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By Jabulani Dube (BTM Fellow)Kenya – July 8, 2008: Other Sheep-Kenya - an ecumenical Christian organisation that includes lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex ( LBGTI) people will take part in the forthcoming conference at Ark Place Hotel in Nairobi, where the international arm (Other Sheep) plays a vital role.Starting from 7 until 9 July, the conference is intending to fight homophobia in Kenya according to Rev. John Makokha of the United Methodist Church (UMC). “The aim of the seminars is to address both the society's cultural and religious homophobia towards gays and lesbians.
The Reverend, who is pro-gay, referred to the continuation of homophobia in Kenya a ‘national disaster’. He further emphasised that his church is currently working with the community by bringing them together regardless of sexual orientations or gender identity.
The church to keeps silent about homosexuality mostly, but Makokha wants to take homosexuality issues even to government. “Some of the gays we fellowship with cannot tell their pastors and parents because of fear, stigma and rejection. They fear the consequences so much. Bishops, clergy and laity do not want to hear about LGBTI and yet they are there”, he said.
Makokha and his wife are suffering as a result of being pro LGBTI minister. “The United Methodist Church in Kenya refused to pay me a salary two years a go because of being pro LGBTI minister”, he claimed.
He also added that recently his wife was stopped from teaching at Nairobi Evengelical Graduate School of Theology (NEGST) because of their association with the Other Sheep. This has made them to suffer as allies.
The three-day seminar will be addressed by quality speakers both locally and abroad.
The key speakers include two clergies from Nairobi, Rev. John Makokha (UMC), and Rev. Michael Kimindu, from the Anglican Communion, Anne Baraza, Nairobi counselor, and Peter Wanyama, an out gay Kenyan of Anglican faith and Salome Ochaola, Programme Officer of Kenya National AIDS Control Council (NACC).
By Jabulani Dube (BTM Fellow)KENYA – July 15, 2008: Diocesan Bishop Thomas Kogo of Kenya’s Anglican Church has refuted the reports by media that gays and lesbians are banned from attending the Anglican Church unless they renounce their sexual orientation.
Reports stated that Kogo said the Church will forbid homosexuals from attending Anglican churches after his arrival from the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) held between 22 and 29 June this year.
However, Kogo denies this saying that homosexuals are not banned from the church because they need to sit in church and seek God’s mercy and grace for them to change.
“Let it be known, loud and clear that gays and lesbians were, and are not banned from the Anglican Church. The only thing we are refusing and denouncing strongly is for them to be ordained as priests and Bishops. These, to the Anglican Church, are Holy orders”, Kogo set the record straight.
He added: “I know that Jesus ate and dined with the sinners, to which I am not opposed to, but when it comes to the question of gays and lesbians wanting to lead the church, then that is our parting point.”
Kogo argued that God created and ordained marriage between a man and a woman, represented by Adam and Eve, making any family unit blessed and sanctioned by the Word of God and Holy Scriptures be between a man and a woman.
However, Reverend Steve Parelli, Executive Director of Other Sheep, an ecumenical Christian organisation that includes lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LBGTI) people differs.
“The Bishop [Kogo] does not have a monopoly on how to interpret the Bible, since he makes the claim that the Bible takes his position”, he asserted.
Responding to the Anglican Church’s stance on homosexuality, Peter Wanyama, a gay Anglican man said: “The Anglican Church has taken an ungodly position. This is not a decision likely to favour the church of Christ. It is a very divisive idea, and it beats all logic of oneness in God.”
Wanyama feels betrayed “by the very people who claim to be the representatives of Christ.”
Meanwhile, Behind The Mask asked Kogo if the issue of homosexuality is dividing the Anglican Church.
He responded: “No it is not dividing the Church against pro-gay and anti-gay but it is making those difficult decisions which are less popular. I can say, we either change the structure or change the people. Why do lesbians and gays feel sidelined when they are told to sit in the congregation?”, he questioned.
Gays and lesbians should not feel sidelined because “they all have a direct entry to God Almighty, but let them respect the ordained Ministries in the Anglican Church”, he reasoned.
By Jabulani Dube (BTM Fellow)ALL AFRICA – July 15, 2008: A protest led by Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex ( LBGTI) organisations took place last week to condemn arrest of HIV and Aids, and human rights activists in Uganda.
Juliana Pepe, Valentine Kalende and Usaam Mukwaya were arrested by the Ugandan government on 4 June this year. They were charged with criminal trespassing while demonstrating against the government’s exclusion of sexual minorities from the national HIV and Aids prevention programmes during the HIV/ AIDS Implementers Meeting that took place between 3 and 7 June.
People living with HIV and Aids (PWA), a programme within the TAC, together with a coalition of human rights organisations picketed outside the Ugandan High Commission in Pretoria on 8 July, demanding that the case of these three activists be thrown out of court.
The protest was also an expression of solidarity with the activists who are presently on trial in Kampala.
A memorandum, which condemns systematic abuse of LGBTI rights by the government of Uganda and urges that country’s authorities to dismiss the charges against the fellow activists, was handed over to the Ugandan embassy, office bearer, James Mugaga.
It also calls on the Ugandan government to ensure the elimination of all forms of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, and to facilitate implementation of a comprehensive prevention programme that is aimed at all the people of Uganda including sexual minorities.
While TAC mainly deals with HIV and Aids issues, it has revealed that it accommodates LGBTI issues as they are also human rights matters.
“We have recently established an LGBTI sector to cater for sexual minorities, and we felt that this is an opportunity for us to get involved in challenges faced by the LGBTI community in Africa”, Luckyboy Mkhondwane, Treatment and Literacy Coordinator at TAC, explained.
The accused appeared in court on 9 July, and their hearing was adjourned to 25 July to allow the public prosecutor to bring more state witnesses to court.
By Jabulani Dube (BTM Fellow)ALL AFRICA – July 15, 2008: A protest led by Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex ( LBGTI) organisations took place last week to condemn arrest of HIV and Aids, and human rights activists in Uganda.
Juliana Pepe, Valentine Kalende and Usaam Mukwaya were arrested by the Ugandan government on 4 June this year. They were charged with criminal trespassing while demonstrating against the government’s exclusion of sexual minorities from the national HIV and Aids prevention programmes during the HIV/ AIDS Implementers Meeting that took place between 3 and 7 June.
People living with HIV and Aids (PWA), a programme within the TAC, together with a coalition of human rights organisations picketed outside the Ugandan High Commission in Pretoria on 8 July, demanding that the case of these three activists be thrown out of court.
The protest was also an expression of solidarity with the activists who are presently on trial in Kampala.
A memorandum, which condemns systematic abuse of LGBTI rights by the government of Uganda and urges that country’s authorities to dismiss the charges against the fellow activists, was handed over to the Ugandan embassy, office bearer, James Mugaga.
It also calls on the Ugandan government to ensure the elimination of all forms of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, and to facilitate implementation of a comprehensive prevention programme that is aimed at all the people of Uganda including sexual minorities.
While TAC mainly deals with HIV and Aids issues, it has revealed that it accommodates LGBTI issues as they are also human rights matters.
“We have recently established an LGBTI sector to cater for sexual minorities, and we felt that this is an opportunity for us to get involved in challenges faced by the LGBTI community in Africa”, Luckyboy Mkhondwane, Treatment and Literacy Coordinator at TAC, explained.
The accused appeared in court on 9 July, and their hearing was adjourned to 25 July to allow the public prosecutor to bring more state witnesses to court.
