The reverberations is still being felt after the assassination of Ugandan lgbt activist David Kato.
The following is a clip of an interview with Kato in which he expressed fear for his life because of the homophobic climate in Uganda:
And now a short message to my lgbt brothers and sisters in America. Some of us have reacted negatively to President Obama's statement condemning Kato's murder. Some have called his statement useless.
Others have said that if the Obama Administration really believed the words in the statement, it would stop defending DOMA in court or push for ENDA.
Folks, this isn't the time for that. This is not about lgbts in America. This is not about DOMA and ENDA. To bring them up is highly insensitive in that it highjacks the issue, which should be about lgbts facing persecution in Uganda.
Whether or not we like President Obama's actions in regards to lgbt rights, this is a time in which we are going to have to push whatever anger we have to the background and stand with him in condemning Kato's murder and the continued dehumanization of lgbts in Uganda.
This doesn't mean that we should remain silent. And we shouldn't. You see it's OUR job to make sure people don't forget Kato nor other lgbts in Uganda. It's our job to make people never forget the simple fact that homophobia is not good - religion based or otherwise.
Homophobia is hate, pure and simple.
The following is a clip of an interview with Kato in which he expressed fear for his life because of the homophobic climate in Uganda:
And now a short message to my lgbt brothers and sisters in America. Some of us have reacted negatively to President Obama's statement condemning Kato's murder. Some have called his statement useless.
Others have said that if the Obama Administration really believed the words in the statement, it would stop defending DOMA in court or push for ENDA.
Folks, this isn't the time for that. This is not about lgbts in America. This is not about DOMA and ENDA. To bring them up is highly insensitive in that it highjacks the issue, which should be about lgbts facing persecution in Uganda.
Whether or not we like President Obama's actions in regards to lgbt rights, this is a time in which we are going to have to push whatever anger we have to the background and stand with him in condemning Kato's murder and the continued dehumanization of lgbts in Uganda.
This doesn't mean that we should remain silent. And we shouldn't. You see it's OUR job to make sure people don't forget Kato nor other lgbts in Uganda. It's our job to make people never forget the simple fact that homophobia is not good - religion based or otherwise.
Homophobia is hate, pure and simple.
2 comments:
I have to disagree with you on this one Alvin. I believe it is perfectly reasonable to expect those in leadership positions to lead on human rights at home FIRST AND FOREMOST and that is where their priorities should lie.
Empty words about a foreign policy mean nothing and waste our time. If Obama wants to do something, he should take away those groups rights to foreign travel by confiscating their passports who fostered the hate in the first place (Lively, Warren, et.al.). That would be an action that would say a lot more than empty words of condolence.
The one thing I cannot abide is some leader getting up to blab about "praying for or thinking for" other people's damn problems and not giving any actionable solution. That's just cowardly and solves nothing.
If we had full civil/human rights, he would have the high ground to say something, however, we don't and he doesn't. That's the point.
You have a point except for one thing - he CANNOT take away their passports. Now Uganda can bar them from coming again - and I doubt they will - but Obama has no power over their passports.
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