Sad blog today. I have just come across this
article. This emphasises the fact that homophobia is still very much alive in the 21
st Century and that the battle for acceptance still has a long way to go.
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"Hang them", homophobic Ugandan
magazine Rolling Stone suggests. |
I remember last year there was a TV documentary called ‘Uganda: The World’s Most Homophobic Country’, discussing how homophobia came predominantly from religious groups. (I tried but couldn’t find it, so if
you can please post it). This research led me to a saddening article about how Ugandan gay rights activist, David Kato, “
has been beaten to death”. What makes this particularly disturbing is that he was “outed” by a newspaper which
“published the photographs of several” homosexuals “with the headline "Hang them".” This article has affected me more than anything else I have come across so far! The newspaper actually hoped these men would be killed! Perhaps part of the reason I am so saddened is because I’ve taught in Uganda and I only have incredibly positive things to say about everyone I met, all of whom were Christian!
If you want to read more on Ugandan homophobia, please follow this link to a BBC news article explaining how Ugandan churches and mosques state homosexuality isn’t “
an inborn orientation, it's a behaviour learnt”.
Normally I’d end my blog with a few questions but this time I’d like to end with a YouTube clip. These are all people who have been murdered for being gay and whilst some aren’t to do with religious reasons, a lot are. Please join me in remembering these men
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw9zJq0QGl0.
This is such a sad post :(
ReplyDeleteIt is so upsetting that such crimes can happen in the 21st Century! I just wondered how you thought that we could stop the crimes happening in other countries? Where this behaviour might technically be supported by the governments of that particular country?!
Hi there, thanks for your question.
ReplyDeleteIt's a really tricky problem isn't it? If the government itself is supporting (or simply ignoring) these issues then it's very hard to make a change!
I think the only way to maybe make a difference or impact is if more groups like the one pictured above continue protesting and raising awareness.
If you want to check out some articles on the Iraq protests check these out.
- http://gayswithoutborders.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/san-francisco-100-protest-lgbt-iraqi-murders-5k-raised-by-michael-petrelis/
- http://egypt.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/7738/queers-resisting-zionism_on-authority-and-accounta
and here is the link to the Facebook page where the whole campaign started
- https://www.facebook.com/events/409370405745225/?ref=ts
I realise this hasn't really answered your question but I really think this is all that could happen. It really is a hard thing to stop. But if people keep raising awareness and more people start to learn about homosexual rights and issues hopefully crimes such as this will stop.
Equally, if other people who aren't gay stand in support of those who are this could hopefully help too, as suggested by Reverend Ouyang Wen Feng in this article;
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hzqGwJpxVvSSspwnyKk0AUeBwV3A?docId=CNG.acce424d93fc8a31839fc35f83f0dae3.481
Feng states "straight people who are okay with homosexuals should also come out to say publicly that being gay is okay -- 'I'm okay with my gay friends'". If more people did this hopefully there would be a bigger tolerance...it's just if people are brave enough!
What do you think?