Gay recruiters in Uganda? A missed chance for truth

Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran. He is the…

The Sunday edition of the Ugandan tabloid Red Pepper claims that it has published a list of "Top Uganda Gay Recruiters." — Recent issue of the Ugandan tabloid Red Pepper claimed to include a list of “Top Uganda Gay Recruiters.”

A Danish official on a visit to Uganda missed a chance last week to counteract the widespread but mistaken belief by Ugandan politicians, journalists and religious leaders that LGBT rights groups recruit people to become homosexuals.

Christian Friis Bach, Danish minister of development cooperation, was asked about that issue in an interview with Uganda’s Daily Monitor.

Unfortunately he replied in abstract terms without a clear denial.

This is the portion of the interview that deals with the topic of alleged recruitment and promotion of homosexuality:

There is an allegation that Western individuals and governments are giving money through civil society organisations and individuals in Uganda to recruit people into the ‘gay movement’. Is this something that bothers you?

We should hold and fight for all those people that fight for human rights; we support the (Statutory) Uganda Human Rights Commission but also support civil society organisations.
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Do you give money to either recruit or promote homosexuality in Uganda?

Our core value [is] to support and respect human rights, equal treatment and no discrimination to everybody’s sexual orientation regardless of who people love or what they believe in. That is how you build a strong society; that’s [our] experience. If you look at all countries that are moving to prosperity, it’s these core values that they have taken, and I think it’s also among African core values of openness and tolerance.