|
Gay Uganda
|
|
|
|
|
Home
Gay
Lesbian
Bisexual
Transgender Inter-sex Our Health Visiting Uganda ©GayUganda
|
Gay Uganda's Blog Dealing with issues lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and other sexual minorities in Uganda face. An Incident in a GuestHouse 15/12/2006
When one is gay in a country that is overtly homophobic like Uganda, one becomes paranoid about many things. Paranoia is a necessity. It is a mechanism which makes me, and other gay Ugandans, hyper-suspicious about any incident which may out me to the rest of the community. In a way it is a bad thing. Because many times, (and as a necessity), I will think that something is happening because someone suspects my sexual orientation. But at other times it may be the only clue to why something has happened. The incident that I am going to narrate is one of those. The Facts: No Privacy for a Gay CoupleA few days ago, a good friend of mine arrived in the country. He was followed by his husband, or partner, (I prefer the word husband. More appropriate. These guys are in moony love more than 5 years since they first got together!) They do not have a permanent place of residence in the country, so they decided to rent a room in a guesthouse. A bed and breakfast affair. If you live in Uganda, you must be familiar with the type. Touristy, for the 'backpacking' explorer. You do not have to have a lot of luggage, they ask few questions, and provide a good refuge as you move around the country. They are a boon to every gay man in Uganda, if you can figure out why!! Anyway, they book into this beautiful place with a good view of the city. We went to see them when they had stayed there a night, and they were singing its praises. Beautiful view, misty hills, no roar of traffic, crickets in the morning, green as far as the eye could see, etc, etc. We had dinner with them, and then went out to one of the bars that Kuchus (gay Ugandans), frequent. We had a great time, and we dropped them off at their place past midnight. It was towards one that we got a phone call from one of them. He was very upset. Apparently, 'security' people had knocked at their door, and were asking for their identification, and were supposed to search the room! I counselled them not to lose their cool, to try and figure out what the hell was happening. And to update us asap. They rang again in the morning. They were still upset. The visit in the middle of the night was still unexplained, the 'search' had not been explained, and the hotel management seemed clueless as to why this had happened. And the 'security' guys had come in plainclothes.Inconsistencies: Getting Proof?Oh, they are many. The motel management readily admitted that this kind of thing had never happened before. The 'security' had actually not really identified themselves, a very puzzling thing. If you live in Uganda, you may be aware of the multiple 'security' organisations which all seem to claim some sort of jurisdiction in a nebulous number of circumstances. And one of the guys actually did hear the men comment in Luganda that this was going to bring them problems. Because one of my friends had presented a foreign passport, and had demanded for their identification, and had lost his temper when they could not sufficiently explain themselves. There are laws in Uganda, which are very loosely interpreted, but they do exist. Like the one on the privacy of the individual, and the need for a court order to do a search. And of course, any self respecting hotel would have been at the clients door, profuse with apologies, and should have called in regular police, or denied entrace; etc, etc. And only this room apparently needed searching!Speculation: Suspicious Gay UgandansToo many unexplained issues on the incident, and I have to rely on my ever present sense of paranoia. The couple is of a white man and a black man. And they were staying in the one room and on one bed. To the average Ugandan, and because people are taught that it is the 'white' people who can be homosexuals, it is not difficult for me to believe that many in the motel must have figured out that these guys (my friends) were a gay couple. I would have thought about it also! But I would have looked for some more signs to jump to the conclusion. It stretches my imagination little to think that the 'security' guys actually just wanted to get some proof of their suspicions, and not only that, go ahead and either extort money from my friends, or (much more unlikely) hand them over to regular police. That is, if they had got them in the act. They just wanted to make a quick buck at the expense of my friends. Of course my friends were incensed. And they left the place as soon as day broke.More Speculation, and what if the couple was straight?We are homosexuals. In the minds of most of the populace in Uganda, we do not actually exist. Most people do not know of anyone who is, or who has been said to be. It is a 'vice' that they hear about. And to them, homosexuals are not human beings. So, they will do whatever they can to try to prove that suspicion. I have made use of the myriad 'guesthouses' in Kampala and beyond a lot. I register with my first name and no one blinks. No id is requested, (oh, the law says it should, but the owners usually give you the book to register.) As for your address, you can put in something as generic as Kabalagala, Kampala or if you do not mind, write your mobile phone number. That is standard procedure. And I have gone to the guesthouses with my 'tricks' as the term goes. Some of the people may suspect what is going to happen, but as a matter of fact, it is very common for two, or three people to share the room, which is always considered expensive. So, when I go with someone else and I register and the other person does not, nothing will come of it. That is as is and no one will question what I am going to do. That is my damn business, and it will remain like so, after i have paid their money and moved on. But the most important thing here was the fact that it was a black man, and a white man. In the eyes of many an avaricious Ugandan, that may mean a quick buck, if you can succesfully blackmail the white man. Yet, because the law, in its insane stupidity, does not recognise me as a gay man, they have to catch me in the act. That is why i can sing out aloud that i am gay and no one will be able to send me to prison.Reality and the 'Sodomy Law'Yet, consider how invasive it is to catch me in the act. I mean, I have been having gay sex for years, in Uganda, where it is illegal, and I am yet to fall foul of the law! (touch wood!). Its because that particular law is very stupid. But Ugandans do love their laws on 'morality'. It is a consensual act between adults that is forbidden. Since my partners in crime appreciate the pleasure of the moment, none has seen fit to report me- and themselves of course. Remember that that law also penalises a woman for allowing herself to be fucked- up the asshole!!!!! I can imagine a wife taking her husband to police because of that. Any questions about how stupid that law is? But it is something instructive, that however much any 'law abiding vigilante' would love to arrest and prosecute my homosexual self, that they have to break the law in myriad ways to prove their suspicion. They have to invade my privacy- break down my door in the middle of the night, or try (it is forbidden) to do the infamous examination of the anus, or torture me or my partner into a confession. Opportunists (there are more opportunists than law abiding Ugandans, sigh!) take advantage of this by trying to panic gay people into a confession, so they can extort money. And many other ordinary Ugandans see it as something that is okay to do. Because they consider homosexuality as the worst kind of moral ineptitude. There is an ongoing case of invasion of the privacy of one trans lady (and this was more official) which was aimed at getting 'evidence'.What to do? You are gay, and harrased in UgandaOh, without doubt the law is there, but it is stupid. If it happens that you come across this kind of thing, just do not despair. Because you as a human being have to be violated to a degree for anyone to prove the accusation of 'sodomy'. (why should an act of love and pleasure have connotations of evil?) Keep calm, and question whoever is trying to put the needle in you. Who is that person? Ask for and retain the identification papers- before you go into the details of what they want. And go ahead and demand for the 'management' to be around. A guest's privilege should not be interfered with without the presence of the owner. And it will scare potential blackmailers if you demand for the presence of management. Most Ugandan hoteliers are very quick to protect a guest's privacy. In this case we even have the suspicion that the whole incident may have been in collusion with the management. Otherwise why did they act so unprofessionaly? And what exactly are they accusing you of? There is a time to be rude and boorish. If you are a foreigner, act the foreigner and pull down the roof with your cries of outrage!!! Ugandans hate scenes of this kind when they think they are 'respectable'!!! In most cases, because you are the guest, you will count on and receive the managers support. Do not be intimidated, not for a second! Just bull your way through. If you forgot to close the door, or were caught in the act, negotiate your way through. Quickly. And again, for the discerning manager, they will offer you help. These things may happen. They are a risk that we do face, but remember that (paradoxically) you will have the law on your side, and money speaks a language all of its own. And if you are unhappy, look for another place, and tell the management why you are unhappy! My friends were not happy. And they have decided to change the guesthouse. And I must say that most of what I have written is just speculation. (this is a blog, right?)I am gay, and a gay Ugandan. And because I am a human being, I will assert my humanity and right to exist and live despite a law that may seem to criminalise what I do. gug 2006-12-15 11:35:12 GMT
|
