Ugandan Activist Frank Mugisha Remembers David Kato

At the beginning of a Sung Compline service hosted by Integrity USA during the Creating Change Conference in Minneapolis on 4 Feb 2011, Frank Mugisha spoke movingly about the life and death of his friend and colleague, David Kato.                                                      

Death of Ugandan gay rights activist must not be in vain   http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2011/0202/1224288768075.html

OPINION: The ignorant prejudice that most likely led to David Kato’s murder must be fought, writes NAVI PILLAY 

Irish Times report ‘Archbishop reacts strongly to queries over homophobic climate in Uganda’

PATSY Mc GARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent, Jan 31,2011http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/0131/1224288605110.html

                                 

USA Presiding Bishop prays David Kato's work continues

On Sunday 30^th January 2011 Presiding Bishop gave a sermon at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland. She was there attending a meeting of Anglican Primates. She challenged us all "to show up and heal the world."

She said that the world  "needs the participation and leadership of all parts of the body of Christ. It starts with urgent voices, and changed hearts, our own conversion, and our challenge to systems that perpetuate all kinds of sickness and death around the world."

The healing of the world needs the participation and leadership of all parts of the body of Christ.  It starts with urgent voices, and changed hearts, our own conversion, and our challenge to systems that perpetuate all kinds of sickness and death around the world.  


Jefferts Schori also noted the brutal murder of Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato.

"An Anglican was murdered in Uganda this week, a man who has been a strong voice for the basic human rights of gay and lesbian people.  His voice has been silenced.  We can pray that others will continue that work, or be challenged by the brutality of his death into some conversion of heart.  Will we challenge the world to respect the dignity of every single human being?"

Canon Albert Ogle David Kato’s Anglican funeral: A tale of two churches

Irish Times report Friday 28^th January 2011 Church of Ireland group urges that Ugandan ‘homophobia’ be confronted.

Press Statement, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Washington, DC, January 27, 2011 

Secretary Hillary Clinton's Statement on David Kato 


Integrity USA statement on the murder of David Kato

Integrity USA is deeply saddened by the murder of David Kato but we are not surprised. The homophobic atmosphere that prevails in Uganda today where draconian laws are proposed, calling for death and imprisonment of homosexuals, and where a so-called magazine can call for the killing of "homos," has created a climate that was sure provoke violence. All the while, the church has remained silent. It has failed to speak out on behalf of the voiceless victims of homophobia in Uganda and across the Communion. It's time the Archbishop of Canterbury speaks out. We call on all our brothers and sisters in faith --from Canterbury to Kampala to Kalamazoo --to join us and take a stand on behalf of "the least of these". Silence equals death. 

"Enough is enough," said Max Niedzwiecki, Executive Director of Integrity USA. "In Uganda and around the world, our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion and other churches must insist that all people are treated with decency. All people are members of the human family, and loved by God. David Kato's murder is a wake-up call. Now is the time for church leaders to proclaim that there is no excuse for killing a person simply for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Christianity - and the Anglican Communion in particular - must be a force for good in the world, and Integrity calls on all Christian leaders to speak out for peace and justice in the face of violence and hatred."

CALL TO ACTION

In late 2009 supporters of Changing Attitude Ireland signed a petition calling for the Archbishop of Canterbury to speak out against the activities in Uganda. Imagine how things might be different if he had. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Uganda_Christians/index.html

The time is come to ask again. In a stronger more pointed way. Lives are at stake. Our dear beloved Bishop Christopher Senyonjo was on the list of "homos" to be hanged. Make your voice heard about the need for the church to speak out. Send an email to the Archbiship of Canterbury at: contact@lambethpalace.org.uk and CC us at Changing Attitude Ireland by inserting changingattitudeireland@hotmail.co.uk 

Here is a sample email:

Dear Archbishop Williams:
I am writing to respectfully request that you use your influence with leaders of the Anglican Communion and and specifically the Anglican Church of Uganda and urge them to proclaim the following statement:
All people are beloved children of God. While we acknowledge that we are not of one mind on issues of human sexuality and gender identity, we state unequivocally that it is absolutely unacceptable for a person to be persecuted or murdered because he or she is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), or because a person speaks out in favor of people who are LGBT. Violence that is perpetrated against people simply because they are "different" is against the basic principles of Christianity, and a grave sin.

Sincerely,

Your name & contact info
Take action today!!

Ugandan activist murdered after suing anti-gay tabloid  http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/0128/1224288457254.html

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 Ugandan LGBT Activist David Kato Murdered in Uganda

Frank Mugisha, head of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), just reported that his colleague in SMUG, David Kato, has been murdered in Kampala.

 Kato was also one of the plaintiffs in the Rolling Stone defamation case in Uganda. The Rolling Stone promised to out 100 homosexuals, and had started doing so, when a Ugandan judge halted the tabloid, saying that such efforts violated the rights of the plaintiffs. Kato had expressed fear for his safety after the verdict.

The Human Rights Watch webiste posted this: 

Witnesses told police that a man entered Kato's home in Mukono at around 1 p.m. on January 26, 2011, hit him twice in the head and departed in a vehicle. Kato died on his way to Kawolo hospital. Police told Kato's lawyer that they had the registration number of the vehicle and were looking for it. 

Kato was the advocacy officer for the organization Sexual Minorities Uganda. He had been a leading voice in the fight against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which has been before Uganda's parliament since October 15, 2009. While homosexual sex is already illegal in Uganda, the proposed law would criminalize all homosexuality, making it punishable by a fine and life imprisonment. "Repeat offenders" and those who are HIV positive would be subject to the death penalty. The bill would also oblige anyone with knowledge of someone who is or might be a homosexual to report that person to the police within 24 hours.

The bill has been widely condemned internationally, including by US President Barack Obama, who called the bill "odious." Kato had said the bill was "profoundly undemocratic and un-African." 

The fight against the bill has also pushed Ugandan activists to the fore, raising concern for their privacy and safety. These deepened in late 2010 when a local tabloid called Rolling Stone, unconnected to the US magazine, published pictures, names, and residence locations of some members of the LGBT community, along with a headline saying, "Hang Them." Kato's photo appeared on the cover, and inside another photo appeared with his name. 

Three activists, including Kato, eventually sued the publication and won on January 3. The judge ruled that the publication had violated their constitutional rights to privacy and ordered compensation. He also issued an injunction prohibiting any further publication of the identities and home locations of individuals labeled homosexuals. 

"The Anti-Homosexuality bill has already generated hatred before it has even been enacted and it should immediately be withdrawn by its author," Burnett said. "President Yoweri Museveni should categorically reject the hate that lies behind this bill, and instead encourage tolerance of divergent views of sexuality and protect vulnerable minorities."

Changing Attitude Ireland  call for the Anglican Primates to confront homophobia throughout the Anglican Communion.  Statement 22^nd January 2011

As the senior bishops from Anglican Churches worldwide prepare to meet in Dublin for their Primates’ Meeting (25th-31st January) there has been a call on the Irish Government by an Irish Anglican group to request the visiting Archbishops to address the problem of Christian-backed persecution of gay persons.

The call comes from Changing Attitude Ireland and its Secretary the Church of Ireland clergyman Canon Charles Kenny requests Ireland’s new Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Brian Cowen, who is also the Prime Minister, “to maintain the interest shown by the Department of Foreign affairs under his predecessor Micheal Martin in the persecution of gay persons in Uganda and Malawi”. 

Dr Richard O’Leary of Changing Attitude Ireland called in addition on Mr Cowen “to match the concern of his former British counterpart, Prime Minister Gordon Brown when Mr Brown used the November 2009 meeting of the Commonwealth to speak out about the threat to gay persons from the Ugandan government”. 

Dr O’Leary said “In the month that Ireland recognised Civil Partnership for same-sex couples, let us not forget the recent violence against and imprisonment of a gay couple in Malawi”. He continued “Archbishop Rowan Williams and the leaders of the Anglican Communion who are meeting in Dublin this week need to assume their responsibilities in tackling homophobia and the Churches collusion in it”. Canon Charles Kenny added “The Meeting of the Anglican Primates takes place over a whole week so I think they should be capable of finding some time to discuss the scandal of homophobia that exists in the Church, especially in Uganda, Malawi and Nigeria.” The Primates from all the Provinces of the Anglican Communion have been invited to the Meeting in Dublin by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and are hosted by the Primate of all Ireland, Archbishop Alan Harper.

Last year the Ugandan parliament was presented with a draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill which would introduce the death penalty for some behaviour by gay persons. The Irish government is a major development aid donor to Uganda and Malawi and last June the Director of the Human Rights Unit in the Irish Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs was briefed in Dublin by the retired Anglican Ugandan Bishop Christopher Senyonjo on the problem of the Christian-backed anti-gay crusade in Uganda. Bishop Senyonjo in his address at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin called for education to counteract homophobia because, "I have found that a lot of the prejudice against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people comes from ignorance." Bishop Senyonjo, a rare courageous voice in the conservative Anglican Church in Uganda, and who speaks in support of gay persons, visited Ireland on the invitation of Changing Attitude Ireland, and urged people in Britain and Ireland to oppose the Bill.

Bishop Christopher Senyonjo (Uganda) Bishop Samuel Poyntz and Bishop Jered Kilimba (Rwanda) at the Ordination of Deacons Christ Church Cathedral Dublin

Ugandan Anglican Bishop Christopher Senyonjo who has courageously spoken out in support of gay Ugandans visited Ireland 18th -22nd June 2010 at the invitation of Changing Attitude Ireland.   He spoke at St George’s Church Hall, Belfast on Friday 18th June and preached at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin on Sunday 20th June. On Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd he met Irish parliamentarians, Irish government officials and international groups in Dublin.

                                                                                    Interview with Bishop Christopher at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin

    

 Ugandan Bishop Cites Irish Peace Process in Opposition to Anti-Gay Bill  22^nd June 2010

Anglican Bishop Christopher Senyonjo who has just completed a speaking tour in Ireland has condemned what he described as the "draconian" Anti-Homosexuality Bill in his native Uganda. He said, "we should follow the good example of Ireland where you have been successful in seeking and affecting reconciliation."

Citing the example of the peace process in Northern Ireland he told the congregation in Christ Church Cathedral Dublin on Sunday 20th June that , "you as the people of Ireland - you have a very great thing that God has done for you. That is the reconciliation in Northern Ireland that I have seen. You must now declare to other people that it is possible to bring peace where there is war, prosperity where there is poverty, health where there is disease and life where there is death and above all, love where there is hate. Jesus wants you to go and tell this to others so that they too may experience hope and change."

Turning to the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda, the Bishop said that "it criminalises LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) people to the extent that even the words 'homosexual rights' must never be mentioned...Failure to report an LGBT person within 24 hours would be a crime...and committed homosexuals would face prison sometimes between 3 and 7 years, life imprisonment or even the death sentence." The Bill he said, "intends to exterminate homosexuals."He continued, "by the grace of God, some people are speaking against the Bill, President Obama described it as odious."

Urging people in Ireland to oppose the bill he said, "they [homosexuals] may be different, and they are, but we should live with differences. He went on to call for education because, "I have found that a lot of the prejudice against LGBT people comes from ignorance."

He concluded his sermon at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin on Sunday with the prayer. "Almighty God, we believe that in Christ there is no discrimination against race, colour, gender or LGBT people. We pray that you guide us with your Holy Spirit so that all hate campaigns including those against LGBT people may be transformed into peace, justice and reconciliation. Amen."

During his stay in Dublin, Bishop Senyonjo met with Senator David Norris, officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and representatives of GLEN (the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network).His visit was arranged by  Changing Attitude Ireland which is working for the full affirmation of gay persons in the churches in Ireland.

Changing Attitude Ireland call to “speak out against Uganda's 'Anti-homosexual Bill' “  29 November 2009
We are e-mailing you to call for your support in condemning the Ugandan parliament’s ‘Anti-Homosexuality Bill’.  Not only does the Bill propose a sentence of up to life imprisonment for consensual sexual activity between persons of the same sex, but it would introduce the death penalty for anyone whose same-sex partner is disabled. It would introduce imprisonment for a person in authority who knew of same-sex activity but failed to inform the relevant authorities.