The United States denied a visa to an Ugandan MP after she made anti-gay statements, an Australian pro footballer came out as nonbinary, and a church in Greece called for the excommunication of "immoral lawmakers."
US Denies Visa to Ugandan MP After Anti-gay Statements
Ugandan Member of Parliament Sarah Achieng Opendi has been denied a visa to attend a UN meeting in New York following her call for homosexuals to be castrated.
Opendi responded saying,“Ninety-six percent of MPs voted in favor of the bill, and I am aware of a number of MPs that have gotten visas to the US, yet they supported the bill.”
According to the Guardian, The US state department responded, saying they cannot discuss individual visa cases.
Activists in Uganda have welcomed this denial.
“The denial of a visa is a strong statement against those spreading hatred. I hope it sends a firm message that such individuals have no place in civilized societies,” said human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo.
Australian Pro Footballer Comes Out As Nonbinary
Grace Wilson. Photo via grace_wilson01, Instagram.
Grace Wilson, an Australian pro football player, has come out as nonbinary, making them the first to do so.
According to Pink News, in an interview with Holly Ransom, the 18-year-old Adelaide United goalkeeper explained that their gender “doesn’t fit into the Western standards of man or woman.”
Wilson continued, “For me personally, I don’t feel like I’m anywhere near that. I feel separated from that … Every nonbinary person experiences [gender] differently. I didn’t realize, but finally hearing people refer to me as ‘they/them,’ it’s this phenomenal, euphoric feeling.”
Wilson signed with Adelaide United Football Club back in 2021. The club said they “stand in solidarity and support with Grace Wilson.”
Church Calls For Excommunication Of MPs
Photo via Unsplash.
Clerics in the Greek Orthodox church are calling for the “immoral lawmakers” who voted to legalize marriage equality to be ostracized from the church and banned from participating in religious rites.
Last month, the passage of the bill made Greece the world’s first Orthodox Christian nation to pass legislation permitting marriage equality. The law also gave parental rights to same-sex couples.
The bill was backed by the center-right prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who has faced harsh criticism from the Orthodox church. Those who oppose the bill fear legalization will lead to same-sex couples demanding other rights that will lead to the dismantlement of the Greek family and society.
According to The Guardian, two local MPs on Corfu have already been banned from participating and are accused of committing “the deepest spiritual and moral error” by backing the bill. Clerics urge the parliamentarians who voted in favor to repent.
“For us, these two deputies cannot consider themselves active members of the church,” the island’s bishopric said in a statement. “We exhort them to repent for their impropriety.”
The church says if the MPs fail to repent, they will automatically be excluded from the Christian rite of communion and other church events.
