How Can I Tie My Hair Up If I Have Big Ears

of gay baiting as a seller

rush in Uganda newspapers mercilessly against homosexuals: A weekly newspaper published the list of "Top-100-gays" and accused Gay to stick with terrorists and rebels, under a blanket - headlines that drive the sales figures up.

appeared in TAZ: 11/17/2010

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Uganda's newspaper publishers have discovered the gay baiting as a box office hit of its own. All preceded by the tabloid "Rolling Stone". Came out in early October, the then unknown newspaper, the "100-top-Homos in Kampala," says the headline. On the following pages was a series of poorly printed Switzerland-white photos of men in suits Poses. Below each name, address and information about penis size. In the next issue two weeks ago, the photo series was continued. The editorial uncovered an alleged conspiracy: homosexuals would bribe teachers to subject them to brainwash their students in order to convince them of homosexuality.

meet with these screaming headlines journalists and editors in tune with the Ugandans. Because homosexuals in Uganda are frowned upon and regarded as "sinners". Under the law, are forms of sexual intercourse "against the laws of nature", for example with the same sex illegal. There is a saying in Uganda: "God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve created." About a year ago to Parliament, has tabled a proposal which has abolished the so-called "anti-gay law" was worse. Even had the death penalty for homosexuals to start in this Act mentioned. As international and local human rights organizations took to the barricades. Donor countries such as Sweden, threatened to cut off aid money. The federal government was "concerned." President Yoweri Museveni whistled then returns the Hetzer. Since then it became quiet around the new draft law, the Parliament does not address it again.

But now succeeded to the "Rolling Stone" is a mega-coup. For, in Uganda, almost three months before turning the upcoming presidential elections in February 2011 only to all homosexuals, so it seems. They are politicians, media and clergy slightly in the Church stigmatizes the scapegoats for all the problems that the government is not getting to grips

such as the cause of AIDS rate, which since the 80's by nearly 70 percent had fallen steeply and now again, for the rebel movements fighting for decades against Uganda's government - and for suicide attacks during the World Cup final, in which over 80 people dead Their lives.

But to pronounce the editor of "Rolling Stone" on this smear campaign, this looks like an innocent lamb, "This is a danger to society, we must fight," he says bluntly. Jung Editor Giles Muhammad sitting on a plastic chair under a parasol in the canteen of the Makerere University where he studied until a few months communication studies. The 22-year-old had been studying for the tabloid paper Red Pepper worked, had two years ago, driven by stories about gays, the sales figures up.

This marketing strategy has been for Muhammad his newly founded weekly newspaper simply by watching, he admits. After all his newspaper had no fixed advertisers in order to maintain economic. He had to borrow money from his parents to bring out the newspaper. His eyes sparkle when he speaks of his vertical take-off in the highly competitive, Ugandan

media narratives: the first issue of the gay series had a circulation of 2,000 newspapers, of which he had sold 95 percent, so Muhammad. The continuation of output has been printed 5000 times, a good number of copies of a media capital. "She was sold out within days," he says. And Muhammad himself has emerged as a celebrity: International television channels such as BBC, CNN and Al-Jazeera have interviewed him - he has them all on the question of why he publish the stories, said the same sentence into the microphone: "If a young snake enters your house, you also do not wait until it is great and is doing to you what -. but you kill them, "the comparison with snakes caused international outrage, awakened bitter memories. Even before the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda, the Tutsi had been referred to as snakes, to dehumanize them. Most of the 800,000 victims of the genocide was chopped with machetes, as they kill snakes in Africa.

is against this smear campaign now non-registered self-help group for the protection of sexual minorities (SMUG) moved to court. SMUG has obtained a first success. According to a court order of 4 November may be the "Rolling Stone" for the time being no private information on homosexuals publish more, until the judge has handed down a final verdict. Next week will be held the next hearing.

Failure copies are necessary to protect the integrity of homosexuals, said Frank Mugisha, chairman of SMUG. The young man crouches on the day after the preliminary court order exhausted in his narrow office in a middle-class suburb of Kampala. emblazoned on his white tank top a motley AIDS ribbon. He sighed wearily as he flips through the newspaper, are photographed in what his friends. This has had consequences: Some of them had been abused by her then boss, or acquaintance, he says. "Neighbors even threw stones at the windows of a lesbian woman whose picture was printed," he says shaking his head. Mugisha recognizes the photos again: They come from an online brokerage for Uganda's gays.

But to apply to the publication of private information Mugisha incitement "not so bad," he says. After all, so the taboo topic become public. "The Ugandans can deny no longer, that we exist at all, "Mugisha said, adding, as homosexuals because of the legislation can not come out, they live isolated in the underground, rarely meet like-minded people and therefore would be excluded entirely from society. Many of them have left the country, even in Europe, request asylum. The gay scene in Uganda is small, but they begin to organize now and fighting for their place in society.

But it is not easy to compete against the demagogues who notes Mugisha. The churches play in the deeply religious Uganda in the demonization of gays a major role, especially the influential pastor Martin Ssempa, who in his Sunday Mass in the church on the campus of Makerere University condoms regularly burns and detailed describes how gay men allegedly put his fist into the anus. Priests how to draw a very obscene image of homosexuals. It is no secret that gay-baiting pastor Ssempa, supported by conservative evangelikanischen circles in the U.S. and loudly calls for the death penalty:

is but the truth: Very few Ugandans have ever met a homosexual, they know about homosexuality only what is in the gossip magazines such as Rolling Stone wrote, or tell pastors in the churches of the "sinners". The cultural tribal leaders a multinational state emphasize that homosexuality does not exist in Uganda's cultures. This is a phenomenon imported from the West to Africa have such a terrible disease.

These arguments can also be heard on the news stand in the Kampala Road. Meanwhile, co-prosecutor Malumba has leafed through the newspaper and told shop assistant Dedumbwe that it due to the moderate stance of the Anglican church was recently converted to Roman Catholics. Then he raises his index finger and says loudly: "So if one of my children was gay, I would kill themselves".

The newspaper vendors from the state next door is attentive. He bends to Dedumbwe over and asks, when was the "Rolling Stone" was delivered. Disappointed, he notes that he has missed the supplier. Last week, he made it big sales. Most buyers were men, he says mischievously, "They're probably all gay themselves and are interested in such stories," he laughs. Then press law co-Malumba seller Dedumbwe a few coins in his hand, stuck to the "Rolling Stone" by the arm and walked away.