Rev Elder Pat Bumgardner (left) supporting the work led by Rev Uthasyo Kimindu (right) in Mtito Andei, Kenya
Many of my long time clients, friends, newsletter recipients and blog readers know that I helped form and now support a LGBTQ affirming work in Kenya. The Kimer-Kamba Center focuses on assisting the local people in preserving their culture while partnerships with the Other Sheep (of which I am the board president,) Global Justice Institute and Metropolitan Community Churches provide assistance to vulnerable local people around Mtito Andei, Kenya.
Our local leader the Rev Uthasyo Kimindu has been very concerned about the hateful recent anti-homosexuality law passed in neighboring Uganda and sees an increase in similar hateful and violent rhetoric in Kenya. Rev Kimindu, Rev Pat Bumgardner of the Global Justice Institute and myself have crafted the following statement in response to Uganda’s law.
Our statement in part addresses the interference and impact of white supremacy culture and western imperialism on erasing others’ native cultures.
The Statement:
The Global Justice Institute and Other Sheep both strongly condemn Uganda’s recent hateful Anti-Homosexuality Act. We echo the strong words already provided from the United Nation’s Chief Antonio Guterres and United States President Joe Biden.
UN Chief Antonio Guterres called on “Uganda to fully respect its international human rights obligations, in particular the principle of non-discrimination and the respect for personal privacy irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity.”
From President Biden, “The enactment of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act is a tragic violation of universal human rights – one that is not worthy of the Ugandan people, and one that jeopardizes the prospects of critical economic growth for the entire country.”
What makes this new law particularly insidious is that the forces pushing for these discriminatory laws include radical American evangelical, fundamentalist and Pentecostal communities. As people of faith, we strongly condemn this misuse of misguided and misinterpreted so-called Christian doctrine, interference in the affairs of other countries, and trampling on others’ culture.
God calls us to love and nurture all people instead of condemning them to a living hell of second-class citizenry. This includes affirming and supporting the LGBTQ people who long existed in African culture before the intrusion of white European colonizers.
We join all the other many voices in urging Uganda to immediately repeal this hateful, inhuman and unchristian legislation and urge voices from all other faith traditions to join us in this stand.
Rev Uthasyo Kimindu, Coordinator, Other Sheep Afrika
Rev Elder Pat Bumgardner, Executive Director, Global Justice Institute
Mr. Stan Kimer, Board President, Other Sheep (Global)
* * * * * * * *
Unfortunately, several states here in the United States are proposing and passing laws that severely harm our own LGBTQ community, and American individuals and organizations need to strongly opposed these laws as well as those overseas. See my recent blog, “Fighting the Increasing Hate.”
Other Sheep is a global multicultural nonprofit ministry (US 501-c3) with Sexual Minorities providing resources and advocacy in places where religious ideologies and fundamentalism constitutes a major obstacle to justice for all people.