It Was Americans Who Put Forth "Kill The Gays"

We've all heard about, and been disgusted by, the "Kill The Gays" bill in Uganda, even if it would have been, will be, vetoed. Just the idea that any country can put forth legislation to kill people because of their sexual orientation is disgusting beyond words.

And I, for one, thought, Well, it's Uganda. Not necessarily the most modern country on the globe. But then comes word, via a New York Times article [HERE] that the idea, and the push to Kill The Gays came not from any Ugandan group or politician, nor from any Uganda church or religious sect. Nope, it was a home grown idea, from right here in the Land of the Free.

Three American evangelical Christians, whose teachings about “curing” homosexuals have been widely discredited here in the United States, went to Kampala, Uganda to give a series of talks about the so-called "Gay Agenda."

Let me clear one thing up, first of all. As a gay man, and a card-carrying member of the LGBT community for decades, I have never seen nor heard of the "Gay Agenda," unless it refers to a desire by the LGBT community to be treated as equals in their country and around the globe. Other than that, there is no agenda.

Got that?

There.Is.No.Agenda.

But these three "Christian" Americansspoke of the “the gay agenda—that whole hidden and dark agenda”—and the threat homosexuals posed to Bible-based values and the traditional African family. These three Americans, presenting themselves as experts on the gay movement, spoke for three days to thousands of Ugandans, including police officers, teachers and politicians. They told of how they themselves have helped many gay men and women turn straight, how gay men sodomize teenage boys and how “the gay movement is an evil institution” whose goal is “to defeat the marriage-based society and replace it with a culture of sexual promiscuity.”

I got news for you. In the land of Tiger woods, John Ensign, John Edwards, Mark Sanford, Wilt Chamberlain, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Taylor, y'all got a lock on sexual promiscuity.

Still, these three men of God spoke about how dangerous the LGBT community is, and how we must be changed and corralled into some sort of hetero fold, how we need to recruit new members into our flock, how we are out to destroy anything and everything just so we can have all the sex we want, and then they left Uganda. They came home and feigned shock and outrage as the Kill The Gay legislation became public. These three, now find themselves on the defensive, saying they had no intention of helping stoke the kind of anger.

No, they only called us evil, said we would rape young boys, said we would recruit their children, said we would destroy their very lives, but, well, they meant no harm. But it was mere weeks after their visit when a previously unknown Ugandan politician, who boasts of having evangelical friends in the American government, introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009.

Many countries, including the US, demanded that Uganda’s government drop the proposed law, saying it violates human rights, but Uganda’s minister of ethics and integrity--who previously tried to ban miniskirts--said, “Homosexuals can forget about human rights.”
So, who are the three "Christians" who went to Uganda and sparked such vitriol in the name of God?

They are Scott Lively--a missionary who has authored books against homosexuality, including “7 Steps to Recruit-Proof Your Child”; Caleb Lee Brundidge--a self-described ex-gay who leads “healing seminars”; and Don Schmierer--a board member of Exodus International, whose mission is “mobilizing the body of Christ to minister grace and truth to a world impacted by homosexuality.”

They are furiously trying to distance themselves from the bill. Now.

“I feel duped,” Mr. Schmierer said, arguing that he had been invited to speak on “parenting skills” for families with gay children. He acknowledged telling audiences how homosexuals could be converted into heterosexuals, but he said he had no idea some Ugandans were contemplating the death penalty for homosexuality. “That’s horrible, absolutely horrible. Some of the nicest people I have ever met are gay people.”

Yes, Mr. Schmierer, we are nice, for the most part, but when you present yourself as an expert on how to "cure" homosexuality, or "change" homosexuals, you are telling the world that it would be a better place without us. and that leads to death, in some countries.

Lively and Brundidge have made similar remarks in interviews or statements issued by their organizations. But the Ugandan organizers of the conference admit helping them draft the bill, and Scott Lively has acknowledged meeting with Ugandan lawmakers to discuss it. He even wrote on his blog in March that someone had likened their campaign to “a nuclear bomb against the gay agenda in Uganda.” Later, when confronted with criticism, Mr. Lively said he was very disappointed that the legislation was so harsh.

Nuclear bomb? Harsh?

First off they'll kill the gays, but then who's next? What other group will men like Lively and Brundidge and Schmierer speak out against? Who's next on their mission to rid the world of undesirables?

Watch your back.