Ugandan Anti-Homosexual Bill

Recently I’ve changed my Twitter bio to say “common sense and human rights activist.” Sometimes, actually most often, I don’t understand people and governments’ lack of common sense. To me, and everyone I know, its common sense to treat everyone equitably regardless of superficial attributes such as skin color, sexuality, gender identity, and religion, just to name a few. At the end of the day were all people all trying to live our lives happily; but why do some people go out of their way to make other peoples’ lives hell?

What brought this to mind is the bill going through parliament in Uganda which would make homosexuality punishable by death (it’s already illegal punishable by jail sentence). Having sex with someone of the same sex is punishable by death and gay-like touching in public is punishable by a lengthy prison sentence. If this isn’t bad enough, the law if passed would also target non-homosexuals--anyone failing to report an incident within 24 hours would be punished.

Here’s a lovely quote from a sitting of the Ugandan parliament, not the bill debate, contextualizing the views of homosexuality in the realm of the government (and probably many citizens):

“If Government were to legalise marriage between men and men, and women and women, we would be talking about a threat to human civilisation. In such a marriage, either of two individuals decides to act as a husband or wife to the other. This situation is what is known as homosexuality or same-gender marriage.

Lately, Mr Speaker, some international groups and countries have been demanding that Uganda should legalise homosexuality. Those behind this abnormal, unhealthy, unnatural as well as illegal lifestyle have argued that doing so would be a human right and in defence of freedom. In Uganda, UNICEF, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Frontline Human Rights Defenders, and East and Horn of Africa Human Rights groups have been in the forefront of a campaign to legalise homosexuality.

The groups above have been assisted by local NGOs that depend on them for funding this propaganda among our population. In fact, ten years ago UNICEF helped in the funding and distribution of books to schools, which were unknown to the Ministry of Education and Sports, and they were popularising homosexuality. Following UNICEF's unwelcome intervention, I recently wrote to the Minister of Education and Sports to express our resentment of their promotion of illegality and called for a tough response that would curb such intrusions” (http://bit.ly/8AlPfQ).

First question, wtf?!?!?! Second, since when does one same sex partner have to act as the opposite sex equivalent of wife or husband? Third, how the hell does LOVE threaten human civilization? Aside from offering context, I wanted to include this quote as I’m thrilled to see so many NGO's taking up this issue (I’m a monthly Amnesty supporter!).

A Ugandan MP David Bahati introduced the bill and defends it saying, "homosexuality is not a human right. It is a foreign behaviour imported and promoted by people using the poverty in our country to expound bad behaviour" (Guardian.co.uk -- http://bit.ly/1QQmsJ).

This perplexes me. How has society come to view homosexuality this way? Homosexuality is a natural occurrence in every species, including about 1500 animal species (http://bit.ly/IanjC). I have news for you, Government of Uganda, the lions in your parks and on your savannahs are also homosexuals! It would be equal on the ridiculous-scale to propose a bill banning animal homosexuality and punishing it by death, maybe one already exists.

Women's Studies and Feminism

The goals of gender studies and feminism are related but very different, the former deconstructs and analyzes gender and the latter is a project to advance women’s rights and critique society— at least in my understanding. I’ve taken a number of courses on gender and am currently in my first, and probably only, Women’s Studies course. Why? Over generalization, pigeon-holing, heteronormativity, and stereotypes.

Women’s Studies 201: Introduction to Women’s Studies (University of Alberta). Very few men enrol in Women’s Studies; I always thought it was due to male machismo and the discounting of feminists as bra burning men haters. Well its not quite so. First, I don’t know of any man who completely discounts and detests feminism and Women’s Studies. Second, I’ve only ever heard a woman use the term bra burning men haters. And finally, men with over inflated masculine identities are just idiots (read: chest pounding apes), but this doesn’t mean anyone should be mean to them.

Feminism has an aura of activism, protest, and struggle. It claims to seek equality. Women’s Studies as a discipline is a recruitment device as well as an educational tool about feminism and women’s rights. But the discipline is unofficially geared towards females only. It couldn’t be documented that men are not allowed to take the courses as that would be sexist, instead it purveys this through its discourse.

Thursday morning, 9:20 A.M. I stumble into class with my tea in hand and find my seat. I’m one of two men, but I’m not uncomfortable. My laptop is ready to take notes (and occasionally check Facebook) and I’m gabbing with my neighbour about the plight of university students. The professor walks in, greets us students, and beings talking about the current chapter we’re discussing, “what are some key concepts in this chapter?” Not only is this redundant as we’ve all read it, its condescending, I feel like I’m in elementary school.

I do my best to pay attention, take notes, and partake in class discussion. But here is where it gets difficult. The professor continues professing and begins to speak to the class, not the text. “What is it WE women should do? How do WE feel when men do this? How does this impact US?” I’m automatically, consciously or not, excluded from all class discussion and feminism. Now I feel uncomfortable. I don’t belong here, at least I’m lead to feel this way.

I don’t understand how this discourse has continued into the 21st century. I can understand the angst many first wave feminists held as they were very radical for their time. In contemporary time to advance one’s cause, or social movement, one must frame it in a way which includes the most people it can. Excluding 48% of the population does not help not to mention its paradoxical that such a project of equality is treating men unequally. To achieve true equality, it must apply to everyone.

To further support this point, we (the class) received a hand out this week which reads, and I quote, “questions might ask for clarification about how the author sees a connection between her experience and a theoretical concept…” Her. I no longer have to do this assignment, it doesn’t pertain to me, I’m a male. Plus, it’s sexist. Feminism has in the past advocated for gender neutral terms in things such as forms where one now sees his/her, him/her, her/his, s/he, etc. Why has a course preaching feminism disregarded its very own objective?

Aside from a gynocentric discourse, it’s also repulsively heteronormative (at least this intro course, but still, it’s no excuse). All examples, anecdotes, and texts in this class reference only female and male relationships. A man is always referenced as having a woman, wife, girlfriend, or the ilk. Men are only spoken of as heterosexual, so are women. I was expecting some sort of lesbian feminism or critique to come up in the readings or discussion; if it did it must have been a quick utterance I missed. Is the project of feminism not to liberate and achieve equality for all (women)?

I’m very dissatisfied with this course. Its very conservative and redundant. Everything covered should already be common knowledge to anyone who has some sort of education, formal or not. Most importantly, I’m very dissatisfied with this course as it alienates me in two ways: by means of sexuality and sex.

I now see why Men's Studies exists. Too bad its not offered at the University of Alberta.

A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men. ~ Gloria Steinem, founder of Ms. Magazine, leader of the Women's Movement

If only Gloria knew...

Its been a month!

I have been very busy with school in October then contracted H1N1 earlier this month. I'm working on an essay on the framing of the gay marriage movement in the US... I will post it when I'm done!

"Passing becomes the outward manifestation of shame and capitulation. Passing becomes silence. Passing becomes invisibility. Passing becomes lies!" - Kate Bornstein