g_b from The Economist: an obituary for David Kato
A beautifully written, tragic obituary for David Kato. We must never forget - at some primal level this is what our opponents want for us: Obituary: David Kato David Kato Kisule, a gay campaigner in Uganda, died on January 26th, aged 46 Feb 10th 2011 TO THE 935 pupils at St Herman Nkoni primary school, on the Masaka-Mbarara road, the slight, bookish-looking, soft-voiced man with the thick-lensed glasses was a pretty good head teacher. But to Uganda’s tabloid magazines, such as Red Pepper and Rolling Stone, he was a monster: a “bum-driller”, ever seeking “shaftmates” for “romping sessions”. To the sponsors of Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill of 2009, which required witnesses to report homosexual activity within 24 hours, and which proposed the death sentence for repeat offending, he was a deviant and a corrupter of innocent boys. In the sermons of the evangelical Christian pastors who toured round Uganda’s towns, he was a dog, a pig, possessed by devils. Even the Anglican priest who conducted his funeral broke off to shout that he was worse than a beast, because animals at least knew the difference between a male and a female. David Kato was one of a group so tiny, hated and hounded—indeed, illegal—that most Ugandans had never knowingly met one. Gays like him called themselves kuchus, meaning “same”, as in “same-sex”. He was not the same in any way ordinary Ugandans cared to recognise. His neighbours in Nansana and Mukono, the districts near Kampala where he lived at various times, admitted that he could be generous and kind. He paid for electricity wires to be put up locally, settled people’s hospital bills, took drifters in when they were homeless. But this, they told the tabloids, was because he was “filthy loaded” with foreign dime, most of it donated to him for spreading a Western evil in Uganda, and a lot of the money was used as bribes for sexual favours. It was dangerous to get too close to him, because of his love for bums. His cleaning woman (who observed which young men came and went, and who stayed the night) noticed that he was tired on the day he was killed, and put it down to AIDS. A doctor took the false story on: Mr Kato was HIV-positive, and spreading it around, despite the government’s campaign to keep AIDS in check. An ex-homosexual called Paul Kagaba claimed that he had been irreparably seduced into evil in Mr Kato’s white house with the columns along Villa Road, after a couple of Guinnesses and a takeaway meal. He implied he was one of many. In Mr Kato’s mind there were only two ways to deal with being gay in Uganda. The first was to hide, to seek the dark. This was how he had first encountered the gay scene in Kampala in the late 1990s, after hearing rumours of a night party in some gardens outside the city and deciding he had to gatecrash. The party hosts, suspicious of his eagerness, gave him the wrong address; they did not want him to find this secret, illegal gathering among the trees. When he gave interviews to Western media it was often in dark alleys or deserted bars, face shadowy and close to the camera, or on some red-dirt road out of town, while he kept nervously walking. Fighting talk The second way of being gay, however, was to be out and proud. This was what he preferred, despite the risks. In 1998, just back from a few years of teaching in South Africa—where he had seen apartheid fall, and the old anti-sodomy laws with it, and had decided at last to admit his homosexuality—he held a televised press conference to start the push for gay rights in his own country. The police beat him up afterwards, the first of several beatings (he would show the scars on his head, where bottles had been broken on him), and arrested him, the first of three arrests. Not deterred, in 2004 he co-founded Sexual Minorities Uganda to campaign against the anti-homosexuality bill and general prejudice. He was the group’s litigation officer, partly because he knew his way round the mazes of the law, but mostly because he was loud, impatient, demanding, angry (too much so, when the beer got to him), and didn’t care that his face was now “Gay Uganda” for the tabloids. When, last October, Rolling Stone ran a front-page article on “homos” recruiting in the schools, promising to expose 100 of them and calling for them to be hanged, Mr Kato was one of three who sued the magazine. He was the only one who went to court to state his case that homosexuals were born, not made, and therefore could not be recruited. He had known he was different as a child growing up in Nakawala, his ancestral village; his twin brother, John, had noticed it too, and simply laughed when, after years, he came out to him. The new year looked propitious. On January 3rd a judge ruled against Rolling Stone; Mr Kato received compensation of 1.5m Ugandan shillings, or $640. It was not much, but it was the principle that mattered. Meanwhile, debate was s
g_b Re: Hey there
--- In gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com, uday krishnan wrote: > > Dear Moderator, > > Thanks for accepting me as a member, I am one who travels to Mumbai pretty > often. > > I would like to know how I could get in touch with active members for some > fun, and well as intellectual conversation. I would also like to know how to > get in touch with people who travel to south sometimesluv and > regards.Krish. > i do travel to bangalore quite often
g_b Lawyer - Anyone
Hi All, One of my friend is harassed from his employer, i want some views on to protect my friend from harrassment, he is in mumbai anyone can help me ansh TV dinner still cooling? Check out "Tonight's Picks" on Yahoo! TV. http://tv.yahoo.com/
Re: g_b Parents fight for their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children
Alexa.com is once such website. From: vgd67 To: gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wed, February 9, 2011 5:58:45 PM Subject: Re: g_b Parents fight for their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children Really, that's interesting. Shouldn't be a surprise I guess, but it would be nice to see some figures. Any idea how to go about getting them? --- In gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com, Abe wrote: > > Referring to the allegation  'â€" that this change reflects only Western, >elite > > sensitivities.' there are tools available on internet to depict the >countrywise > > traffic towards any particular site, and it would be interesting to note > that Indians figure among the top, visiting popular gay sites. > Abe > > > > > > From: Vikram D > To: gaybom...@yahoogroups.com > Cc: gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com; lgbt-in...@yahoogroups.com; > gayde...@yahoogroups.com; khush-l...@yahoogroups.com; movenp...@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Mon, February 7, 2011 4:18:37 PM > Subject: g_b Parents fight for their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender > children > >  > The petition from the 19 parents of lgbt kids. This is easily the most moving > one, and I sincerely hope the bench pays special attention to this one: > > > > Parents fight for their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children: > plead > that criminalizing them destroys families > >  > February 7, 2011 >  > In 2009 in the case of Naz Foundation v. Government of National Capital > Territory of Delhi, the Delhi High Court issued a landmark decision > decriminalizing homosexual relations between consenting adults. This decision > has come under sustained attack from several parties who would seem to have > no > link to any homosexual person, but who still claim that this decision is > harmful. Their most commonly reason is that it will attack the family values > on > > which our country is based. > >  > This biased and misleading response has now been countered in the Supreme > Court > > by a group of people who very definitely do know a homosexual person â€" > their > very own child. In a petition that has just been admitted in the case, a > group > of parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people from >across > > the country have come together to describe the very real harm that > criminalization has caused their children, and themselves. > >  > The parents argue that the real harm to family values is caused by divisive > and > > discriminatory laws like Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, and they call > on > > the Supreme Court to uphold the Delhi High Court’s wise decision. Their >petition > > states: “it is Section 377 which is a threat to family values, as it > directly > > affects the rights of the Applicants to safeguard their families from illegal > and arbitrary intrusion from the state authorities. Section 377 invades the > sanctity of the family, home or correspondence and allows for unlawful > attacks > on the honour and reputation both parents of LBGT persons as well as LGBT > persons themselves.â€� > >  > The group of parents is lead by Mrs.Minna Saran, mother of the late Nishit > Saran, a brilliant young filmmaker whose work, before he died in a tragic > road > accident, documented his struggles in trying to come out about his sexuality, > fearing the adverse reactions of society on his family. But he received full > support from his mother, who defied social prejudices, and accepted her son > for > > who he was. She has since set up the Nishit Saran Foundation in his memory to > help LGBT youth and their families come to the naturally loving acceptance > that > > she had for her son. > >  > Another parent is Mrs.Munithayamma, the mother of Veena.S. who identifies as > a > hijra. Her child was born male, but always felt inclined to dress like a > girl, > and, Mrs.Munithayamma testifies with sadness how fear of social stigma and > her > own confusion and lack of knowledge lead her to prevent her child from > behaving > > as came naturally to her, and even to hitting her from time to time. She > wishes > > that more parents will be supportive of their transgendered children â€" >something > > unlikely to happen when they are treated as criminals by the law. > >  > Mrs.Chitra Palekar is a film-maker and an award winning theatre actor and > director. She is also the mother of Dr.Shalmalee Palekar, an academic who > identifies as lesbian. Mrs.Palekar testifies to how isolating it was to be > the > mother of a lesbian daughter, since the criminality associated with > homosexuality prevented any open discussion of the subject. She was able to > understand and accept her daughter by reading books on LGBT issues and > meeting > LGBT people, but she knows that social stigma would prevent many others like >her > > from having
g_b suggestions for gay friendly hotel in Mumbai
Any suggestions about gay friendly hotels anywhere in Mumbai where guys can visit me in my room?
Re: g_b Difficult to find a Partner
कमल खिले पानी में, / kamal khile paani me, चाँद चढे आकाश... / chaand chadhe Akaash... जो जिसको है चाहता, / jo jisko hai chaahta, जाये उसी के पास... / jaaye usi ke paas... (Nothing, just tried to translate it in Hindi)... ;) On Thu, Feb 10, 2011 at 10:34 AM, Sanjay Lulla wrote: > > > kumodini jalhari base > chanda base akashi > jo jahi ke bhavta > so tahi ke pasi > > is there strenght and unfalling conviction in your passion? > > little prince-Sanjay N Lulla > > > -- > *From:* Prem Nath > *To:* gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com > *Sent:* Wed, February 9, 2011 6:39:36 PM > > *Subject:* Re: g_b Difficult to find a Partner > > > > yes it is everyone's birth right to be happy and i want Hrithik Roshan > and a billion dollars to be happy, and I guess that should now be a very > legitimate want considering I have a birth right to be happy. > > btw Mr. Bean is available for someone who asked, he had been waiting for a > little prince for a long long time, lets hope he gets his happiness. > > --- On *Wed, 2/9/11, Sanjay Lulla * wrote: > > > From: Sanjay Lulla > Subject: Re: g_b Difficult to find a Partner > To: gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com > Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 4:59 AM > > > > Yes Cuteboy it is everyones birthright to be happy > > little prince-Sanjay N Lulla > > > -- > *From:* cuteboy > *To:* gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com > *Sent:* Tue, February 8, 2011 7:24:59 PM > *Subject:* Re: g_b Difficult to find a Partner > > > > Darpan jhoot na bole > lekin sabhi ke dil mein khush hone ki chaah hoti hain > > > > > > --- On *Mon, 7/2/11, Sanjay Lulla * wrote: > > > From: Sanjay Lulla > Subject: Re: g_b Difficult to find a Partner > To: gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com > Date: Monday, 7 February, 2011, 2:11 PM > > > > oh isnt Mr. Bean available anymore?? :p > > little prince-Sanjay N Lulla > > > -- > *From:* Prem Nath > *To:* gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com > *Sent:* Mon, February 7, 2011 7:17:29 AM > *Subject:* Re: g_b Difficult to find a Partner > > > > we live in a world of fantasy, we all think we are elizabeth bennet and > we often cry for why are we not meeting mr. darcy. even after looking at > mirror a 1000 times a day, for some reason we cannot accept the fact that > may be we are not elizabeth bennet but rather charlotte lucas or someone > even more mundane, but thats not the sad part, the sad part is that we are > not even half as wise as charlotte lucas was. > > let us look at ourselves first as to what we are and what are we ready to > offer before complaining, if you are good looking- you would be taken (its a > fact), if you are wise (again you would be taken - its a fact), but > unfortunately if you are none of the above you may end up being single all > your life waiting for mr. darcy. if you are above 25 its time to face the > reality > > --- On *Sun, 2/6/11, Manoj * wrote: > > > From: Manoj > Subject: Re: g_b Difficult to find a Partner > To: gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com > Date: Sunday, February 6, 2011, 5:17 PM > > > > > Love the last line u wrote Sanjay. > > on the original topic --- u say u have written emails for finding the right > patner. But then can one really hope to find some one to love over a forum > list by soliciting a life partner? > I think the ida of meeting someone over this calls for an exceptional > stroke of luck..meet ppl at social events, interact, have frnds and > there is a higher probability of hitting it with the right guy...coz in > absence of above its difficult fo both of u to know if u are the right guys > or not. > Email, forum, online advt can typically serve little here. > Manoj > --- On *Sun, 6/2/11, Sanjay Lulla * wrote: > > > From: Sanjay Lulla > Subject: Re: g_b Difficult to find a Partner > To: gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com > Date: Sunday, 6 February, 2011, 10:49 AM > > > no One can not generalise and it would be branding us. Love is not gay > nor hetrosexual. its just love. True dedicated honest loyal love does exist. > Many times we close our eyes and are blind to its existence. Our hard set > standards and parameters act like blinkers. How do you think arranged hetro > marraiges survive? Are we ready to adjust accomodate. We maybe rejecting > someone who truly loves us cares for us just because he is not our type or > maybe hes a t/b or some such bullshit. We fail due to our own idiocrancies > and inaneities. Lets not find problem in others first let us beging with > ourself. > > last but not the least if one is married then how can one do justice to > both the parties? a wife kid and a BF? Own up to what ever decision you have > taken and stick to it. > > Love is not a venture of the weak it is the privilige of the courageous. > > little prince-Sanjay N Lulla > > > -- > *From:* Adrian > *To:* gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com > *Sent:* Sat, February 5, 2011 1:01:52 PM > *Subject:* RE: g_b Difficult to find a Partner > > > > The sooner you
