Stop homophobia...!

This from the Guardian's Comment is Free:

Fifty-eight alleged lesbians and gays have been outed by the Ugandan newspaper, Red Pepper - the latest outrage in an on-going homophobic witch-hunt orchestrated by the government, police, media and churches of Uganda.

Uganda is the new Zimbabwe. President Yoweri Museveni is the Robert Mugabe of Uganda - a homophobic tyrant who tramples on the human rights of gays and straights alike.

Taking a lead from Mugabe in Zimbabwe, Museveni has found it politically convenient to demonise and scapegoat gay people as "the enemy within", thereby helpfully diverting attention from human rights abuses, poverty, unemployment, corruption, unfair elections and mass deaths from HIV.

In the latest tabloid outing, last Friday, 8 September, 13 supposed lesbians were exposed by Red Pepper. They include two boutique owners, a basketball player and the daughters of a former MP and a prominent Sheikh. Under the headline, "Kampala's notorious lesbians unearthed", the sleazy tabloid published a photo of two very glamorous, unnamed, scantily-dressed women embracing at a party. The article urged readers phone a hotline to "name and shame" any lesbians they know:

"To rid our motherland of the deadly vice (lesbianism), we are committed to exposing all the lesbos in the city. Send more names us (sic) the name and occupation of the lesbin (sic) in your neighbourhood and we shall shame her. Call: 0712XXXXXX," wrote Red Pepper.

Citizens who are happy, healthy, sexually fulfilled and free to pursue love and affection from partners of their choice do not fall prey to the manipulations of corrupt despots, like Yoweri Museveni, Robert Mugabe or, for that matter, GW Bush.

Which is why authoritarians and tyrants of all stripes seek to control and restrict the sexuality of the people they desire to dominate.

Campaigns like the one above also divert attention from society's genuine ills and the myriad ways crooked leaders fail their people.

My heart goes out to Uganda's LGBT folk. Please check out the entire column and write (a polite email) to the Red Pepper’s senior editor, Arinaitwe Rugyendo at: rugyendo@mail.redpepper.co.ug