According to the Daily Monitor, Ugandan anti-gay bill supporter Martin Ssempa recently held a press conference. At this particular event, he was supposed to introduce two Ugandans who claimed to be "ex-gay."
However, Ssempa's actions caused the press conference to
end rather early:
Pastor Martin Ssempa on Tuesday plumbed the depths of notoriety when he offered graphic images of gay sex as proof of the need for tough penalties against homosexuals.
But midway through his presentation, saved on a computer, most of his audience walked out, some visibly disturbed, leaving him to wonder if he had done anything wrong. The cleric seemed genuinely rattled when he asked: “Why should I be traumatised?”
One man, who was part of a group of American students invited to the press conference by Rubaga North MP Beti Kamya, was seen crying, his colleagues consoling him as the group left the National Theatre.
But this press conference is nothing compared to the one he held on Jan. 15.
According to the
Huffington Post, during that particular event, Ssempa took the liberty of showing a slideshow so disgusting that one has to wonder about his mental state:
A pornographic slideshow of black and white photographs of men engaging in scatological fetishism is revealed. "I want to show you from their website", he proclaims, a devious smile forming. "I've taken the time to research what homosexuals do in the privacy of their bedroom. It is inhuman, it is animalistic, and it cannot be right. I want to show you these pictures." The audience lurches forward, leering at the pictures and groaning in disgust. Ssempa, enthusiastically goes on:
I want to say homosexuals eat each other's poop. Homosexuals stick their hands into their rectum. Homosexuals stick all sorts of deviant sexual things into their rectum. I want to show you this is from their website. So the first picture that I want to show you, you can see this man has just eaten the other person's poo poo and is rubbing it on his mouth, and I'm going to ask that we print for each of you a photocopy of this story so you get it fully.
Then, of course, they are grabbing each other's gentials, that is level number one, touching each other, grabbing each other. Then number three, now they are licking eachother's anus and are licking poop. And they call poo poo, chocolate. You see it is a change of words. I want you to see, Sheikh please forgive me but I want these people to see, they say a picture is worth one thousand words. This is a man eating the other person's poo poo, can you see that one? Please from BBC, I want you to tell them, we know what they do.
I cringe to wonder what Ssempa will "unveil" should he hold another press conference. Sometimes words aren't enough to criticize the depths that people will stoop to in order to stigmatize the lgbt community.
And by all means, don't think Ssempa's behavior merits laughter. I know that there are some out there who seek to minimize Ssempa's madness by making him an object of ridicule.
Ssempa is not like Peter LaBarbera. His words and actions are unfortunately resonating with some people.
Just ask the lgbts in Uganda.
