Commonwealth People's Space, Uganda - December 2007

Subject: Amakula/Rag Tag
Date: 4 January 2008 16:38:50 GMT

“Dear Adaora,

First of all Happy New Year! The screening of Rag Tag at the Commonwealth Peoples' Space last November in Kampala, Uganda and ensuing discussion was a big success. We first showed a documentary from South Africa - Dangerous Living: Homosexuality in the Developing World, then had a discussion, followed by your film, and again a shorter talk.

It was an historical event in Uganda as many of the homosexual community had shown up to speak, and as audience, and this was the first time they actually openly spoke in public. Your film had a very large audience and was received successfully by especially the gay audience, though some of the other Ugandans were quite shocked with too explicit content for them - the bed scenes. The discussion was very heated, but in the end decent and possible, which can be called a real success.

However the next day things turned against us with a mobilized action by a pastor known for his anti-gay actions.

We got people aggressing us, and Ugandan security taking their side (although our issue that day was the Ugandan video industry) - throwing me, 2 other Amakula people and 6 of the gay people (now there as visitors but all recognized from the previous day) out of the Peoples' Space. I got beaten by a soldier as well as one of the lesbian girls. The whole day we did not get in anymore; when Commonwealth officials (who I called) arrived on the scene and tried to find out from security what went on, even they were not allowed entrance anymore.

It was a pretty rough follow up but in the end a success I believe as for one, the discussion and screenings did take place and could happen when they did (they were openly announced in our program the whole week), and people were prepared to talk. Also this event has really mobilized the gay community even further to be in public from now on.

We definitevely will also show it in the festival, and as I said, if you are up for the situation we surely will try to invite you. We sent out a proposal for this to British Council (who by the way organised the Peoples' Space and did nothing!). We might not address the issue as explicitly as we did within the Commonwealth situation, we have to see how things develop, as we have to play it careful enough not to jeopordize the festival itself.

Thanks a lot, all best Alice ”

For another account of the same event visit: Gay Uganda