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Student journalist under fire
in Uganda
30 August 2007-
Kampala, Uganda - Katherine Roubos ‘07 stumbled into a storm of controversy this
week more befitting a Hollywood movie than a first-time journalism internship:
religious leaders and hundreds of protesters rallied in the Ugandan capitol
Tuesday, calling for her deportation because of her controversial articles on
gay rights.
“I knew I was taking a risk writing about the
issue, but the extent of the response has been totally unexpected,” said Roubos,
who has been interning at the Kampala-based Daily Monitor since July 2.
The backlash began after Roubos originally
from Minnetonka, Minn was assigned three stories on gay and lesbian Ugandans,
who have become increasingly vocal in their demand for equal rights. The
articles examined an ongoing gay rights court case, evaluated why police do not
arrest gays and covered a press conference in which gay activists called for
equal rights.
Homosexual acts are illegal in the East
African country, and offenders may face life in prison if convicted. Many
Ugandans are suspicious of gays and lesbians, and conspiracy theories that
Westerners are working to repeal the ban on homosexuality abound. While other
media organizations covered the press conference and court case, Roubos’
nationality made her an easy target for anti-gay activists.
Tuesday’s protest drew religious leaders,
politicians and more than 200 of their supporters to a local rugby field, where
they called for the media to stop covering LGBT issues. Protesters targeted
Roubos along with the Aga Khan leader of 20 million Ismaili Muslims and owner of
Nation Media Group, which publishes the Daily Monitor. A student band from a
nearby primary school played drums and brass instruments to fire up protesters,
who waved signs that read: “Deport Catherine (sic) Roubos” and “Agha (sic) Khan
fire Catherine (sic) Roubos the homo propagandist.”
Standing under a multicolored banner reading
“Interfaith Rainbow Coalition against Homosexuality” alongside pastors, priests
and imams, organizer and pastor Martin Ssempa railed against Roubos — and he had
done his homework. Ssempa said that he had performed a Google search and
discovered that Roubos was involved with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Community Resource Center at Stanford, which led him to decide she
must be a lesbian herself.
“This is not journalism, but rather criminal
propaganda,” said Ssempa, who held a young boy in his arms as he rallied the
crowd.
Minister for Ethics and Integrity Nsaba Buturo
was also on hand to represent the ruling party. Amidst the cheers of supporters,
he assured the crowd that the government has no intention of repealing the ban
on homosexuality before denouncing foreign journalists who advocate for gay
rights.
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