Museveni's dictatorship is deploying two seemingly "contradictory" strains of homophobia against Bobi Wine.

[a thread]

On one hand, the pro-dictatorship propaganda claims falsely, that European and North American homosexuals are funding Bobi. The dictatorship believes that the Ugandan masses are homophobic and would distance themselves from Bobi if he is linked to LGBTIQA+ rights campaigners.

On the other hand, there are few pro-dictatorship "feminists" who spread a contradictory strain of propaganda, this time targeting progressive LGBTIQA+ voices, by claiming that Bobi is a homophobe 311. They selectively dig up past comments Bobi has made to back up their claim.

These "feminists" claim that Bobi (and they said the same about Besigye before) is a homophobe and a misogynist, and therefore they do not subscribe to the "struggle" against dictatorship because it does not fulfill the "high standards for a revolution"!

This band of feminists is well-connected to Museveni's overt and covert intelligence services. A casual follow-up will show direct and indirect associations with the "deep Museveni state". Online, they fly the "feminist brand", offline, they dine with murderers and rapists.

And so, when comrade @amgodiva pointed out that some of the people claiming that homosexuals are funding Bobi Wine are themselves closeted homosexuals working on Museveni's campaign team, they asked what Bobi has given the LGBTIQA+ community except past homophobic tirades.

That is where this thread comes in.

In 2014, Bobi was denied a travel visa to the UK after LGBTIQA+ activists complained about some of the lyrics in his songs drumming up homophobia. I wrote about it, then.

Here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/13/uganda-bobi-wine-denied-uk-visa-homophobia

Slightly over a year later, Bobi reconsidered his "defiant stance" on the matter, and towards the end of 2015, the UK-based talent promoter I consulted for part-time, was part of the process to undo the damage Bobi's earlier tirades on the matter, had done.

In January 2016, Bobi released a statement calling for tolerance of all peoples, in their diversity, and even met and took photos with some Ugandan LGBTIQA+ NGO leaders. He released Ddembe, the song in which he preaches tolerance.

Bobi had tried to contest for MP in that election and had shelved his ambition. In the short time between the 2014 visa denial and the 2016 Ddembe song release, Bobi "had grown" and "learned" so much especially on the question of LGBTIQA+ rights. I witnessed that growth.

Bobi's recent history for many starts in 2017 when he wins the by-election for the Kyaddondo East MP seat. But for those of us who were his Air-Conditioners (I have since learnt that our love is AC-level, not just fans) even then, our memories stretch farther!

When he won the Africa Freedom Prize last year, and while appearing on SABC, he was asked about LGBTIQA+ rights. This is the part of the interview I want to quote. Starts about 15:00 minutes ...

Aldrin Sampear: Controversial remarks that you once made about the LGBTQIA+ community, and there is a question here that we have from Sibonelo who says: Where does he stand when it comes to protecting the rights of LGBTIQ persons in the country? Or why should he be president?

Bobi Wine: Well, as President, I think one has the responsibility of guarding the rights of all citizens, those that are like you, and those that are not like you. I believe as a leader, a high level of tolerance is required to make sure the nation comes together.

Aldrin Sampear: Tolerance or is it Acceptance?

Bobi Wine: I believe in tolerance.

Aldrin Sampear: What do you think about the LGBTIQA+ community?

Bobi Wine: I believe that all human beings are human beings and all rights are rights.

Aldrin Sampear: So would you then move forward to speak about acceptance f the LGBTIQA+ community instead of tolerance because tolerance is a bit different. Tolerance says I must tolerate this person who I do not agree with, I do not like, so I must tolerate this person.

Bobi Wine: I believe that leadership and indeed respect for rights is the ability to guard one's rights even when you do not agree with them.

One leader once said that I may not agree with you, but I will guard your right to stand by your position with my life, and I believe that is what leadership is all about.

Aldrin Sampear: So you do not believe in the LGBTIQ+ community?

Bobi Wine: I believe in respect for everybody. There are very many people that we are alike, and we are not alike. So all these people deserve their rights.

Aldrin Sampear: So respect even though you don't agree?

Bobi Wine: Even though you don't agree with somebody, I think respect, of one's rights even to disagree with you, is very important.

My interpretation of that exchange between Bobi and Aldrin Sampear is that Bobi has personally made progress on the question of LGBTIQA+ liberation. And I speak as someone who was attacked by some homophobic journalists back in 2014, when I wrote about the visa ban.

The Museveni dictatorship, which is the patron, masterplanner and chief enforcer of homophobia indeed uses the exchange above to try to character-assassinate Bobi as a tool for Western liberal imperialists. Yet, Museveni for 35+ years has been a poodle for the same imperialism.

The more nefarious "feminist" band of online operatives directly connected to the same homosexuals in Museveni's campaign team would like however to tell us Bobi is a misogynist and homophobe and therefore not worthy of the support of radical LGBTIQA+ Ugandans!

Both the people saying Bobi is homosexual, bisexual, sponsored by homosexuals in the West, those threatening his children with male rape, and the "feminists" telling us Bobi is a homophobe and misogynist work for the same dictatorship.

Bobi's current public position on LGBTIQA+ rights may be liberal, and not radical enough, he is not calling for the "abolition of gender", but it is definitely on the path for freedom for all, includingLGBTIQA+ Ugandans! In short, knocking Bobi is working for Museveni.

Even more important, radicalism is a practice. Radicalism is not a lifestyle, it is not about picking up romantic partners, it is about liberation, fighting injustice. As Che Guevara put it, "If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine."

If you are able to look away from the naked murder, the torture, the violation, the rape many of the activists against Museveni (male and female) continue to suffer, and socialize and be friends with those who plan and carry out these attacks, you are not a comrade!

And if calling you a spy, a worker for Museveni's dictatorship because well, that is what you are doing, is abuse, as you are now spreading whispers about those of us who are telling you what you are, yes: Freedom work feels like abuse to the oppressor. You are the oppressor.

If we must compare abuse and violation, if we must play harm-olympics, I actually WISH you the Trauma many of us live with because we have dared to imagine freedom from Museveni's dictatorship, the same one that feeds you, the same one that protects you, what you work for!

Actually, F*ck you! And as all dictatorships do, as all fascist systems do, the harm all of us continue to suffer will come to you, too as the system falls. Nwe nwe Bobi is a hOMoPHoBe and MisOGYnIst but you take your thirst to murderers' and rapists' parties! F*ck You very much