Fresh-apples

Six Ugandans locked up for insulting Dictator Museveni

2011-02-15T04:35:00.000-08:00

Six people were remanded at Buwama police prison in the outskirts of Ugandan capital Kampala for booing Dictator Yoweri Museveni, police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said.

Speaking to the local Daily Monitor Monday, Ms Nabakooba said the matter was before court.

“I cannot comment on the matter, but what I can say is that they were arrested, taken to court and remanded,” Ms Nabakooba said, without stating the charges preferred against them.

Early reports, however, published by http://www.afrik-news.com, allege that 20 people were arrested for booing the Dictator while on a campaign trail at Buwama market.

The report claimed that while addressing a rally at Buwama trading centre on Friday, a group of people started booing and hurling insults at him.

Opposition parties

"A group of young men, who seemed to be from one of the opposition parties, started shouting at the Dictator immediately he started making his speech,” Mr Thomas Bwire, a police officer who was at the scene, said.

According to Mr Bwire, the group shouted: "’We are tired of you, you have been in power for long enough,'’ while others said ''you are a dictator. You are power hungry. You do not want others to rule."

Visit source

CMI increases tapping of incoming foreign phone calls

2011-02-15T04:22:00.000-08:00

Radio Katwe has just received information that the CMI, Uganda's Military Intelligence, has began a campaign to intercept phone calls from abroad into Uganda, as a way of gathering intelligence on what the Ugandan Diaspora is thinking and saying.

A Radio Katwe informer said that the tapping of the phones, using Canadian-made equipment, is taking place at the building across the road from State House called Okello House.
State House owns Okello House and it is the electronic and communications centre of CMI.
The main offices of CMI at Kitante Courts near the Mulago roundabout and opposite the Ministry of Health headquarters are used as an intelligence gathering centre.

That is where the Chief of Military Intelligence and his staff sit. That is also where CMI operatives come in to deliver intelligence reports, receive briefings, and leave on operations.
Many Ugandans also believe that the tapping of Ugandan phones is done using the facilities of the South African mobile phone giant MTN at its switching centre in Bugolobi outside Kampala.
How are phones tapped and who does intelligence listen in on?
Through a local MTN Uganda director, Charles, State House made sure that when MTN was starting its operations in 1998 in Uganda, MTN committed at least one of its employees to work with a CMI engineer who sits at MTN's Bugolobi switching centre.
MTN is the largest mobile phone provider in Uganda, so it is the one where much of the intelligence attention is given.

Currently, CMI can only tap and record 12 lines at a time. This is what they term a "Level 1" report.
Every two days, the recorded phone calls are taken to CMI headquarters at Kitante where they are tallied manually by a sorting team to search for call patterns and filtering for most suspected calls on these computer print outs.

The UTL-Mango network is the second most subscribed to service and is owned by the First Family, with partners like Kampala Casino boss Bob Kabonero and others.
CMI systems engineers sit at switchboards and generate Level 1 reports to the same sorting team at CMI headquarters.

Celtel is the smallest mobile phone network. As of 2005, no CMI engineer was sitting at the Celtel House operations switchboard. CMI, however, requests special reports from Celtel once in a while.
The Civic Communications Monitoring (CCM) section of CMI monitors the mobile and fixed phone traffic in Uganda.
The CCM section at CMI is made up of 12 students from Makerere University, all of whom are Bahima from Nyabushozi county in Mbarara.

Then there is a Calling Team made up of two boys and two girls. These are stationed there to place calls to certain people, to try and identify and interest them using tricks and fake stories.
The third team is the Tracking Team, made up of two people who man the machine that tracks and records conversations of any 12 high risk telephones.
Then there is a fourth group, the Communications Engineers, which is made up of five people who sit at the network operators switch boards and filter from the calling log all foreign and domestic Level 1 reports to be sent to the sorting team.

At present, the countries where CMI and by extension State House has the greatest interest in are Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, Britain, Sweden, the United States, and Japan, in that order of priority.
A "Level 2" report is based on phone calls from countries of main interest and are selected on the basis of the following: (a) How often in a week has a foreign number called? Anything more than three times a week is picked up and followed (b) What time of the day is the foreign number calling? Interest is taken in numbers that call to Uganda at late Ugandan time hours. (c) Where is a foreign number calling to which area of the country? A foreign number calling politically sensitive parts of Uganda like Gulu, Kitgum, and Kizza Besigye's home area of Rukungiri are made into a "Level 2" report.
The "Level 3" report, category A is about phone numbers from a database that has been created and is constantly being updated.

Category A number are numbers of high damage risk personalities that have been compiled clandestinely (without owners knowing from friends and relatives of the suspect being monitored).
Currently the "Level 3, Category A" comprises all army officers from the rank of Lieutenant to General, all vocal anti-NRM opposition Members of Parliament, all police officers from the rank of Assistant Inspector of Police to Inspector General of Police, all cabinet ministers and all key media editors and reporters, and all major players and officials in the Buganda kingdom.
Any foreign number that calls Category A is picked and put in the "Level 3" report for monitoring.
One expert advised that one of the possible ways of realizing that your phone is tapped is when you are speaking and you hear too much noise echoing in the background or you hear your voice own bouncing back as a pronounced echo. But these are of course not 100% reliable methods.

Since Radio Katwe began publishing highly secret and sensitive information on the Museveni regime and since the site was blocked in Uganda last month, the Ugandan Diaspora has been reading things which most of them did not know about and things they would have dismissed as fiction and lies only recently like in 2005.
State House, using the CMI phone tapping facility, is trying to gauge how this new perception of Museveni as a dangerous, manipulative, and scandalous leader is influencing the Ugandan Diaspora and the diplomatic corps based in Uganda.

But as we caution Ugandans at home and abroad to be cautious in what they say during these international phone calls, we can also reveal that the tapping of phones is a very cumbersome and costly process.
It is not possible to tap all of MTN's 700,000 subscribers. The best they can do is tap a few selected phones at a time.
But the word here is, Ugandans should just take additional precautions, just to be on the safe side.

If you are in Uganda, a quick, easy way to beat the Radio Katwe.com blockade is to use any of the hundreds of proxy websites or servers like http://anonymouse.org/ , Click on English, enter http://www.radiokatwe.com/ in the space for the url and logon. NOTE: Some functions like Email this story or send a comment might not work properly when using proxies. In that case, use anonymous email http://anonymouse.org/anonemail.html to send your comment to Radio Katwe.com at editor@radiokatwe.com

UGANDA PREPARES FOR PEACEFUL DEMOSTRATION AFTER 18-2-2011

2011-02-15T02:52:00.000-08:00

Ugandan people have organized a Peaceful Demostration exactly after the 18-2-11 Presidential Poll Results have been anounced. Some of the issues being aired out include: High prices of commodity, Tribalism, Corruption.
To view more about the Demonstration click here

Remembering Li Wanyun :China

2011-02-05T05:50:00.000-08:00

Li Wanyun was tortured nearly to death in the Chaoyanggou Labor Camp. He died on August 3, 2006 , at the age of 43.

Woman breat cut off :Graphical

2011-02-05T05:48:00.000-08:00

Women should be protected worldwide, what a fuss to those that can do something horrible like this.

Fun facts you never knew about animals

2011-02-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

Fun facts you never knew about animals

HOW TO START AND MAKE YOUR OWN SOCIAL NETWORK

2011-02-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

HOW TO START AND MAKE YOUR OWN SOCIAL NETWORK

What is the meaning of lol,omg,lmao,wtf,thx,ty,rofl, brb, afk,np and other chat words

2011-01-30T16:18:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of lol,omg,lmao,wtf,thx,ty,rofl, brb, afk,np and other chat words

Burned alive, making Abercrombie clothes

2011-01-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

One month ago, a tragic and preventable fire claimed the lives of 28 workers at a clothing factory in Bangladesh. 36,619 Change.org members banded together to demand justice and prevent another tragedy.

Today, we have good news: GAP, Calvin Klein, and Tommy Hilfiger are all taking the first steps toward providing fair compensation for the families of those killed and instituting an urgent program of factory inspections.

But Abercrombie & Fitch, Target, JC Penney, Jansport, North Face, OshKosh B’Gosh and the other clothing brands are still dragging their feet.

We need to put more pressure on these companies to begin an immediate inspection of their factories to prevent any more deaths and fairly compensate the victims' families. Please add your name to the petition.

The labor activists leading negotiations with the clothing companies have specifically told us that the petition Change.org members signed played a significant role in getting brands like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger on board, and will play a critical role in pressuring Abercrombie, OshKosh and others to do the same.

Please take a moment to add your name now. It's time to tell these American companies that we're aware of their reprehensible willingness to put workers in danger -- and their refusal to take responsibility for their actions. We expect them to make sure that none of their employees ever burn to death again.

Here's the petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/view/tell_clothing_companies_to_take_responsibility_for_workers_burned_alive?alert_id=OUGNFNoVyW_qHXYxyIigQ&me=aa

Thanks for taking action,

By Patrick and the Change.org team

HOW TO STOP FACEBOOK FROM SHARING YOUR DATA WITH NON-FACEBOOK SITES

2011-01-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

HOW TO STOP FACEBOOK FROM SHARING YOUR DATA WITH NON-FACEBOOK SITES

Facebook is shutting down on March 15

2011-01-10T03:46:00.000-08:00

Rumor has it that Facebook will be shutting down on March 15 and this has sparked a global fear among many Facebook users. Several sites have claimed Mark Zuckerberg stated in a press conference that

"Facebook has gotten out of control, and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness".

and this rumor even made it to the top 10 most searched words today.

Are the rumors true?

Facebook tweeted stating that the rumors are not true.

It stated on its twitter page -'We didn't get the memo about shutting down, so we'll keep working away. We aren't going anywhere; we're just getting started. '

Why do people think facebook will be shutting down?

-The estimated date that Facebook will shut down, March 15th, also happens to coincide with the day Yahoo will shut down Yahoo Video. That may be why some Facebook fans were worried that Facebook was shutting down.
-The recent Goldman Sachs investment of $450 million also sparked some of the rumors that the end of Facebook was near.

Some facts about facebook:

-People spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook
-Facebook has more than 500 million active users
-The average Facebook user has 130 friends

12 Year old indonesian christian girls beheaded by muslims (Graphic)

2011-01-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

WARNING: GRAPHIC

These girls were simply on their way to school and some hooded Muslims captured and beheaded them. Their crime? for being christian

Two of the girls heads were found in a field while the third girls head was found in front of the church.

One of the Three beheaded Indonesian school girls decapitated by the hooded Muslim terrorists.

DOCTORS examining two of the girls’ bodies after they were found.

When the Al-shabab terrorists struck Uganda's capital- Kampala

2011-01-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

Those that never survived

One of the few who surved

Some that never survived Photo1(Monitor publications) :Photo2(Bukedde)

What a way to enter the 2011

2011-01-02T18:18:00.000-08:00

I wonder whether you enjoyed yours like this? !!!

Free Sex Trafficking Victim Sara Kruzan

2010-11-16T03:06:00.000-08:00

Sara Kruzan is a victim of human trafficking, who, because of a crime she committed as a traumatized and enslaved child, has now spent over half her life in prison. But across America and around the world, hundreds of thousands of voices are now uniting in a call to justice for Sara and other children like her. Their message is clear: Governor Schwarzenegger, if you do one thing before you leave office, release child trafficking victim Sara Kruzan with time served.
Sara Kruzan was an 11-year-old girl when she first met G.G., the 31-year-old man who would become her pimp. G.G. groomed Sara for two years by buying her gifts and taking her roller skating. Since Sara's mother was addicted to drugs, being with G.G. felt like having a real parent around. But when she was 13, he raped her to initiate her into prostitution. G.G. then forced Sara and several other young girls to sell sex on the streets from 6pm to 6am, every night. Twelve hours a night, seven nights a week, for three years, Sara was sold to strangers so G.G. could profit. She was in every sense, a modern-day slave. At just sixteen and with no other perceivable way out, she shot him.
Despite her young age, her severe trauma, and her status as a child trafficking victim, Sara was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. She was sentenced to a life without the possibility of redemption. She was sentenced to a life without hope.
But a national, grassroots movement is underway to get freedom and justice for Sara. On Change.org alone, nearly 20,000 people have signed petitions supporting Sara's freedom. Change.org members are publicly expressing their outrage at the serious miscarriage of justice in Sara's sentence of life without the possibility of parole. As Change.org reader Michelle Quann commented,

"You have a minor child being sexually victimized by an adult, and when her fragile psyche finally snaps and she reacts in such a primitive "child-like" way the courts want to treat her as an adult (which she isn't) ... What poor judgement and lack of concern for the victim in this case."

And the movement isn't limited to Change.org. Anti-trafficking, human rights, and youth advocacy organizations from across the country have been sending letters to Gov. Schwarzenegger, asking him to grant Sara's clemency petition and release her with time served. As GEMS Executive Director Rachel Lloyd says,

"Sara's been victimized three times -- once by the institutions who failed her, once by the men who bought and sold her, and now by the criminal justice system that plans to incarcerate her for the rest of her life."

And according to Alison Parker, Director of the U.S. Program for Human Rights Watch,

“Sara Kruzan is an outstanding example of why the life without parole sentence for people who were under 18 when they committed their crimes is a human rights violation and fundamentally unfair. She was a child in a coercive situation not taken into account when she was sentenced. Now, she has changed. This sentence is so wrong for kids, because it says there is no chance of redemption."

But Sara is redeemed. She has become a model prisoner and deeply regrets her actions. But she has now spent over half her life in prison for a crime she committed as a trafficked, traumatized child. She's served her time. Now, Sara deserves a chance to heal from her pain and trauma, recover from the abuse of sex trafficking, and finally live in freedom after being enslaved or imprisoned since she was 13 years old. She deserves hope. You can watch her incredibly compelling story unfold below.

Follow this LINK to help Sara

Main Reasons why Ugandans hate Indians

2010-11-13T05:25:00.000-08:00

I recently did some research on the reasons why most Ugandans hate Indians and these are some of the most captivating i found.

Indians are too abusive

Indians pay less at work

Indians seldomly associate with Black Ugandans.

Indians seldomly intermarry with Black Ugandans.

Black Ugandans think Indians take themselves superior over them.

Black Ugandans think Uganda is for only Ugandan black people.

Ugandans think indians are doing bussineses they should be doing.

Ugandans think Indians will take over the houses which previously belonged to them(indians) before there expulsion from the Uganda by Idi Amin.

Hey you want to share something with me, hit me up at dexixy [at] yahoo.com.

Intresting facts about Uganda-Part 2

2010-11-13T05:18:00.000-08:00

This is part 2 of Interesting facts about Uganda, Very Clear and precise-everyone knows this!

Hey, click here to read part 1of intresting parts

53.9% of the Mountain Gorilla Population is in Uganda. (Only 700 of these endangered species survive and are shared among three(3) countries Incl. Rwanda and DRC

Uganda has 6.8% of World butterfly species

The capital City “Kampala” is one of the dirtiest and potholed cities in the world

There are over 30-plus different indigenous language spoken in Uganda

English is the national language of Uganda

People don't stay on trees in Uganda!

Some people i.e the pygmies and bushmen stay in Bushes.

Uganda is the smallest of the only 4 African countries whose bird species is above the 1000 mark(Recorded within an area comparable to the size of Great Britain)

Ranked 1st in alcohol consumption globally according to World Health Organization, with 19.47 litres per capita.

Uganda has one of the smallest churches in Uganda measuring roughly 2.5 metres by 1.5 metres.

Ranked 3rd in Magic and Wizardry in the world.

7.8% species of the world mammals are in Uganda.

The Longest river(River Nile) in the world has its source in Uganda.

The earliest-known ancestor of modern apes and humans, the 20 million old fossilized Morotopithecus were unearthed in the 60's near moroto in Eastern Uganda and are now housed at the National Museum.

Being Gay or Lesbian is a crime!

Its the country with the highest density of primates in the world, more in land, water bodies compared to any country on the continent.

The worlds 2nd largest fresh water body, Lake Victoria is partly found in Uganda.

World’s largest caldera mountains on Mt Elgon are in Uganda.

Number 110 for freedom of the press according to Freedom House Press Freedom Report.

People from Europe/America are seen as a ticket out of poverty since they have the mentality that there is no poverty in the western world.

They drive on the left side.

117st ‘happiest’ place on earth according to the Happy Planet Index, which shows the efficiency with which nations are able to convert the planet’s natural resources into long and happy lives for their citizens.

Hey you want to share something with me, hit me up at dexixy [at] yahoo.com.

Flirting with Disaster: Alcohol and Your Body

2010-10-27T07:21:00.001-07:00

Via: TermLifeInsurance.org

New Windows Phone 7 Official Ad

2010-10-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.windowsphone.com

Our Kampala under Museveni(One pic)

2010-10-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

Kampala is littered by Chinese sub standard goods on almost all its shopping malls

THE BEHINDS OF SELECTED TRIBES IN UGANDA

2010-10-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hahahhaha hihihiihihi , i like the iteso one, the bahima one ........!

Top Unique Babies (Accidents or Miracles)

2010-10-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

I just got these over at top20lists.com and i thought i would share it with you

Baby with tail

The baby was born in India in 2001. His 10 inch tail was revealed to the world a year after his birth. A lot of Indians consider him to be a re-incarnation of god.

Baby with 16 Toes

This little boy born in China on November 5 2008, he has 8 toes on each foot and no thumbs on either hand.

4 arms and 4 legs

This baby girl (Lakshmi Tatma) was born in India and was considered to be the re-incarnation of the hindu god vishnu

The two headed baby

In 2008, a baby was born in Bangladesh with two heads.

Mutated Baby

Baby with Harlequin-type ichthyosis

The baby born in Gilgit, Pakistan had tiger like skin in March 2010. There also seems to be something wrong with his hands, lips and eye lids. The baby passed away shortly after the birth.

World's smallest baby

Amillia Taylor is recorded to be the smallest baby ever to be born and luckily, just two weeks before the legal abortion limit

Inter-racial Twins

This is very interesting. Same parents, same date of birth, same womb but different races. Both kids (Kaydon and Layton Richardson) have just celebrated their birthday in July 2010

Tell Canyon Ridge Christian Church to Denounce Uganda's "Kill the Gays" Bill

2010-06-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

Targeting: Jose Cruz (Pastor), Susan Fuller (Pastor), Kevin Odor (Pastor), see more...

Started by: Michael Jones

Canyon Ridge Christian Church in Las Vegas is one of the few religious entities that has yet to condemn efforts in Uganda to criminalize homosexuality with the death penalty and/or life in prison. Instead, Canyon Ridge Christian Church praises the work of Ugandan Pastor Martin Ssempa, who is one of the leading religious figures in Uganda working to pass harsh anti-gay legislation. Ssempa travels around Uganda stirring religious fervor against homosexuality, openly calling for gay people to be executed.
Is this the type of ministry that Canyon Ridge Christian Church believes is prophetic? Why are they holding up the work of Martin Ssempa, and why haven't they publicly condemned efforts to kill or imprison gay people, and their straight alleis, in Uganda?
It's time to demand better from Canyon Ridge Christian Church. Send their leaders and ministers a message that as a faith-based body, they should join with religious leaders from around the globe in condemning Uganda's "Kill the Gays" bill. It's unacceptable for a Church, which claims to be a place for "God's grace and forgiveness," to support efforts to kill gay people in Uganda, and/or the ministers and ministries pushing to kill gay people in Uganda.

PETITION TEXT

On your Web site (at this link: http://www.canyonridge.org/default.aspx?page=8539), you hold up the work of a pastor in Uganda, Martin Ssempa, who has repeatedly called for gays and lesbians in Uganda to be exterminated and/or imprisoned with life sentences. You note on your Web site that Martin Ssempa "is a social activist and has a prophetic ministry" in Uganda, and you praise his work as desiring "to raise a new generation of world-class leaders."

But the work that Ssempa does is extremely dangerous, and could very well lead to the widespread killing and jailing of innocent people in Uganda. Already, pastors and ministries including Rev. Rick Warren, the Philadelphia Bible University, and WAIT Training have denounced the work of Ssempa as violent and extremist.

Yet Canyon Ridge has not condemned Ssempa's work, nor has Canyon Ridge condemned efforts in Uganda to exterminate gays and lesbians. Why have you remained silent on this?

Your mission statement says that you are a Church where "everyone can discover that they matter to God. Where all people can come as they are and experience God's grace, love, forgiveness, healing, and hope." Yet by refusing to condemn efforts in Uganda to kill and imprison gay people and straight allies to the gay community, you are sending the message that your Church is willing to support murder and human rights violations committed en masse.

I urge you to denounce the legislative efforts in Uganda to criminalize homosexuality with the death penalty and life imprisonment, and I urge you to condemn the work of Pastor Martin Ssempa. He is not a man creating a generation of world-class leaders. He's a man who is calling for innocent people to be murdered, all because of their sexual orientation.

Thank you for your time.

TO SIGN PETITION VISIT: http://gayrights.change.org/petitions/view/tell_canyon_ridge_christian_church_to_denounce_ugandas_kill_the_gays_bill

RUGBY: UGANDA JUST BEAT ZIMBABWE

2010-06-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

We cant stop the THRILL as we wallop Mugabe's Boys 25-15

An Open Statement from the Psychological Society of South Africa to the People and Leaders of Uganda Concerning The Anti-Homosexuality Bill

2010-03-04T06:57:00.000-08:00

An Open Statement from the Psychological Society of South Africa
to the People and Leaders of Uganda Concerning
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009

And addressed to:
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
aak@statehouse.go.ug
Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Edward Ssekandi Kiwanuka
dnuwamanya@parliament.go.u

g

Introduction

On the occasion of the proposed legislation in Uganda to greatly expand your country’s existing criminalisation of homosexual behaviour, as well as to criminalise those who fail to report even suspicion of it including family members, colleagues and health care professionals;

And given arguments made in the bill itself and from its proponents in numerous public statements that it is intended to achieve the laudable goal of protecting youth, families and communities;

And given that there has been ample critique by civil society including human rights, public health and faith communities addressing a range of serious concerns from those perspectives;

And given that it is good practice that legislation is based not on unsubstantiated opinions, but rather on recognised research findings;

And given that there has not yet been a scientific analysis of the core assumptions and arguments being made to justify the legislation;

And given that the considerable body of relevant international scientific research provides a context in which to assess the assumptions and issues presented by The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009;

It is therefore incumbent on representatives of organised psychology, as leaders in the field of mental health and well-being, to offer such an analysis and recommendations as follows :

The Nature of Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation refers to one’s emotional, romantic and sexual attraction to men, women, or both sexes. It can also refer to a person’s core sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviours, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions.

Research and clinical experience have found no relationship between sexual orientation and someone’s ability to contribute to the community and to influence children to become responsible members of society.

Research and clinical experience further concludes that for most people sexual orientation is not “a choice” or “voluntary.” The core aspects of sexual orientation, whether heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual, typically emerge by early adolescence, even though the individual may not yet have become sexually active.

While “causes” for any of these sexual orientations remain unclear, they are highly resistant to change. Further, there is no reliable evidence that sexual orientation is subject to redirection, “conversion” or any significant influence from efforts by psychological or other interventions.

Research and clinical experience concludes that homosexual or bisexual orientations are naturally occurring minority variations of normal human sexuality. They are also documented widely throughout nature.

The Sexual Orientation of Adults Does Not Adversely Affect Children in Their Care

A common manifestation of prejudice against homosexual people has been the allegation that gay men in particular pose a danger to children. Yet, all available reliable research data and clinical experience concludes that gay men are not more likely than heterosexual men to sexually exploit and abuse children. Claims to the contrary seriously mischaracterise the research and rely on suspect sources. The presumption that homosexual men are paedophiles also is not supported by respected, peer reviewed research.

South African-based as well as other international research has found that there is no difference between children who are raised by homosexual versus heterosexual parents regarding matters such as sexual orientation, gender identity, sex-role behaviour, likelihood of being sexually abused, self-concept, intelligence, personality characteristics, behaviour problems, peer relations, parental separation and divorce, general adjustment and accomplishment of developmental tasks.

Effects of Discrimination based on Sexual Orientation

Both international and South African research has found significant negative effects of exclusion and other forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation. Sexual orientation-based discrimination presents the same risks of psychological and other harms as discrimination on the basis of race, religion or gender.

Notably, among youth who identify as homosexual or bisexual or who think they may be, research concludes that family rejection and exclusion, as well as bullying by peers, correlates highly with a range of high risk behaviours and outcomes ranging from truancy to substance abuse to attempts at suicide.

In much of sub-Saharan Africa, homosexuality is firstly interpreted as “foreign,” portrayed as “un-African” and a “white import.” In some traditional African beliefs, those of a same-sex sexual orientation are considered cursed or bewitched; that is, damned by the forefathers and the gods. In primarily Christian and Muslim African countries alike, gay men and lesbian women are confronted with religious condemnation.

Much evidence points to this stigmatisation leading to deep-seated and widespread prejudice, discrimination and violence toward those who are not heterosexual. A session on homosexuality at the 2nd Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights, hosted in Kenya in 2006, noted that fear, hatred and abuse at the hands of largely intolerant and unsympathetic peers and elders hampers the personal growth and well-being of African homosexuals.

Also widely documented among the outcomes of prejudice and discrimination are consistently high rates of anti-homosexual harassment and violence, both state sanctioned and extrajudicial. Furthermore, criminalisation on the basis of sexual orientation has been found to exacerbate social discrimination and, in particular, leads service providers to discount, ignore and neglect the needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual people, thus compounding their vulnerability.

Conclusion

The scientific fields devoted to mental health and well-being, including psychiatry, psychology and sociology, do not consider homosexual orientation to be a disorder, but rather view it as a naturally occurring variation of normal human sexuality. Research and clinical practice indicates that homosexual people have an overall potential to contribute to society similar to that of heterosexual people and that they pose no greater risk to children than do heterosexual people.

While the proposed bill cites “…the need to protect the children and youths of Uganda…” as justification, there is no credible, reliable evidence that the measures contained in the bill will achieve that outcome. Research and clinical practice instead indicates that the abuse of human rights and fundamental freedoms embodied in the bill, and the state sponsored discrimination and affronts to basic human dignity it mandates, would instead result in profound physical and psychological harms to the already vulnerable lesbian, gay and bisexual youth in the very population the legislation claims to protect.

On the grounds outlined in this statement, the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) therefore joins the international community in strongly opposing the proposed anti-homosexuality legislation. The PsySSA joins in the call for Ugandan leaders to abandon or defeat the bill, and instead to join the trend in the international community of decriminalising homosexuality.

Call to Action

The Psychological Society of South Africa invites other organisations and professionals dedicated to mental health and well-being, particularly throughout the African continent, to join us by endorsing this statement and forwarding notification of endorsement to the President of the Republic of Uganda and the Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament at the addresses above as we will do upon release of this statement. We further ask that organisations and individuals so doing also kindly copy their endorsement to PsySSA so that we can monitor the response.
• Psychological Society of South Africa notification address: nelja@unisa.ac.za
The Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) is the professional body representing psychologists in South Africa. PsySSA has since its inception been dedicated to making a significant contribution to solving the pressing human development problems in South Africa. PsySSA is committed to the transformation and development of South African Psychology to serve the needs and interests of all South Africa’s people. PsySSA advances psychology as a science, profession and as a means of promoting human well-being.

The Psychological Society of South Africa is a member of The International Network on Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Concerns and Transgender Issues in Psychology.