Meet the First Openly Gay Man in Uganda

[William769]

The documentary Call Me Kuchu depicts the last year in the life of David Kato, Uganda's first openly gay man, whose historic fight for gay rights in the African nation — where a new bill threatens to make homosexuality punishable by death — has inspired a new generation of activists. He was controversial, but even the filmmakers were shocked by his brutal murder.

http://www.gay.net/movies/2013/06/05/meet-first-openly-gay-man-uganda

[thucythucy]

1. I recently met a friend of David Kato

who had to flee Uganda in fear for his life.

I try to avoid Holocaust analogies, for what should be obvious reasons, but listening to him I couldn't help thinking: this is what it must have felt like being Jewish, or gay, or disabled, in Germany in 1938. Having to hide who you are. Having long time friends turn against you. Being arrested and beaten in the dead of the night. Being afraid that any crowd you hear might be the mob coming to lynch you. Having to leave behind everything you've ever worked for, everything you own, knowing if you don't chances are very good you'll end up dead on the street or tortured to death in a police "safe house."

Horrible and frightening times we live in. I hope I live to see the day when this oppression ends, once and for all. I know it isn't likely, but if we don't at least have hope, we have nothing.

Thank you for posting this.