AFRICAN GAYS ASK POPE TO PREACH TOLERANCE DURING HIS VISIT TO CONTINENT
NAIROBI/KAMPALA: African gays who often face persecution in the streets and sometimes prosecution in courts have a simple plea for Pope Francis ahead of his first visit to the continent: bring a message of tolerance even if you will not bless our sexuality.
Francis travels to Kenya and Uganda, where many conservative Christians bristle at the idea of the West forcing its morality on them, especially when it comes to gays and lesbians. He also visits conflicttorn Central African Republic.
The Pope heads to Africa this week (Nov 25) for the riskiest trip of his papacy, defying danger with an opentopped popemobile and visits to a slum, refugee camp and mosque despite security fears following jihadist attacks.
While Francis has not changed Catholic dogma on homosexuality and has reaffirmed the church’s opposition to same-sex marriage, his more inclusive approach has cheered many gay Catholics.
“I would like the Pope to at least make people know that being LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) is not a curse,” said Jackson Mukasa, 20, a Ugandan who was impris- oned last year on suspicion of committing homosexual acts, before charges were dropped for lack of evidence.
“Being a gay in Uganda is a challenge. You expect mob justice, you expect to be killed, you expect to be arrested,” said Mukasa, who also goes by the name Princess Rihanna.
Homosexuality or the act of gay sex is outlawed in most of Africa’s 54 states. South Africa is the only African nation that permits gay or lesbian marriage. Uganda, which is about 40% Catholic, has been seen as a bastion of anti-gay sentiment.