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Sports Figure Latest Victim Of Ugandan Anti-Gay Offensive

Jim Burroway

July 6th, 2009
Embattled Uganda football coach Charles Ayiekoh (The Observer)

Embattled football coach Charles Ayiekoh (The Observer)

Uganda’s ongoing campaign of very public anti-gay vigilantism has taken some very unexpected turns lately. It has already engulfed several prominent prosperity-gospel preachers who have taken to accusing each other of homosexuality in what has degenerated into a circular firing squad. Now the latest victims include sports figures.

Ugandan newspapers have been reporting on several rumors of homosexuality in the ranks of Uganda’s professional football (soccer) league. The Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) vows to root it out:

The coaches’ association vice chairman Stone Kyambadde yesterday told the FUFA-PostBank weekly press conference that the move will limit coaches from actions that will bring the game into disrepute. “We are going to address that (sodomy) in the code of conduct. The problem is that we had not registered all coaches across the country. We have since got regional representatives to do that,” said Kyambadde.

The accusations have already claimed one victim. Horizon Coach Charles Ayiekoh was suspended after an accusation by a player. It’s unclear whether the accusation has any merit. Ayiekoh, who is married with three children, denies the charges and blames the whole episode on “football politics.” He was released from the police station in Lira, but was ordered to appear at a police station in Kampala on July 8. Uganda criminalizes homosexual acts with up to life imprisonment.

FUFA promises that more suspensions are on the way:

Kyambadde added that their association had stepped up in its efforts to get rid of all the other gay suspects that have since been known in the local football circles. “We intend to get rid of the entire group and I can assure you that as coaches we come up with a comprehensive plan to wipe out the deadly vice,” he added.

Those “football politics” threaten to ensnare another prominent coach with what’s described as a moral dilemma. A Scottish national, Bobby Williamson, is now head coach of the Ugandan national football team. He, along with all the other football coaches in Uganda, is required to sign a code of conduct which “denounces any support or involvement in sodomy related acts”. Williamson has denounced discrimination in the past, but appears ambivalent about the latest anti-gay actions by FUFA:

Sodomy is a criminal offence over there but this is the first I’ve heard of any code of conduct,” he said. “Until FUFA speak to me about that it’s a hypothetical matter and I’ll reserve my views until I’m approached.

“What I will say is that you have to abide by the law of the land in whichever country you happen to be working in.

“There has been a lot of talk about homosexuality in the game in Uganda and I’ve heard stories, but I’m not aware of any evidence of it. What I do know is that most politicians and football officials seem to be strongly against it.”

FUFA’s actions may run afoul of Soccer’s highest international governing body, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). According to the Scotsman, FIFA’s policies call for inclusion. The Scotsman reports that FUFA could be expelled from the international body if it continues with this plan.

Last week, it was announced that a new law would be debated in Uganda’s Parliament to ban free speech and public advocacy for LGBT people. The latest convulsion of anti-gay agitation in Uganda began with a three-day anti-gay conference in Kampala last March featuring American Holocaust revisionist Scott Lively and Exodus board member Don Schmierer.


BTB’s complete coverage of recent anti-gay developments in Uganda:
Nov 14: Anglican’s Communion’s Tangled Ties To Uganda’s Anti-Gay Extremists
Nov 11: Nigerian calls on Anglican Communion to oppose Ugandan “Kill Gays” bill
Nov 9: Uganda’s Most Wanted
Nov 9: Uganda’s “Kill Gays” bill is “Providing Leadership to the World”
Nov 9: More American Evangelical Ties To Uganda’s Anti-Gay Politicians
Nov 7: The “Biblical” Worldwide Anglican Communion
Nov 6: Australian Senate Refuses to Oppose Uganda’s “Kill Gays” Bill
Nov 6: Uganda Women’s Group: “Kill the Gays”
Nov 2: Throckmorton Appeals to Ugandan Christians
Nov 2: US Reps Condemn Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Nov 2: Uganda Parliament Committee, Religious Leaders Weigh Death Penalty for LGBT People
Oct 28: Uganda Religious Leaders All Calling for Anti-Gay Bill… But Maybe Not Death
Oct 28: A Call for Christian Action in Uganda — A Time to Show the Love
Oct 23: Uganda Civil Rights Coalition Denounces Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Oct 22: Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill Put Off Until 2010
Oct 18: Take Action: Tell Uganda To Respect Human Rights And Dismiss the Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Oct 17: Uganda’s Daily Monitor: All Ugandans Should Fear Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Oct 16: Does Exodus Support Criminalizing Homosexuality?
Oct 15: Human Rights Watch, Sexual Minorities Uganda Condemn Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Oct 15: Here It Is: The Text of Uganda’s Proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Oct 14: Uganda Parliament Takes Up Anti-Gay Bill Adding Death Sentence and Bans on Free Speech”
Sep 15: Draft Anti-Gay Bill Circulating In Uganda
Jul 26: Uganda Parliament To Take Up Bill Banning LGBT Free Speech
Jul 6: Sports Figure Latest Victim Of Ugandan Anti-Gay Offensive
Jul 3: Uganda May Ban All LGBT Advocacy
Jun 1: Nazi Comparisons
May 14: Uganda’s Anti-Gay Campaign Snares LGBT People and Rival Pastors, Tabloid Promises More “Outings”
May 4: Uganda Gays Arrested, Blackmail Attempts Reported
Apr 24: Uganda Anti-Gay Activists March, “Storm Parliament”
Apr 20: Alan Chambers Addresses Developments In Uganda
Apr 19: Uganda’s Anti-Gay Vigilante Campaign Is Now In Full Swing
Apr 17: Uganda Government Attacks Human Rights Groups for “Promoting Homosexuality”
Apr 10: Uganda Columnist: “Happy Easter …Irrespective of Sexual Orientation”
Apr 6: Uganda Press Crank Up “Predator” Rhetoric
Apr 3: Uganda to Ban LGBT Advocacy?
Apr 2: Exodus Maintains Month-Long Silence Amid Ugandan Gov’t Calls For LGBT Arrests
Apr 2: Press Release from Ugandan LGBT Advocacy Group
Mar 31: Forced Outings Continue As Uganda LGBT Advocates Allege Oundo Is In It For The Money
Mar 31: Uganda Activist Cites Disbarred “Therapist” As Authority on Homosexuality
Mar 30: Uganda Situation Continues To Deteriorate; Exodus Washes Their Hands
Mar 27: Videos Surface of Ugandan Activist Stirring Anti-Gay Fervor; Fears of Violence Grows
Mar 26: Ugandan Gov’t Poised to Take “Stern Action” Against Gays
Mar 26: The “Ex-Gay” Star of the Uganda Anti-Gay Campaign
Mar 25: More on Uganda Anti-Gay Vigilante Incitement
Mar 25: Another Anti-Gay Vigilante Campaign May Have Begun In Uganda
Mar 23: Schmierer’s & Lively’s Uganda Talks Continue to Reverberate
Mar 17: Lively Defends Forced Therapy Proposal
Mar 16: Commentary: When Good Men Do Nothing
Mar 13: Sanctimony Alert
Mar 13: Scott Lively and Alan Chambers Respond to Questions About Uganda Conference
Mar 13: Exodus Applauds Schmierer’s Part in Uganda Conference
Mar 12: South African LGBT Advocates Condemn Exodus
Mar 12: Ex-Exodus Minister Condemns Uganda Conference
Mar 12: Ugandan Conference Leaders Call For Another Meeting While Pushing Pedophilia Theme; Exodus Continues Silence
Mar 11: Open Letter To the Exodus International Board of Directors
Mar 10: Scott Lively: The Gay Agenda Is “To Turn The Whole World Gay”
Mar 9: Exodus Removes Link To Scott Lively From Its Web Site
Mar 9: EU Group Condemns Ugandan Conference
Mar 8: Uganda Anti-Gay Conference: Day Three — Gays Blamed For Rwandan Genocide & Pedophilia; More Exodus Ties To Holocaust Revisionism
Mar 6: Uganda Anti-Gay Conference: Day Two
Mar 6: Exodus’ Silence About Uganda: Day Five
Mar 6: Exodus Board Member Participates In Uganda Conference Calling For Forcing Gays Into Conversion Therapy
Mar 5: Anti-Gay Conference Kicks Off In Kampala
Mar 5: Warren Throckmorton Speaks Out Against Uganda Conference
Mar 5: International LGBT Group Expresses Concern About Uganda Conference
Mar 2: Anonymous Ugandan Blogger Wants Answers From American Anti-Gay Activists
Feb 24: Exodus Board Member Joins Nazi Revisionist At Uganda Conference

Comments

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AJD
July 6th, 2009 | LINK

It’s amazing that Scott Lively and his friends have opened up this huge can of bigoted worms in Uganda. He’s going to have a lot to answer for, I’m sure.

Burr
July 6th, 2009 | LINK

I hope FIFA bans them. Iraq got banned for torturing their players. I don’t see how they psychological torture and witch hunt is any different.

Ben in Oakland
July 7th, 2009 | LINK

Here’s something going on in Uganda.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-russ-feingold/we-need-a-strategy-not-a_b_226915.html

It makes you wonder what is wrong with those people. you would think that Idi Amin years would have would have owken a degree of consciousness. But no. I feel sorry for any decent human being stuck there.

Tikihead
July 8th, 2009 | LINK

I heard a rumor from an unimpeachable source:

Everyone in Uganda is gay. I hope they have enough prisons.

Burr
July 8th, 2009 | LINK

Uganda? More liek Ugaynda, amirite?

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