A lesbian in Uganda has bravely
recounted the horrific rape she endured because of her sexuality in a
new episode of HBO documentary series Vice, which explores the heinous
acts of violence and hatred toward the hidden LGBT community in the East
African country where homosexuality is illegal and widely considered
the equivalent of terrorism.
When
journalist Isobel Yeung traveled to Uganda for tonight's episode to
investigate who is really behind the anti-homosexuality propaganda being
spread throughout the country in a Prayer for Uganda,
she not only encountered a gay woman who tearfully admits her son is
the product of her sexual assault - she also met a group of men who
proudly admit to raping females because of their sexuality.
'I
have never experienced that level of hatred before,' Isobel tells Daily
Mail Online of the patriotism and nationalism associated with the
country's anti-homosexuality movement.
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Heartbreaking
interview: Vice correspondent Isobel Yeung can be seen speaking with a
Ugandan woman who was raped by four men because she is a lesbian
Harrowing
story: On tonight's episode of the HBO documentary series, the brave
woman (pictured) recounts how the men told her they were going show her
'how it should be' before they sexually assaulted her
In
2013, the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act was passed, making
homosexuality, which was already illegal in the country, punishable
by life imprisonment or even death. The Western world dubbed the
legislation the 'Kill the gays bill', and international outrage prompted
it to be annulled.
But
the the pure hatred that inspired the bill seems irreversible as Ugandan
officials are working to reintroduce similar legislation.
On
tonight's episode, Isobel and her team meet with a woman living in the
outskirts of Kampala, who agreed to be interviewed if they kept her
identity hidden.
I have never experienced that level of hatred before
The
woman explains to the Vice correspondent that after the
anti-homosexuality bill was introduced she and her girlfriend went to
great lengths to hide their relationship, only visiting each other after
sunset.
She says one night she was walking home when she encountered four men who said they knew her secret.
The victim tearfully recounts how they stopped her, saying: 'We know you, you have a girl, you lesbian.'
The
woman continues: 'And then, they told me: "We are going to show you a
real d***. The things you are doing are nonsense. You have to be a real
woman."'
She recalls how they said they were 'going to be the ones who show you how it should be' before they raped her.
The men threatened to kill her if she tried to report the rape, leaving her to suffer in silence.
Soon after the assault, she realized she was pregnant, prompting her girlfriend to leave her.
Secret
identity: The woman's rape resulted in an unplanned pregnancy, but she
says she sees her son (pictured) as a 'blessing in disguise' because he
ensures that no one will ask her why she isn't married
But
despite what she had gone through, she believes her son is a 'blessing
in disguise'. No one will ever ask her why she isn't getting married.
When
Isobel asks her if she plans on telling her son the truth when he grows
up, the woman fearfully replies: 'What if he rejects me?'
Isobel
explains to Daily Mail Online that the woman had 'very valid reason' to
assume that her son would abandon her - or worse. Her father was a
priest and when her family found out that she was gay they threw her out
of the house. Speaking with Isobel was the first time she was able to
share her story.
The things you are doing are nonsense. You have to be a real woman.
'Every
phase of her life has gone a different way because she is gay and the
worst thing is that she can't tell anyone,' says Isobel, who notes the
woman was overcome with a sense of relief after she shared the pain and
suffering she had endured.
Although only a few of Isobel's interviews were able to fit into the 15-minute episode, she actually met with multiple victims.
'Every gay person we spoke to suffered some sort of both physical and verbal abuse,' she recalls.
The
same day she and her team interviewed the woman who was raped by four
men, she ended up speaking with a group of men in a working class
neighborhood of Kampala, who after having a few drinks, proudly admitted
to Isobel that they rape women simply because they are lesbians.
'I felt disgusted,' Isobel says of that moment, recalling: 'Suddenly everything switched in my head, and I felt very queasy.'
A man, who doesn't appear in the episode, told her that he has raped over 100 women because of their sexuality.
Isobel says she assumed he was exaggerating, but adds: 'The fact that he even wants to boast in that...'
Impressionable
minds: Three children are pictured taking a break from class at Katete
Primary School in Mbarara, Uganda. Kids as young as three are being
taught to hate homosexuals in government funded schools
Spreading
the word: A student can be seen speaking at Pastor George Oduch's talk
on how the Anti-Homosexuality Bill will benefit Uganda an the Uganda
Christian University in Kampala, Uganda
When Isobel asks a man to describe Ugandan culture, he explains: 'The first thing we hate is homosexuality.'
And
the fear and hatred of homosexuality continues to spread as homophobic
messages are being taken from US Christian fundamentalists by Ugandan
preachers are sharing the propoganda in churches - and even in
government funded schools.
Isobel
witnesses children, who are as young as three-years-old, being taught
to fear homosexuality as Ugandan Pastor George Oduch tells them that
those who are gay are punished by getting cancer and AIDS.
The first thing we hate is homosexuality
A
Christian drama group even puts on a skit that suggests there are
American organizations being funded to recruit children into
homosexuality.
The
children, who are too young to understand what sex is, watch as four of
the actors are left in excruciating pain after they have 'gay sex'.
Isobel says the skit was so outrageous 'it was almost laughable if it wasn't so horrific'.
High
school students receive messages that are even more graphic, as Pastor
Oduch uses graphic images to discuss 'fisting' and anal sex.
And what is most terrifying is that the students, young and old, truly believe the 'lessons' they are being taught.
Isobel
says the children were 'spellbound by [Pastor Oduch's] every word'. And
she spoke with one high school student who said she would turn her own
brother in if he turned out to be gay.
'If she found out her brother was gay, he would be as good as a terrorist,' Isobel explains.
Isobel says she and her team spoke with everyone from Uganda pop stars to men in the street.
'This message really does infiltrate through every level of society.'
