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This morning a former work colleague who is aware of my proclivities called me for some help. She (my ex colleague) is a volounteer at a centre for victims of abuse, be that racial, sexual or religious. All the attendees at the centre have suffered from physical or mental abuse, usually both and are generally speaking in a pretty bad way.
The reason for my call was that a young Ugandan who was what I suppose we would categorise as a femboy had been brought in by Social Services having turned up at Heathrow claiming asylum. His body bore the marks of considerable beatings and several dozen burns that had been identified as evidence of systematic torture. My involvement was purely to provide a contact number for a charity that could be of more direct help.
This made me think and I did some research and came up with the following:
In Uganda and several other African countries it is belived that homosexual activity is a curse and an abomination, the authorities there would not be amenable to the arguments sometimes put by BMs that its not gay if you do it with Ladyboys - as far as they are concerned if both parties have a penis than it comes under the remit of this belief. The Ugandan government is currently seeking to pass a law which provides for the death penalty to be levied on anyone proven to be gay (this also covers lesbian and transgender behaviour). This is enthusiastically backed by several "Christian" organisations who hold prayer meetings where the congregation is exhorted to root out and kill all sodomites.
This attitude taps into a prevelant attitude in the sub saharan belt of Africa that says that to remove the curse of a homosexual from a family the offender should be sacrificed - or as we might say murdered! There are no figures as to how many real or suspected gays have been killed by their families. Other of course than the expected one that not a single prosecution for murder has ever been made against the perpetrators of this cull of "abominations".
So why should we care? Well we BMs could technically be put to death if we visited those countries in Africa - countries which we are currently supporting with our tax pounds and dollars in foreign aid. Needless to say the response of the UK, EU and US governments to this unofficial and soon to be official bloodletting has been the usual damp handed fudge that we all know so well. Is it not time that our governments that we elect actually made a few demands of the recipients of all these handouts - the first of which being that money from civilised countries only goes to countries that behave in a civilised fashion. It might also be a step forward if the Church that "guardian of our morals" stood up to be counted and said that this is wrong.
My friend actually sent me a picture of the Ugandan boy (which I have no intention of posting) and he looked like he had been to Hell. Feeling totally unable to make any useful difference to what is happening I thought I would post this and see what comments come my way.
The reason for my call was that a young Ugandan who was what I suppose we would categorise as a femboy had been brought in by Social Services having turned up at Heathrow claiming asylum. His body bore the marks of considerable beatings and several dozen burns that had been identified as evidence of systematic torture. My involvement was purely to provide a contact number for a charity that could be of more direct help.
This made me think and I did some research and came up with the following:
In Uganda and several other African countries it is belived that homosexual activity is a curse and an abomination, the authorities there would not be amenable to the arguments sometimes put by BMs that its not gay if you do it with Ladyboys - as far as they are concerned if both parties have a penis than it comes under the remit of this belief. The Ugandan government is currently seeking to pass a law which provides for the death penalty to be levied on anyone proven to be gay (this also covers lesbian and transgender behaviour). This is enthusiastically backed by several "Christian" organisations who hold prayer meetings where the congregation is exhorted to root out and kill all sodomites.
This attitude taps into a prevelant attitude in the sub saharan belt of Africa that says that to remove the curse of a homosexual from a family the offender should be sacrificed - or as we might say murdered! There are no figures as to how many real or suspected gays have been killed by their families. Other of course than the expected one that not a single prosecution for murder has ever been made against the perpetrators of this cull of "abominations".
So why should we care? Well we BMs could technically be put to death if we visited those countries in Africa - countries which we are currently supporting with our tax pounds and dollars in foreign aid. Needless to say the response of the UK, EU and US governments to this unofficial and soon to be official bloodletting has been the usual damp handed fudge that we all know so well. Is it not time that our governments that we elect actually made a few demands of the recipients of all these handouts - the first of which being that money from civilised countries only goes to countries that behave in a civilised fashion. It might also be a step forward if the Church that "guardian of our morals" stood up to be counted and said that this is wrong.
My friend actually sent me a picture of the Ugandan boy (which I have no intention of posting) and he looked like he had been to Hell. Feeling totally unable to make any useful difference to what is happening I thought I would post this and see what comments come my way.
A recent case in Malawi is on point. Homosexuality is frowned uponl there. A gay couple openly got engaged and announced their marriage. Result ? Arrest, jail, pending sentence. After the UN Sec Gen was in Malawi last week they were pardoned. However, the (female) Minister clearly stated in a BBC interview that if they did it again, they would be arrested again...clearly showing that the pardon was a gesture rather than a change of heart.
) peddling their hate in Africa where they get at the very least official indifference is one of the most disturbing issues for those of us lucky enough to live in tolerant societies.
almost a first) if you go out of your way to break your local laws sooner or later you are going to get arrested. A number of countries, notably in the Middle East only get upset if you do things in public and frighten the camels, as it were. It might be hypocrisy but if the choice is between having two adjoining rooms at the Crown Plaza in Dubai and three months in the local nick then I know which I'd choose.
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