GAY BLOGGER ACCUSED OF RECEIVING MILLIONS

Uganda’s Ethics Minister, James Nsaba Buturo, has accused a Ugandan gay blogger of receiving millions of dollars to “promote” homosexuality in the country.

The Daily Monitor reported Buturo’s claim that the Gay Uganda blog was one of three recipients of $20 million from an unnamed foreign source.

“Ethics Minister Nsaba Buturo yesterday named three civil society organisations allegedly promoting homosexuality activities in Uganda. He said Sexual Minorities Uganda, Integrity Uganda and Gay Uganda had been given $20m to promote the practice,” wrote the newspaper.

Gay Uganda’s author, who has chosen to remain anonymous, dismissed the claim as absurd.

“I, gayuganda, I am a single human being. Sorry, but my English fails me. This is not a group, or a family, or a cabal or whatever. This is one human being, a Ugandan, living, working in Uganda, who happens to be gay. I am certainly not a Civil Society Organisation. IS THAT CLEAR?,” wrote the author on the blog.

“Secondly, huh, 20 Million USD? I would really love to get at least a tenth of that. Ok, I will not be greedy, I will settle for much, much less. Christmas is here, and the bills are not completely paid. My lover wants more than I can give him, the usual problems of life. If I had just a fraction of that, I would be really, really happy.”

Buturo’s statement is seen as part of government propaganda to defend its support of the draconian anti-gay bill that is before the Ugandan parliament by perpetuating the myth that homosexuality is foreign to the country and Africa.

A number of officials, including the country’s President, Yoweri Museveni, have also previously claimed that homosexuality is being “promoted” in the country by foreign interests.

The anti-gay bill, which has been slammed by numerous governments and human rights bodies, would impose the death penalty on anyone who has gay sex with an HIV positive person; even between consenting adults.

It would also maintain the current life sentence for gay sex as well as making it illegal to lobby for LGBT equality, provide any support for LGBT people or even write about LGBT rights. People will face jail time if they do not turn in gays and lesbians to the authorities.

It was reported on Tuesday that several hundred people, led by religious and cultural heads, took part in a demonstration supporting the bill in the capital Kampala.