Corrective rapes of lesbians in Uganda

afterellen.com

Tonight on HBO’s investigative docu-show VICE, reporter Isobel Yeung travels to Uganda to highlight the horrific homophobia that has raged in the last several years, inspiring the Kill the Gays Bill that was prop0sed in 2014. What Isobel finds is that the churches and schools are not only lying to kids and adults alike about the “evils” that come along with homosexuality, but that American missionaries and politicians are part of the problem.

“A Prayer for Uganda” highlights the teachings of people like Pastor George Oduch, a Christian Fundamentalist who has taken his lead from anti-gay American Pastor Scott Lively. They attempt to educate Ugandans about how there’s “no difference between a terrorist and a homosexual,” and that homosexuality is just like pedophilia.

We see that young children are taught that a man who is with a man or a woman with a woman will be punished by the “10 different cancers that attack only homosexuals.” Plays are performed with a female student pretending to be a lesbian who pays her female classmate to have sex with her. It ends with her cradling her stomach in the fetal position on the ground crying, “I can never produce!”

“If a woman gets homosexuality with another woman, she cannot give birth,” a young girl tells Isobel.

The young Ugandans repeat what they are lectured in school and in church, but also in their communities, as the adults are even worse. In a repulsive scene, Isobel talks with a group of men about Ugandan culture.

“The first thing we hate is homosexuality,” a man tells Isobel. “If we find a woman with a woman, we pull out one and we do it to her. We have sex with her. We cannot allow a woman to have sex with a fellow woman.”

“Have you ever raped a lesbian?” Isobel asks.

“Yeah. Serious raping. Yes, because when it’s woman to woman, then it means you need real sex. And we get you a man who is seriously needing a woman and they rape you seriously. Woman and woman we rape, man and man we kill.”

Shocking details? click here; http://www.afterellen.com/tv/431517-vice-tracks-corrective-rapes-lesbians-uganda-back-united-states?utm_source=sc-twitter&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post

New Europea migration agenda

On 13 May, the European Commission presented the new European Migration Agenda. With a shift welcomed by several NGOs, the Commission acknowledged that the “immediate imperative is the duty to protect those in need.” Among other measures, the Commission presented plans to step up search and rescue in the Mediterranean, set up a mechanism to distribute persons in clear of international protection amongst member states and an EU-wide resettlement scheme.

In order to take swift action to face the current situation in the Mediterranean, the Commission intends to triple the budget of the Frontex joint-operations Triton and Poseidon so as to restore the level of intervention previously guaranteed under the Italian Mare Nostrum Operation.

In addition, to address the overstretched reception capacity of coastal member states, the Commission aims to set up a distribution scheme “for persons in clear need of international protection to ensure a fair and balanced participation of all Member States to this common effort.” Such a scheme will be based on member states’ GDP, size of population, unemployment rate, numbers of asylum seekers and of resettled refugees already present in all member states.

With regard to resettlement, the Commission plans to establish an EU resettlement scheme to offer 20,000 places across member states, taking into account their GDP, size of population, unemployment rate, numbers of asylum seekers and of resettled refugees already present in EU member states. According to the Commission’s plan, 50 million euro would be allocated to this resettlement scheme.

UNHCR and IOM have welcomed the new approach taken by the Commission. Volker Türk, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection commented: “The EU’s proposals represent a great breakthrough in terms of managing refugee flows and migration.”

NGOs welcomed in particular the decision to step up search and rescue in the Mediterranean, although, as Amnesty International has pointed out, “the Agenda fails to explicitly make clear how far the operational area of Triton will be extended to ensure that it will cover those areas in the high seas where most refugees’ and migrants’ boats get into difficulties”.

ECRE considers the Commission’s communication to be a welcome step as it refers to a number of measures that constitute a move in the right direction, such as boosting resources to save lives, increasing the number for resettlement places and measures that enhance solidarity. An EU scheme for distributing persons in need of international protection could assist to support member states receiving high numbers of asylum seekers in emergency situations. However, the Commission’s communication lacks details as regards the way in which it would operate in practice. ECRE considers that any such system should take into account family ties or other connection criteria, as well as integration prospects of persons concerned in light of the continuing differences that exist in the Asylum Systems across the EU.

“Solidarity among EU Member States in the approach is the only way that a problem of this nature can be tackled, and UNHCR is enormously pleased to see that this principle has been recognized in the proposals put forward today,” said Volker Türk. “UNHCR stands ready to provide all further help we can to Member States in making these objectives a reality.”

Some member states such as the UK, have already opposed the resettlement plan outlined by the Commission, while others countries have shown their willingness to take in more refugees and asylum seekers. “Ireland has agreed to accept an additional 300 migrants under a new EU plan to tackle the Mediterranean refugee crisis”, reported RTE.

Federal judge tosses lawsuit filed by ‘God’s ambassador’ against ‘all homosexuals’

lgbtqnation.com

OMAHA — A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by aNebraska woman who claimed she was “God’s ambassador”, and who filed suit on behalf of the Almighty because gays, she alleged, lead a sinful life.

In a three page response, U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard dismissed the case filed by Sylvia Driskell, 66, of Auburn, Neb., citing among his reasons, that “a federal court is not a forum for debate or discourse on theological matters.”

Citing Bible verses supporting her own personal views on homosexuality and gays, Driskell’s seven-page handwritten complaint filed April 30, asked the court to declare homosexuality a sin.

In dismissing the complaint, Gerrard noted that federal courts “were created to resolve actual cases and controversies arising under the Constitution and the laws of the United States.”

“A federal court is not a forum for debate or discourse on theological matters. Other forums, freely accessible to citizens of the United States, exist for the purpose of addressing questions of religious doctrine. This is a court of law, and ‘the law knows no heresy, and is committed to the support of no dogma, the establishment of no sect,’” he wrote.

Gerrard concluded that “the Court will not give the plaintiff an opportunity to amend her complaint in this matter because it is obvious that amendment would be futile.”

LGBTQ nation

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Geert Wilders is a political leader here in the Netherlands under his Party for Freedom or Partij voor de Vrijheid – PVV which is one of the largest parties in the Dutch parliament.

LGBT Kenyans gain the right to organize, and churches promise to fight

ncronline.org

In a move that has stirred the anger of Kenya’s anti-gay Christian groups and sparked celebration by pro-gay clergy, the nation’s High Court has ruled that gay rights activists have the right to formally register their own groups and welfare organizations.

A three-judge panel issued the ruling April 24 in response to a 2013 petition by the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. The organization had unsuccessfully tried — five times — to register under the nation’s Non-Governmental Organizations Co-ordination Act since 2012 but had been rejected on grounds that Kenya’s penal code criminalized gay and lesbian associations.

This time, things were different, with the court ruling that refusing to register the organization was an infringement of the constitutional rights of association for LGBT people. The judges said registration was not about the moral and religious views of Kenyans, since the constitution does not set a limit of rights.

“Every person has the right to freedom of association, which includes the right to form, join or participate in the activities of an association of any kind,” the judges ruled, quoting Article 36 of Kenya’s constitution.

Kenyan laws bans homosexuality, and many clergy regularly preach against it as a sin. But the ruling means that LGBT Kenyans will have an official platform from which to fight for their rights and freedoms.

“Thanks to NCR, we know the vision of the Second Vatican Council is still alive with the Catholic church. It challenges each of us to birth it in our lives and neighborhoods in ways personal, profound, illogical, menial and sacred.”

“This is what we have been crying for,” said the Rev. Michael Kimindu, a former Anglican priest and now president of Other Sheep-Africa, a gay rights organization. “It is the beginning of the journey towards freedom. We will now start asking: What happens when two people who are gay want to have a baby or want to go to church to marry?”

Pastor John Makokha, who runs the pro-gay Riruta Hope Community Church in Nairobi, welcomed the development as an acceleration of the push for gay rights. He said he fears, however, that the ruling will face strong resistance from the clergy and other community members.

“I see religious groups going full-length to challenge it using their doctrines,” Makokha said. “We have to ensure that [the right of association] does not remain guaranteed in the constitution but cannot be practiced on the ground.”

As he received the ruling, NGLHRC director Eric Gitari said he saw historic momentum toward the inclusion of sexual minorities and gender minorities into Kenyan democracy.

“It alludes to a country that is keen to becoming much more open and democratic despite challenges. By underscoring the constitutional morality of inclusion at the expense of religious morality, the judges honored the spirit and aspiration of Kenyans,” he said.

The judgment has drawn the wrath of politicians, anti-gay groups and some clergy who are calling for an immediate reversal.

The Kenya Christian Professionals Forum said Wednesday it will appeal the ruling because it is hostile to the fundamental values and moral norms of most Kenyans.

“We are not happy with the ruling. There are fundamental omissions and wrongs in it. That’s why we are appealing,” said Charles Kanjama, a lawyer who is vice chairperson of the forum.

“Kenya is a multicultural country and most people are opposed to any attempt to legitimize or legalize same-sex behavior,” he added.

Anglican Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, too, was troubled by the ruling, saying Kenyan society is organized around “family units,” not gay rights groups.

“The judgment was made with very narrow considerations and it is not only against Christianity, but also against Muslims’ teachings and traditions,” said Wabukala, who leads Kenya’s 4.5 million Anglican Christians, the country’s largest Protestant denomination.

Churches had warned about these developments in the drafting of a new constitution in 2010, said the Rev. Wellington Mutiso, the head of Baptist churches in Kenya. “I am disappointed with the ruling, but gratified that we had warned about it that time.

“These rights are now in the constitution and there is little we can do about it, unless we amend the constitution. That is a very costly affair. So think we may have to live with it.”

NCR:http://ncronline.org/news/global/lgbt-kenyans-gain-right-organize-and-churches-promise-fight