Monday, January 30, 2012

UN Secretary General Calls Out African Homophobia

From the blog by Michael in Norfolk

American Christianists have shown themselves only too willing to take advantage of the general lack of education of the populace in Africa and the ease with which politicians can be bribed to export their vicious anti-gay agenda to the African continent. With the exception of South Africa which recognizes gay marriage and at least in theory has anti-discrimination statutes on the books, the continent is largely a place to avoid like the plague if possible. And for LGBT Africans, it's a place to leave if one values one's life. The much discussed "Kill the Gays" bill in Uganda is but one example of the toxicity that has been nurtured by American Christianists and their willing political accomplices. While the United States and the United Kingdom have begun to condemn the situation, much more needs to be done. Now, the Secretary General of the United Nations (pictured at left) has begun to address the evil being done in Africa under the name of religion. Here are highlights from the Herald Sun:

"One form of discrimination ignored or even sanctioned by many states for too long has been discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity," Dr Ban said speaking at the opening of a summit meeting today. "It prompted governments to treat people as second class citizens or even criminals."

Homosexuality is illegal in several African countries, and previous external criticism of restrictions imposed upon gays has attracted angry responses from African leaders, who say it is alien to their culture.

After Commonwealth leaders refused to adopt reforms to abolish homophobic laws in 41 member nations, British Prime Minister David Cameron said last year he would consider withholding aid from countries that do not recognize gay rights.

"Confronting these discriminations is a challenge, but we must not give up on the ideas of the universal declaration" of human rights," Dr Ban told the summit.

Homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda, but a bill that calls for the death penalty for certain homosexual acts was reintroduced in the Ugandan parliament late last year.

The proposed law envisages stiffer punishments, including the death penalty, for anyone caught engaging in homosexual acts for the second time as well as for gay sex where one partner is a minor or has HIV. Gay rights activists have blamed an increase in homophobia in Uganda on evangelical preachers, some of whom are close to the regime of President Yoweri Museveni.


There's a saying that one will know Christians by their fruits. In Africa, these fruits are hate, bigotry, intolerance and violence against others. WWJD?

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