I say, Three cheers to Sylvia Tamale!
Feb 28, 2003
SIR— Three cheers for Dr Sylvia Tamale for taking a courageous stand to defend the rights of homosexuals.
SIR— Three cheers for Dr Sylvia Tamale for taking a courageous stand to defend the rights of homosexuals.
It seems to me, that in our country today, we have many things to worry about. Who consenting adults choose to sleep with is not one of them. Those who have chosen to equate homosexuality with paedophilia are being totally disingenuous in this debate.
Gay rights and advocates have consistently argued for the recognition of the rights of adults to choose whom they wish to be their sexual partners — adult and consent, being the operative words here. This, in the context of sexual relations between adult men and women, is now widely recognised as a fundamental human rights.
Secondly, we need to take note of the fact that it is men of a heterosexual orientation, who are responsible for the vast majority of cases of sexual abuse against children, especially young girls.
I am convinced that homosexuality is a natural state of human life. Why on earth, anyone would choose to pursue a life in which they will be subject to ridicule, abuse, humiliation and discrimination of the worst kind, defies logic.
And let us think, in practical terms, what this hatred and fear means. Those homosexuals and lesbians amongst us are forced to live in fear of ever being found out. This means in many cases, they were allowed to live their lives openly without fear of persecution?
I remember not so long ago, when the AIDS pandemic first came to light, Uganda was one of the few countries that recognised that the worst enemy of the pandemic was bigotry, fear and discrimination.
Whilst the world looked on, Uganda openly addressed this issue, and years later, this openness and acceptance, has assured Uganda a place at the forefront of the efforts to come to terms with the pandemic.
If it were up to me, Dr. Tamale and others like her, would be up for the highest award of recognition in the land, for their courage, conviction and commitment to the defence of the human rights of all, even when they are swimming against the tide of public opinion.
The world would be a much safer and happier place if more of us were ready to stand up and speak out against narrow-mindedness.
For such narrow-mindedness demeans us as a society.
Sarah Mukasa
Kampala
It seems to me, that in our country today, we have many things to worry about. Who consenting adults choose to sleep with is not one of them. Those who have chosen to equate homosexuality with paedophilia are being totally disingenuous in this debate.
Gay rights and advocates have consistently argued for the recognition of the rights of adults to choose whom they wish to be their sexual partners — adult and consent, being the operative words here. This, in the context of sexual relations between adult men and women, is now widely recognised as a fundamental human rights.
Secondly, we need to take note of the fact that it is men of a heterosexual orientation, who are responsible for the vast majority of cases of sexual abuse against children, especially young girls.
I am convinced that homosexuality is a natural state of human life. Why on earth, anyone would choose to pursue a life in which they will be subject to ridicule, abuse, humiliation and discrimination of the worst kind, defies logic.
And let us think, in practical terms, what this hatred and fear means. Those homosexuals and lesbians amongst us are forced to live in fear of ever being found out. This means in many cases, they were allowed to live their lives openly without fear of persecution?
I remember not so long ago, when the AIDS pandemic first came to light, Uganda was one of the few countries that recognised that the worst enemy of the pandemic was bigotry, fear and discrimination.
Whilst the world looked on, Uganda openly addressed this issue, and years later, this openness and acceptance, has assured Uganda a place at the forefront of the efforts to come to terms with the pandemic.
If it were up to me, Dr. Tamale and others like her, would be up for the highest award of recognition in the land, for their courage, conviction and commitment to the defence of the human rights of all, even when they are swimming against the tide of public opinion.
The world would be a much safer and happier place if more of us were ready to stand up and speak out against narrow-mindedness.
For such narrow-mindedness demeans us as a society.
Sarah Mukasa
Kampala