Ms Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera:

Every situation calls for a different strategy and action. We have seen that in the past. We told our allies and governments to condemn publicly the Bill in Uganda and to have protests around the world, and then realised that it was causing a backlash for us at home. It caused more attacks. Many people lost their jobs because people thought they were being bought by the West and that the West was imposing this issue on them. People believe we are being bought to be homosexuals and to promote homosexuality. We realised that the more it is out in the public arena, the greater the backlash. When governments say they are cutting aid because of corruption, people think it is just a disguise and that they are cutting aid because of homosexuals, and then people start attacking us. A large brick was thrown through the window of a colleague of mine at the time Uganda refunded aid to Ireland. A neighbour had lost a child in hospital because there was no medication. All the anger was directed at my colleague who is a homosexual. They said there was no medicine because of us and that was why the aid was withdrawn.

Quiet diplomacy is working well because we are telling our allies to lobby governments quietly in order that people do not attack us. Every single situation and problem in Uganda is regarded as being caused by homosexuals. Following the bombings in Uganda at the time of the World Cup final, there was a big headline in the media that "homo-terrorists" did it. It is causing a considerable backlash, which is why we are saying that action should be taken quietly. Legislators should not feel they are being told what to do in public. That is what happened with the Speaker of Parliament when she was confronted openly by the Canadian Member of Parliament. She promised to give Ugandans the Bill as a Christmas present because she wanted to show that she is in control and has the power. We prefer quiet diplomacy and one-on-one engagements.

In respect of the issue of suicide, due to this harassment, discrimination and everything going on in the community, people are getting fed up with their lives. They are telling students to name suspected homosexuals. The name of one young girl appeared on everyone's list in a school. They assembled the entire school, called her parents and caned her in front of everyone. She felt humiliated, went back to the dormitory, got a bottle of pills and killed herself. It was all over the radio. Everyone was calling in to say that it was good that they had got rid of a homosexual. People were jubilant because this thing had happened. No government official condemned it and the school and parents were never held accountable. So suicide is present.

Kenyans came to Uganda because they saw that there was an active and vibrant movement there but when they arrived, the suffering was heaped on them. A recent case involved an activist from Kenya who died in Uganda. He decided to come to Uganda because he thought the movement was strong. He committed suicide. We had to transport his body because his parents refused to come for him. They said it was shameful. There is much that is creating fear in Uganda because it is the powerful who have the audience to promote their agenda to. They are telling people it is against our culture.

This is supposed to be against our religion and a part of western culture. People are fearful because they are being told that homosexuals will bring about the destruction of the country, like the Bible story of Sodom and Gomorrah, and they will do whatever it takes to protect themselves.

South Africa is not playing a leading role in the continent. Three months after the legislation was introduced, South Africa appointed a homophobic ambassador to Uganda. This individual had been taken to court in South Africa for making homophobic statements to the media. We tried to lobby the South African Government to persuade it that it should not send a homophobic person to a country that is trying to prosecute homosexuals but it refused to listen even though our allies in South Africa protested and tried to tell their Government that Uganda is in a difficult situation. The Coalition of African Lesbians tried to apply for observer status in the African Commission on Human and People's Rights but the application was refused on the basis that it was not a human rights issue. We asked the South African Government for help on the grounds that our organisation was registered with it and, as such, was legitimate, but we have not received any assistance.