was held in Kampala to plan strategy in the anti-homosexuality campaign. The narrative indicates that follow up meetings would be held and that legislative strategies against homosexuality would be pursued. Read the post for a more complete view from the perspective of someone who claims to have been present.
March 23 – At the second follow up meeting (3/22), George Oundo, a former gay activist, was quoted as admitting to recruiting children into sexual activity or at least into supporting homosexuality.
March 25 – Family Life Network organizes parents to complain about homosexuality.
The parents said they are going to write to the President Museveni showing their discontent at what they call the increasing immorality levels in the county so that the government can reverse the trend.
March 25 – Eight more people came forward to say that they had given up homosexuality. The reports are very similar…
“We have been involved in recruiting homosexuals, spreading the gospel of homosexuality, and we know the operations of homosexuals,” said 27-year-old Emma Matovu, who took to homosexuality 13 years ago. “We shall do all it takes to eliminate the practice in Uganda.”
Matovu, who said he abandoned the practice two weeks ago, asserted: “Homosexuality is dangerous and dehumanising but is growing fast in Uganda.”
Langa said his group would move around the country convincing parents to sign a petition to be handed to the President and Parliament on April 7. He said the petition will demand urgent steps to be taken against homosexuality in Uganda.
Given that the high court of Uganda ruled in 2008 that gays and lesbians have the same rights as others, it is not clear what “urgent steps” will be taken. I continue to believe it was a mistake for the Americans to support what could turn into a violent situation there. No word of clarification or explanation has come from the International Healing Foundation, Extreme Prophetic and Caleb Brundidge about his calls for criminalizing homosexual relationships.
Additional links:
Uganda’s strange ex-gay conference
More on the Ugandan ex-gay conference
Ugandan ex-gay conference goes political: Presenter suggests law to force gays into therapy
Reparative therapy takes center stage at Ugandan homosexuality conference
Gay Ugandan man seeks asylum in UK: EU group condemns Ugandan ex-gay conference
Open forum: Report from the Ugandan conference on homosexuality
Christian Post article on the Ugandan ex-gay conference
Scott Lively on criminalization and forced therapy of homosexuality
Christianity, homosexuality and the law
Uganda anti-gay group holds first meeting
Follow the money: Pro-family Charitable Trust
NARTH removes references to Scott Lively from their website
Aftermath of the Ugandan conference on homosexuality
NOt only of the so called repentent – those repented may be intimidated into acts of violence against gays as well. You know – to show how much they protest against homosexuality.
Like Dr. Throckmorton, I smell violence coming down the pike. This could turn ugly.
Already we have people who claim they have “repented” and will most certainly have to produce “culprits” to satisfy the public’s hunger for info on this “new threat”.
They knew they couldn’t convince parents that there was a conspiracy afoot until they found a “former conspirator” to “confess” to some (rather broad and vague) “recruiting activities”.
Here’s something else I was reminded of…
Not unless they confess and incriminate others.
Oh, it gets worse.
What does this remind me of? Oh yes, this from TIME magazine in 1949.
I’m sorry, but I don’t think this was a “mistake” by the Americans. I think they got exactly what they wanted, and exactly what they’d want in the US too. God is on their side, you see, and at least some of them believe their own propaganda about the International Homosexual Conspiracy. Those I think are “reality challenged”, but at least I have some respect for them.
The rest are just in it for the money, it’s a guaranteed donation-earner. And in Uganda, it’s a ticket to political power. “The Enemy Within” etc.
We’ve seen it all before, haven’t we? In Zmbabwe “shadowy foreign powers” and white farmers. In Uganda, “shadowy foreign powers” and gays. And pretty much everywhere, “shadowy foreign powers” and the Jews. The scapegoats may change, but the story’s the same.
I am beginning to come to the thinking that when Brundidge and Schmierer went over there they likely had knowledge of Oundo and the other eight. This whole thing has been orchestrated to incite Ugandans all over again.
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One wonders what ‘recruitment’ means. Money? Money for sex with young people in schools?? If a law was broken then Oundo and the eight should be charged and convicted. And yet Langa and Ssempa seem to be only interested in parading them around claiming they did these supposed horrendous things with no worry about any prosecution by the civil authorities. Oundo has said he is now a Christian and he did these things, but told parents that ‘you should forgive me.’
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Is that Oundo’s plea to fellow Christians to now lay off of him? Does he expect a Christian ‘get out of jail free’ card? If Oundo and the others are these born-again Christian, thanks to Ssempa, that they claim, should they not be then confessing their transgressions to the civil authorities and taking their punishments? If Langa and Ssempa being truthful they should have had them report to the police and not to a hall full of parents and reporters.
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Does being Christian ex-gay get automatically get you a dispensation from the laws of the land?