By Naomi Kabarungi
There was a hullabaloo at the People’s Space early this afternoon when the gay community and the rest of the people confronted each other, when anti-gay activist Dr. Martin Sempa released a press statement protesting the recommendations of the Commonwealth People’s Forum to legalise homosexuality in all the Commonwealth countries, as released in the Communiqué.
The gays wore heavy black pants, black t-shirts designed with the CHOGM 2007 logo and the dark shades; their dress code accessorised by belts and necklaces in the rainbow.
“What we want is a rainbow world,†said one gay, only identified as Jacky.
It turns out that the anti-gay coalition goes under the name The Rainbow Coalition.
I caught up with Dr. Martin Sempa to clarify the double use of the symbol.
Click to download a low bandwidth audio file here, or press play below:
Most interesting though was the verbal attack that erupted between the gays and the rest of the people in the Space. As the gays were bombarded by media and other paparazzi, some people took the opportunity to shout insults of ‘you are worse than cockroaches’ and ‘if your mother was gay, would you be here today’.
One elderly woman however tried to appeal to the gays to “re-consider their choices because you end up getting sick instead.â€
“We gave birth to you as beautiful girls and boys; we want you to give birth to others as well,†she said in the local language.
Dr. Martin Sempa, who is also a pastor, invited them to come to his church and “meet Jesus and people who were once gay but have now reformed and are married.â€
The gays retaliated by quoting the Bible, shouting that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.â€
“None of you here is holy,†shouted Victor Juliet Mukasa, chairperson of the 
Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). Victor (right in picture) is a young woman who is popular in Uganda for having taken the government to court for persecuting homosexuals and lesbians through the provisions of the Penal Code.
The gays were however escorted out of the people’s space by security who asked them to find another forum for their ‘demonstration’.
May I ask, why were these people thrown out of the forum? If they were asked to find another forum for their demonstration, why was not the same asked to the anti-gay people? Why were these people not given a chance to speak, to present their view at a place where freedom of speach is the theme?
Angel, because it is illegal to promote homosexuality in Uganda at the moment. And we do not wish to see or hear this discussion at the moment until the government pronounces itself. Would you like to promote rights of human flesh eaters ion your country? Would you like to get them exported to Amsterdam, Canada and other countries? Can we give a you a dose of some of these people who get dead bodies and eat them because they are the minority? Would you like to offer you body to my relatives who like to eat human flesh. Send me you email and address and I will follow you as a minority and eat you when you are dead.
Angel, we were thrown out because we made the guys and girls of the rainbow coalition unconfortable. And because these guys and girls were in cahoots with the police to throw us out.
No other reason. The People’s space is a space for an exchange of ideas. For some one to say that it is because the govt hasnt made up their mind, that is a serios lack of disinguinity!!!!
gug
People do not choose to be homosexual and nor do same-sex romantic relationships cause any direct harm to other people. Those who disapprove of such relationships, including the Rainbow Coalition of Uganda, are perfectly free to have such an opinion just as they are Catholics are perfectly free to believe that Anglicans are mistaken in the practices, Muslims that Jews are mistaken etc. What, in a genuinely tolerant and civilized society, they should definitely not be free to do is persecute others. Over 10 years ago in the case of Toonen (1994), the United Nations Human Rights Committee correctly declared that international human rights law (specifically the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) requires that laws persecuting homosexuals be revoked. It is well past time that Uganda and the rest of the Commonwealth acted to live up to their international human rights responsibilities.
homosexuality is pervarsion from normal to the abnormal.it reveal a sense of choes in the present society and it should not be condole. thanks