The challenges to gay Ugandans are severe, and often aggravated by religious groups intent on stoking prejudice and worse. As Chris Morley recently reported, Catholic bishops are now backing the revived bill to criminalize homosexuality, and a government minister (an ordained Catholic priest) recently ordered police to break up a meeting of LGBT activists.
However, while the LGBT persecution in Uganda and some other African states is distressing, it is also far more complex than many Western activists recognize. Far too many media accounts simply gloss over these complexities in the interests of brevity, resulting in overly simplistic accounts of nasty, homophobic Africans, being opposed by saintly Western activists. What we need to remember is that there are significant internal resistance groups, both religious and secular.
For example,”Other Sheep” is an organization which works continuously to promote LGBT equality and inclusion in Africa, (and also in Asia and in Latin America). Recently, Other Sheep Africa held a conference in Kampala, Uganda, on “Religious Freedom. Theological Diversity and Human Sexuality”, which was attended by a mixture of clergy, laity and human rights activists. Ironic, isn’t it, that at a time when Catholic bishops in the US and elsewhere are invoking religious freedom to oppose gay marriage, religious leaders are doing so in the name of protecting sexual as well as theological diversity?
I originally thought that the only way I could find for you to read the full report would be by placing it here, in full. The link supplied goes to Other Sheep eNews Archive, which is great - but does not yet include a report on the Kampala conference. It does however include a report on a similar conference for LGBT clergy held last May in Nairobi, capital of neighbouring Kenya. To read this and other reports from the archives, click on the links - which will download the file as a text document. From there, clicking on the “read more” link takes you to a report at the Other Sheep in Africa blog. I have since found a full post at another Other Sheep Blog - http://othersheepexecsiteblog.blogspot.co.uk/. I really do like the work that Other Sheep is doing, but I wish - I really wish - they would make it easier to read about it on- line.
Here are two extracts from the report. Read it in full at Other Sheep (The “Talking Points” link will download a 10 - page text document by Stephen Parelli on responses to the familiar biblical clobber texts, the standard arguments from scripture against homosexuality, and includes a useful bibliography and weblinks. Read it.bib)
‘Liberty of Conscience’ is Focus of Kampala Other Sheep Conference
by Rev. Stephen Parelli
Kampala, Uganda
July 12, 2012
A local pastor who attended the recent two-day Kampala conference on “Religious Freedom in the Context of Theological Diversity and Human Sexuality” told the attendees that he was especially impacted by the workshops on ‘Liberty of Conscience.’ The pastor said that in spite of the contemporary alternative view, as taught by the presenters, that Sodom and Gomorrah is about inhospitality, social oppression and rape, and not, therefore, a condemnation of gay love, he still believes the Biblical destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is a condemnation of all gays. The pastor went on to say, however, that because of ’Liberty of Conscience‘ he now understands it is not parliament’s place to write anyone’s religious views or interpretation of ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ or any part of the Bible into civil law.
Attendees in the workshops on “Talking Points (What you need to know and say when they say: ‘But the Bible clearly condemns homosexuality!),” interacted with the presenters and one another in lively discussions around the paper “Talking Points.”
Copies of the papers on ’Liberty of Conscience’ and“Talking Points“ were made available to conference attendees.
-more at Other Sheep Blog
Related articles
- Catholic Priest and Government Minister’s Homophobia in Uganda (queeringthechurch.com)
At the recent MIND THE GAP CONFERNCE, a multi-faith/international World Pride event in London, we were privileged to have a speaker from SAY IT LOUD, a Ugandan LGBT group: http://www.sayitloudclub.co.uk . Many of its members are also linked to the internationally focussed MOVEMENT FOR JUSTICE. Some of its Catholic members have become regular attenders at the Soho Masses.
Thanks for this observation, Martin. I had thought of adding something similar, but in the end did not.
I was talking to a Ugandan man on Sunday night, who points out the double value of the Masses. In Ugandan company, he is rejected for being gay. In British gay company, he is too often rejected for being foreign. At Soho Masses, he is able to relax, and just be himself.