- Title: UGANDA: Ugandan gay rights play banned from public theatre
- Date: 24th August 2012
- Summary: KAMPALA, UGANDA (AUGUST 17, 2012) (REUTERS) UGANDAN PLAY "THE RIVER AND THE MOUNTAIN" OPENING/ ACTORS SINGING THEME SONG FOR THE PRODUCTION VARIOUS OF SCENE IN PLAY WHERE AN AMERICAN EVANGELIST PREACHES AGAINST GAY RIGHTS AUDIENCE VARIOUS OF SCENE IN PLAY WHERE CITIZENS HOLD PUBLIC DEBATE ON HOMOSEXUALITY VARIOUS OF SAMSON, GAY CHARACTER IN THE PLAY BEING SEEN BY A WIT
- Embargoed: 8th September 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Uganda
- Country: Uganda
- Topics: Arts
- Reuters ID: LVA1HX9IPI5W3LBNYMVU25FBTJC7
- Story Text: On stage at Kampala's little known Tilapia theatre, "The River and The Mountain", a play about homosexuality, religion and politics grips an audience of critics and journalists.
The play has been banned from the country's national theatre because Uganda's Media Council has forbidden it.
A member of the production team wrote on the production team's facebook page that they had been asked questions like, "Who is behind you?" and "Where do you get your money from?" by the council.
Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, along with more than 30 other countries in Africa.
A bill calling for harsh penalties against homosexuals and outlawing the "promotion" of homosexuality, including providing financial support to gays and lesbians, is pending in Uganda's parliament.
A previous bill called for the death penalty for repeat offenders, although the new version is expected to drop this clause, as well as calls for life imprisonment, after international condemnation of the proposal and threats to cut off aid.
Even with it's controversial message, makers of the play say their work is merely about comedy and drama, like any other theatrical piece.
The story revolves around Samson, a gay man whose mother hires pastors and witchdoctors to "cure" her son's homosexuality.
Author of the play, Beau Hopkins says if the prohibition is not lifted they will take their show on the road to neighbouring countries like Kenya.
"We went to the Uganda media center asking them to give clearance to this play because we anticipated it would be controversial, now it was the Uganda media council, who once their bureaucratic machinery cranked into gear became aware of the play, it was them who sent us the letter that we received the day before the press night who told us that we were not under any circumstances to put this play on anywhere in Uganda," said Hopkins.
Leading man, Joel Okuyo, who plays Samson says he is not afraid to play a role whose character and sexual orientation would make him an outcast and even a criminal in his country.
"People will talk, people will definitely say things about me, people will definitely judge me, I have heard that a couple of times already because of the first gay role that I did in a play, a stage play but let them talk, at the end of the day it is up to me... so should I drop my acting carrier because somebody is going to talk and if they want to do anything to harm me or anything, then bring it on," he said.
Popular gay activist, David Kato was beaten to death with a hammer in 2011, a few months after his photo was printed on the cover of a newspaper calling for gays to be executed under a headline that read: "Hang them".
The River and the Mountain is not only addressing a dangerous topic it is also, as Hopkins says, seeking to normalize the debate about homosexuality in the country.
The playwith Samson being killed by his co-workers. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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