An unfortunate and absolutely vile update to the horrible murder of David Kato, the leading Ugandan gay rights activist who was brutally killed in his own home on Wednesday. As hundreds gathered at today's burial for the slain pastor, fights erupted after a local pastor grabbed the microphone and blasted homosexuality.
To add more disrespect: Villagers then refused to bury Kato's body. Kato's gay friends had no choice but to carry the body themselves to the burial site, reports Reuters.
"The world has gone crazy," the pastor told the congregation through a microphone. "People are turning away from the scriptures. They should turn back, they should abandon what they are doing. You cannot start admiring a fellow man."
Gay activists, wearing T-shirts featuring Kato's face with sleeves coloured with the gay pride flag, then stormed the pulpit and grabbed the microphone.
"It is ungodly," the pastor shouted, before being blocked from sight. "ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE US"
An unidentified female activist then began to shout from the pulpit. "Who are you to judge others?" she shouted. "We have not come to fight. You are not the judge of us. As long as he's gone to God his creator, who are we to judge Kato?"
Locals intervened on the side of the pastor and scuffles broke out before he was taken away to Kato's father's house to calm the situation. Villagers then refused to bury the body at which point a group of Kato's friends, most of whom were gay, carried his coffin to the grave and buried it themselves.
And yet another heartbreaking chapter in Uganda's state-sponsored anti-gay terror campaign, where gays cannot even be buried in peace ...
Meanwhile: Police report no leads on Kato's murder. Investigators refuse to link Kato's murder to his activism or the vicious anti-gay tabloid outing where his name and photo made the front page with the headline "Hang Them".
this is just awful. awful.
does it ever get any better for our african lgbt brothers and sisters?
Posted by: King Drive | 28 January 2011 at 13:34
Honestly, I think about Uganda every other day, and all I tell myself is that I can only pray for those going through this horrible time. It's sad.
Posted by: Bama | 28 January 2011 at 14:45
Horrible disrespect for a human. May he rest in peace and all those hate mongers live in hell.
Posted by: Lang B | 28 January 2011 at 15:02
It's Disgusting the way those people are actiing in that country.
Posted by: Mel Smith | 28 January 2011 at 15:06
We Have to Speak Up. You can write letters. Contact the US Mission to the UN. Write to: Press and Diplomacy Section; United States Mission to the United Nations; 799 United Nations Plaza; New York, New York, 10017 AND ALSO write in the contact box at MDG Africa at: http://www.mdgafrica.org/
Posted by: Doug Cooper Spencer | 28 January 2011 at 15:29
Last year in Senegal a group of straight Christians dug up the body of a gay man from his grave and beat his body with shovels and spit on him and kicked his body.
You can put the blame for all of this psychotic and mentally ill behaviior right at the feet of the religious leaders of African countries. In Uganda this hatred and homophobia was brought there by U.S. Evangelicals in 2009. I will never forgive them.
Posted by: Jerry | 28 January 2011 at 16:18
is a shame once again Africa is being corrupt by Europeans - if they look into thier history before the euripean came the gays were the teachers- carried the news from village to village the ones who were considered the closest to the spirit.
Posted by: dlynned | 29 January 2011 at 09:28
Man's inhumanity to man never ceases to amaze me but this is grotesque.
Thank you for that information Doug.
Posted by: JBK! | 29 January 2011 at 11:11
When Rick Warren and other Christian Right extremists here in the US paid off creepy preachers in Uganda to stir up heterosexism and AIDSphobia, it was bound to end up badly.
Posted by: libhomo | 29 January 2011 at 16:51
If you want to know the truth about homosexuality in sub-Saharan Africa before the colonial bigots arrived, read BOY WIVES AND FEMALE HUSBANDS:STUDIES OF AFRICAN HOMOSEXUALITIES by Murray and Roscoe.
I agree about Rick Warren and his co-conspirators being responsible.And how nice he was able to speak at President Obama's Swearing In Ceremony.
Posted by: Jerry | 30 January 2011 at 07:25
As one Ugandan gay activist said in a video-taped interview: "The colonials did not import homosexuality to Africa. The colonials imported homophobia to Africa." I am not sure if it was David Kato who made those remarks.
Posted by: Jerry | 30 January 2011 at 07:29
Terrible. But the wonderful bright side is the BRAVERY and SOLIDARITY of his gay friends. We here in the U.S. can learn a thing or two about how they stick up for each other, speak out and stand strong in the face of frightening opposition. Black gay and bi men here in the old great U.S. can learn a lot from this as we live incredibly free lives where we can do and love however we please.
We should all wish we have friends like David Kato.
Posted by: Bernie B | 30 January 2011 at 15:18
Once again, based on comments here, some people are blaming others for their own misfortune. Are people of Africa incapable of thinking for themselves that they always have to be taking what others are saying for their truth? I think we are too quick to point a finger at Europe, witchcraft, etc. instead of taking responsibility for our actions and also introspecting with an open mind that is willing to admit that it is only us - Africans - who can change this continent and no one else. There is still a huge amout of ignorance on our continent and those among us who have seen a bit of the light need to come up with strategies to educate those still in the dark instead of doing exactly what that priest was doing to Kato, JUDGE. Please grow up people let's get on with it allready!
Posted by: Qubbah | 31 January 2011 at 05:35
So sad....things must get better.
Posted by: corve | 31 January 2011 at 06:31