My personal definition of an activist is one who refuses to live in fear. If you didn't see the pictures of the first ever gay pride parade in Uganda in The Advocate yet, you are really missing out.
As I said on facebook today... one of the most reviled and persecuted minorities in history is standing up. They are doing so in Uganda where it is punishable by death. It gives me hope for humanity. We are capable of greatness.
The photos speak for themselves. But the activists are also speaking in the comments.
I talked to a few people, and asked them aren’t you afraid?, u’re at pride, in Uganda, aren’t you freaked out? Afraid of what had happen, and I always got the same response, part of me is, but what the heck? To paraphrase and I guess what they met was, we are tired, we are fed up, come what may. We are afraid, but it is not living after all, if you are not allowed to be who you really are, its simply condemning yourself to a virtual prison- a place far more lonely, far more bleak and grey, and sadder than the reality of a physical prison.
So as we jubilated, and danced and sung, we did so, because we fully appreciated it, having been to the bottom of the abyss and back, we did so like there was no tomorrow, because there actually may not be a tomorrow for us-the parliament and police forever devising new means of sending us to the gallows-yesterday’s anti homosexuality bill is now today’s 145thsection of the penal code act. amendment that criminalizes homosexuality and any form of anal sex with a death penalty. Different people have tried out different ways on how they could kill us in different ways- yesterday it was Hon. Bahati, and today its Hon. Fr Lokodo.I ask myself, who next?, what next?
There is nothing I can say to match the simple beauty, courage and truth of their words. They have given a tired old lesbian a new inspiration to keep going, no matter the cost. Because, what can compare to freedom? Certainly not the closet. It is indeed, a living death.