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(CNN) -- A Ugandan newspaper published a story featuring a list of the nation's "top" gays and lesbians with their photos and addresses, angering activists who say the already marginalized group risks facing further attacks.
Earlier this month, Rolling Stone newspaper -- not affiliated with the U.S. magazine with the same name -- featured 100 pictures of Uganda's gays and lesbians. Next to the list was a yellow strip with the words "hang them."
The story comes about a year after a Ugandan lawmaker introduced a measure that calls for the death penalty or long jail terms for those who engage in some homosexual activities.
The proposal was shelved after an international outcry.
"For me, the first thing that crossed my mind was, 'how can this country allow such things to happen?" said Julian Pepe, who was also named in the story.
"They were calling for our hanging, they are asking people to take the law into their hands. We are all terrified."
The 29-year-old said she's a lesbian.
"I came out when I was 12, I have supportive parents who have been there for me," said Pepe, a program coordinator for Sexual Minorities Uganda.
Those named in the story are living in fear, she said. Some have had to change jobs and move to new places.
"We are providing some with psychological support," she said. "People have been attacked, we are having to relocate others, some are quitting their jobs because they are being verbally abused. It's a total commotion."
Uganda's ethics and integrity minister Nsaba Buturo dismissed the activists' accusations.
"They [the activists] are always lying," Buturo said. "It's their way of mobilizing support from outside, they are trying to get sympathy from outside. It's part of the campaign."
Buturo said the anti-gay measure will be addressed and passed "in due course."
"Of course I hope it passes," he said.
Calls to David Bahati, the member of parliament who introduced the anti-gay bill, went unanswered Wednesday.
The paper's editor, Giles Muhame, defended the list and said he published it to expose gays and lesbians, so authorities could arrest them. The weekly paper has been publishing for about six weeks.
After the list was published, the federal Media Council sent a warning to Muhame and ordered the newspaper to cease operating.
But the warning was "not related to the list at all," said Paul Mukasa, secretary of the Media Council. Rather, he said, the letter warned the paper that it was publishing without required permits.
"Until they fill in the required paperwork, they are breaking the law," Mukasa said.
The secretary said the newspaper has initiated the process "to put their house in order."
"Some rights groups have complained that the newspaper is inciting people, but the council is focusing on its lack of paperwork," Mukasa said.
Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in the region, including in nearby Kenya, where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism.
In Uganda, homosexual acts are punishable by 14 years to life, Pepe said.
"Half the world's countries that criminalize homosexual conduct do so because they cling to Victorian morality and colonial laws," said Scott Long, director of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights program for Human Rights Watch. "Getting rid of these unjust remnants of the British empire is long overdue."
The role religion plays in Africa has a lot to do with the ban, others say.
Olatune Ogunyemi, a professor at Grambling State University in Louisiana, has said that some African constitutions are based on religion, making it possible to justify criminalizing homosexuality.
A post-apartheid constitution bans discrimination against gays in South Africa, the first African nation to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/10/20/uganda.gay.list/?hpt=C1
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Gays Reportedly Attacked in Uganda After Newspaper Publishes List of 'Top 100' Homosexuals
At least four gays have been attacked in Uganda since the publication of a front-page newspaper story that listed the African nation's 100 "top" homosexuals, according to activists there.
The Oct. 9 article in a Ugandan newspaper called Rolling Stone included photographs and addresses of the 100 individuals alongside a yellow banner that read: "Hang Them."
Rolling Stone, which is not connected to the American magazine of the same name, claimed that an unknown but deadly disease was attacking homosexuals in Uganda and that gays were recruiting 1 million children by raiding schools -- a popular rumor in the nation.
"100 Pictures of Uganda's Top Homos Leak," the newspaper's headline read.
Charles Ssentongo, deputy chief of the Republic of Uganda's embassy in Washington, told FoxNews.com that embassy officials had not seen the article as of Wednesday.
"We are not aware of that list, nor do we have anything to do with it," Ssentongo told FoxNews.com.
He said all Ugandan citizens -- regardless of sexual orientation -- deserve equal rights and protection. He declined further comment, since he had not seen the article.
In the weeks since the article was published, at least four of the people on the list have been attacked and many others are hiding, Ugandan civil rights activist Julian Onziema told the Associated Press.
A lawmaker in the country introduced a bill last year that would have imposed the death penalty for some homosexual acts and life in prison for others. The bill was shelved after it was condemned throughout the world, but gays in Uganda say they have faced a year of harassment and attacks since it was introduced. The legislation was proposed after a visit by leaders of U.S. conservative Christian ministries that promote therapy they say enables gays to become heterosexual.
"Before the introduction of the bill in parliament most people did not mind about our activities. But since then, we are harassed by many people who hate homosexuality," Patrick Ndede, 27, told the Associated Press. "The publicity the bill got made many people come to know about us and they started mistreating us."
More than 20 homosexuals have been attacked over the last year in Uganda, and an additional 17 have been arrested and are in prison, said Frank Mugisha, the chairman of Sexual Minorities Uganda. Those numbers are up from the same period two years ago, when roughly 10 homosexuals were attacked, he said.
The Oct. 9 newspaper article appeared five days before the first anniversary of the controversial legislation. After its publication, the government Media Council ordered the newspaper to cease publishing -- not because of the newspaper's content, but because the newspaper had not registered with the government. After it completes the paperwork, Rolling Stone will be free to publish again, said Paul Mukasa, secretary of the Media Council.
That decision has angered the gay community further. Onziema said a lawsuit against Rolling Stone is in the works, and that she believes the publication has submitted its registration and plans to publish again.
"Such kind of media should not be allowed in Uganda. It is creating violence and calling for genocide of sex minorities," Mugisha said. "The law enforcers and government should come out and protect sex minorities from such media."
Rolling Stone does not have a large following in Uganda, a country of 32 million whose population is about 85 percent Christian and 12 percent Muslim. The newspaper published its first edition on Aug. 23. It publishes about 2,000 copies, but a single newspaper in Uganda is often read by 10 more people.
The paper's managing editor, Giles Muhame, said the article was "in the public interest."
"We felt there was need for society to know that such characters exist amongst them. Some of them recruit young children into homosexuality, which is bad and need to be exposed," he said. "They take advantage of poverty to recruit Ugandans. In brief, we did so because homosexuality is illegal, unacceptable and insults our traditional lifestyle."
Homophobia is rife in many African countries, particularly in Nigeria, where homosexuality is punishable by death or imprisonment. In June, Pastor Martin Ssempa, chairman of Uganda's National Taskforce Against Homosexuality, reportedly told attendees of a community meeting that "eating poo poo" was part of the definition of being homosexual.
In South Africa, the only African nation to recognize gay marriage, gangs are known to carry out so-called "corrective" rapes on lesbians.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/1...ends-equal-rights-gay-list-appears-newspaper/
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Uganda's Rolling Stone Publishes 100 Photos of 'Top' Homosexuals
The Newspaper Rolling Stone in Uganda Has Published a List of the Country's 100 'Top' Homosexuals With the Headline 'Hang Them'
Photos, full names and addresses were also posted in the paper.
According to the Washington Post, since the publication of the list a few days ago, four men have been attacked and many have gone into hiding in fear of their lives. One person had stones thrown at their house as well.
It was about a year ago that Uganda tried to impose the death penalty for some homosexual acts, and life in prison if found guilty of other acts, but international outrage squashed the attempt. The bill was drawn up after a visit by leaders of U.S. conservative Christian ministries that say they can 'cure' someone into being heterosexual. For gay men in Uganda however, attacks have increased since the introduction of the bill.
Source: washingtonpost.com
Currently about 17 homosexuals are in prison and about 20 have been attacked int he past year.
Source: washingtonpost.com
In the Rolling Stone article it claims that there is a disease attacking homosexuals in Uganda and it also claims that gay people are recruiting about one million children to join their cause.
The newspaper has since been ordered to stop publishing, but only because they were not registered with the government, not because of their content. Once they fill out the paperwork, they will be able to resume publication.
Source: washingtonpost.com
Earlier this month, Rolling Stone newspaper -- not affiliated with the U.S. magazine with the same name -- featured 100 pictures of Uganda's gays and lesbians. Next to the list was a yellow strip with the words "hang them."
The story comes about a year after a Ugandan lawmaker introduced a measure that calls for the death penalty or long jail terms for those who engage in some homosexual activities.
The proposal was shelved after an international outcry.
"For me, the first thing that crossed my mind was, 'how can this country allow such things to happen?" said Julian Pepe, who was also named in the story.
"They were calling for our hanging, they are asking people to take the law into their hands. We are all terrified."
The 29-year-old said she's a lesbian.
"I came out when I was 12, I have supportive parents who have been there for me," said Pepe, a program coordinator for Sexual Minorities Uganda.
Those named in the story are living in fear, she said. Some have had to change jobs and move to new places.
"We are providing some with psychological support," she said. "People have been attacked, we are having to relocate others, some are quitting their jobs because they are being verbally abused. It's a total commotion."
Uganda's ethics and integrity minister Nsaba Buturo dismissed the activists' accusations.
"They [the activists] are always lying," Buturo said. "It's their way of mobilizing support from outside, they are trying to get sympathy from outside. It's part of the campaign."
Buturo said the anti-gay measure will be addressed and passed "in due course."
"Of course I hope it passes," he said.
Calls to David Bahati, the member of parliament who introduced the anti-gay bill, went unanswered Wednesday.
The paper's editor, Giles Muhame, defended the list and said he published it to expose gays and lesbians, so authorities could arrest them. The weekly paper has been publishing for about six weeks.
After the list was published, the federal Media Council sent a warning to Muhame and ordered the newspaper to cease operating.
But the warning was "not related to the list at all," said Paul Mukasa, secretary of the Media Council. Rather, he said, the letter warned the paper that it was publishing without required permits.
"Until they fill in the required paperwork, they are breaking the law," Mukasa said.
The secretary said the newspaper has initiated the process "to put their house in order."
"Some rights groups have complained that the newspaper is inciting people, but the council is focusing on its lack of paperwork," Mukasa said.
Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in the region, including in nearby Kenya, where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism.
In Uganda, homosexual acts are punishable by 14 years to life, Pepe said.
"Half the world's countries that criminalize homosexual conduct do so because they cling to Victorian morality and colonial laws," said Scott Long, director of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights program for Human Rights Watch. "Getting rid of these unjust remnants of the British empire is long overdue."
The role religion plays in Africa has a lot to do with the ban, others say.
Olatune Ogunyemi, a professor at Grambling State University in Louisiana, has said that some African constitutions are based on religion, making it possible to justify criminalizing homosexuality.
A post-apartheid constitution bans discrimination against gays in South Africa, the first African nation to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/10/20/uganda.gay.list/?hpt=C1
*********
Gays Reportedly Attacked in Uganda After Newspaper Publishes List of 'Top 100' Homosexuals
At least four gays have been attacked in Uganda since the publication of a front-page newspaper story that listed the African nation's 100 "top" homosexuals, according to activists there.
The Oct. 9 article in a Ugandan newspaper called Rolling Stone included photographs and addresses of the 100 individuals alongside a yellow banner that read: "Hang Them."
Rolling Stone, which is not connected to the American magazine of the same name, claimed that an unknown but deadly disease was attacking homosexuals in Uganda and that gays were recruiting 1 million children by raiding schools -- a popular rumor in the nation.
"100 Pictures of Uganda's Top Homos Leak," the newspaper's headline read.
Charles Ssentongo, deputy chief of the Republic of Uganda's embassy in Washington, told FoxNews.com that embassy officials had not seen the article as of Wednesday.
"We are not aware of that list, nor do we have anything to do with it," Ssentongo told FoxNews.com.
He said all Ugandan citizens -- regardless of sexual orientation -- deserve equal rights and protection. He declined further comment, since he had not seen the article.
In the weeks since the article was published, at least four of the people on the list have been attacked and many others are hiding, Ugandan civil rights activist Julian Onziema told the Associated Press.
A lawmaker in the country introduced a bill last year that would have imposed the death penalty for some homosexual acts and life in prison for others. The bill was shelved after it was condemned throughout the world, but gays in Uganda say they have faced a year of harassment and attacks since it was introduced. The legislation was proposed after a visit by leaders of U.S. conservative Christian ministries that promote therapy they say enables gays to become heterosexual.
"Before the introduction of the bill in parliament most people did not mind about our activities. But since then, we are harassed by many people who hate homosexuality," Patrick Ndede, 27, told the Associated Press. "The publicity the bill got made many people come to know about us and they started mistreating us."
More than 20 homosexuals have been attacked over the last year in Uganda, and an additional 17 have been arrested and are in prison, said Frank Mugisha, the chairman of Sexual Minorities Uganda. Those numbers are up from the same period two years ago, when roughly 10 homosexuals were attacked, he said.
The Oct. 9 newspaper article appeared five days before the first anniversary of the controversial legislation. After its publication, the government Media Council ordered the newspaper to cease publishing -- not because of the newspaper's content, but because the newspaper had not registered with the government. After it completes the paperwork, Rolling Stone will be free to publish again, said Paul Mukasa, secretary of the Media Council.
That decision has angered the gay community further. Onziema said a lawsuit against Rolling Stone is in the works, and that she believes the publication has submitted its registration and plans to publish again.
"Such kind of media should not be allowed in Uganda. It is creating violence and calling for genocide of sex minorities," Mugisha said. "The law enforcers and government should come out and protect sex minorities from such media."
Rolling Stone does not have a large following in Uganda, a country of 32 million whose population is about 85 percent Christian and 12 percent Muslim. The newspaper published its first edition on Aug. 23. It publishes about 2,000 copies, but a single newspaper in Uganda is often read by 10 more people.
The paper's managing editor, Giles Muhame, said the article was "in the public interest."
"We felt there was need for society to know that such characters exist amongst them. Some of them recruit young children into homosexuality, which is bad and need to be exposed," he said. "They take advantage of poverty to recruit Ugandans. In brief, we did so because homosexuality is illegal, unacceptable and insults our traditional lifestyle."
Homophobia is rife in many African countries, particularly in Nigeria, where homosexuality is punishable by death or imprisonment. In June, Pastor Martin Ssempa, chairman of Uganda's National Taskforce Against Homosexuality, reportedly told attendees of a community meeting that "eating poo poo" was part of the definition of being homosexual.
In South Africa, the only African nation to recognize gay marriage, gangs are known to carry out so-called "corrective" rapes on lesbians.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/1...ends-equal-rights-gay-list-appears-newspaper/
******************
Uganda's Rolling Stone Publishes 100 Photos of 'Top' Homosexuals
The Newspaper Rolling Stone in Uganda Has Published a List of the Country's 100 'Top' Homosexuals With the Headline 'Hang Them'
Photos, full names and addresses were also posted in the paper.
According to the Washington Post, since the publication of the list a few days ago, four men have been attacked and many have gone into hiding in fear of their lives. One person had stones thrown at their house as well.
It was about a year ago that Uganda tried to impose the death penalty for some homosexual acts, and life in prison if found guilty of other acts, but international outrage squashed the attempt. The bill was drawn up after a visit by leaders of U.S. conservative Christian ministries that say they can 'cure' someone into being heterosexual. For gay men in Uganda however, attacks have increased since the introduction of the bill.
Source: washingtonpost.com
Currently about 17 homosexuals are in prison and about 20 have been attacked int he past year.
Source: washingtonpost.com
In the Rolling Stone article it claims that there is a disease attacking homosexuals in Uganda and it also claims that gay people are recruiting about one million children to join their cause.
The newspaper has since been ordered to stop publishing, but only because they were not registered with the government, not because of their content. Once they fill out the paperwork, they will be able to resume publication.
Source: washingtonpost.com