Ssempa’s pornographic rhetoric showed the fire of a very sick and depraved soul.
By Melanie Nathan, December 17, 2012.
Today one of the bravest LGBTI Ugandan activists I know, Pepe, appeared on a live debate on Ugandan TV about homosexuality against the foul mouthed gay hater Pastor Martin Ssempa. One wonders why Pepe would knowingly set himself up for such an awful confrontation and I put it down to extreme courage by someone who was willing to go out on a limb to defend a community of truly good people who have been hurt by the lies and rhetoric of religious zealots.
If the intent was to show Ugandans that gay and lesbian and transgender people are not the depraved lunatics that Bahati and like minded legislators would have them believe, Pepe succeeded. With grace and dignity Pepe faced the onslaught of a liar and sick individual whose ignorance presumes being gay is about the act of sex.
Pepe’s articulate advocacy provided the platform for a vivid contrast – that of decency vs the true depravity of a mind consumed by hate and fear, giving Ssempa the space to make a complete fool of himself, as indeed it was he who came across as the raving lunatic. I ask who is the angel and who is the devil?
When I asked Pepe for a copy of the show, I was told of the rapid exit, to get out of there fast for the sake of safety and he was unable to wait for a copy. I watched the video after finding it online some hours later. I was stunned at the nature of the intolerance and the attack on Pepe and the undignified and pornographic manner in which Ssempa behaved for all Uganda to see.
After the show Pepe commented as follows:-
“It is absolute understatement to say I am OUTRAGED at the lies, misinformation and hooliganism Ssempa keeps feeding Ugandans.#NBSTV Morning Breeze. I truly thank God for blessing me with such amount of calmness… I was shocked at me.”
I could not describe reaction an to the video any better than Ugandans themselves. Here is how a Ugandan who saw the show describes it on a BLOG post:_
In the first place the host of the show was not so sure of what to expect from his guest Pepe let alone know how best to tame his obvious shock at the what he/she was talking about. He surely didn’t know what Ssempa was to bring to the show this morning.
The show started off to a civil debate with the lady turned man dressed in a white suit with a red tie to go with trying to raise issues about her organization and what she represents as an activist for the minority group. She wanted to dissuade the notion and the so called lies the Ugandan media and prominent personalities have made out of the gay community in Uganda.
Of course this discussion was coming off the recent media attention that has been given by a local tabloid about a rich Ugandan business man in Chris Mubiru who is said to have molested young boys’ and girls’ behinds alike to his joyful and lustful climax. All this was got on a sex tape he recorded.
Pepe came on record distancing herself from this lunatic as not being part of the gay community in Uganda and that if the allegations being made about this man playing with young kids were true, it was unfortunate and that the strong of arm of Government should come out and interdict him.
Meanwhile her comments on the matter were annoying a one Ssempa who was at his home and soon he would call in and give a rather graphic description of how the people of the same sex go about having intercourse, he was later to appear at the station studios armed with Bananas, Cucumbers, and Carrots, I really was beginning to think the man was struck off his morning breakfast table to our screens kumbe these were samples for us! From his presentation I found it rather appalling and unfortunate because for all intents and purposes he was laying credence to the actions of the people he is against.
I was appalled because this was on family TV and the good old Pastor was being graphical to all the young ones on holiday.
I ask myself now is Uganda lying to us that they will not lay prominence to this gay debate which is now on our Radios, TVs and print media? We are trying so hard to suppress this gay thing yet we are unknowingly drumming up their actions! I dare say our kids are going to continue being fed on this. So whats the point?”
Another Facebook commentator noted, and this one I find so fascinating given the fact that one of the most odious aspects of the Kill the Gays Bill is the outlawing of so called “promotion” of homosexuality:
“Whether knowingly or unknowingly, the likes of Martin Ssempa have become top ‘promoters’ of homosexuality in Uganda – in other words, they have become the very things they despise. The way he goes on and on about it, the ridiculous stunts he pulls in public (e.g. screening hardcore gay porn in church), making a fool of himself on TV today, etc. His efforts have done nothing but ‘advertise’ homosexuality. Even my mother was like “can’t he just STFU already, because now all the kids are curious about homosexuality!” Many people have told me the same thing (and the people telling me this are staunchly anti-gay, mind you).
Thanks to all this anti-gay crusading and hysteria by Ssempa, Bahati, et al.. homosexuality is now everywhere. Its featuring prominently in our newspapers, on our TVs, and is the number one subject highlighted by politicians and clergymen alike, at public functions. It is one thing that literally everybody is talking about now, and YET before all this bullshit drama was started by the anti-gay activists, it was a taboo subject that remained outside the realm of public discourse. “
Contact: Editor, Melanie Nathan , [email protected]
Copyright: OBLOGDEEOBLOGDA© 2012. All Rights reserved. Please feel free to link to this article. Publication on Facebook or elsewhere requires specific permission fro Editor.
Twitter: @melanienathan1 /
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-Nathan-Advocacy/253495108038074?ref=hl
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PLEASE ALSO READ
American Activist Provides Insights after day with Ugandan LGBTI Rights Hero Frank Mugisha
Reflecting on my day with Frank Mugisha BY Cathy Kristofferson – http://oblogdeeoblogda.me/2012/12/18/american-activist-provides-insights-after-day-with-ugandan-lgbti-rights-hero-frank-mugisha/
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MELANIE NATHAN’S BADGE OF HONOR- Being called a hater by Martin Ssempa:
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I admire his bravery. I adore his civil and calm demeanor. I give him kudos.
It’s not simply Uganda (and e.g. Nigeria), but the African continent in toto that’s SICK, SICK, SICK: constant wars, famine, terrorism, rape, AIDS. A wretched continent.
Not any more or less wretched than any other continent – its what has become of humankind. How do we separate the war of G.W. BUSH and how he lied his way to the murder of 2650,000 plus innocent Irais in the name of WHAT? Just because we in the USA re perceived as “civilized”- are WE? When our President just because he has the totem “WORLD POWER” is able to take us to a pre-emptive war based on a lie – and then why do we NOT call THAT bloodthirsty -? Why then is America also not a wrteched continent. Why did we let Bush Cheney and Rumsfield get away with that murderous lie?