ASYLUM REJECTED BECAUSE OF LACK OF LESBIAN MAGS

It’s come to light that an Ugandan asylum-seeker’s claim that she is lesbian was rejected because she doesn’t own lesbian magazines nor lives a “lesbian lifestyle”.

The Political Scrapbook blog has sourced court documents outlining a British judge’s ruling on 29 year old Brenda Namiggade’s claim that she would be in danger due to her sexual orientation if she was deported back to Uganda.

“I find that the Appellant was not and is not, on the evidence before me, a lesbian,” reads the ruling.

“I find such peripheral information to describe what went on, either in Uganda or in the United Kingdom, very generalised and quite simply lacking in the kind of detail and information of someone genuinely living that lifestyle. The Appellant claims to have freedom to live a life unconstrained and without prejudice. I find the information as to how she has done so over the lengthy period she has been in the United Kingdom singularly lacking in detail or coherence.

“The Appellant appears to have taken no interest in forms of media by magazines, books or other information relating to her sexual orientation. Whilst there is no requirement to do so it does seem strange, if she is exercising the real sense of freedom she claims, that she does not do so,” wrote the judge.

Political Scrapbook commented dryly that “lesbians in fear for their lives should presumably have a ready supply of jazz mags and KD Lang CDs for distribution to the judiciary”.

LGBT Asylum News described the ruling as “ignorant” and quoted a commentator who pointed out that “Asylum seekers in the UK live in extreme poverty and she would not have had the money to buy lesbian magazines, books or other media”.

Namiggade narrowly avoiding being deported last week after a court issued a last-minute injunction temporarily suspending her deportation pending a new appeal which will be heard on Wednesday.

Concerns about her safety were heightened last week following the brutal slaying of LGBT activist David Kato in Uganda.