Ugandan LGBTActivist Beaten to Death

Blood on Too Many Hands

The following is from an article in the NYTimes. Note that on the "Rolling Stone" (not the American Newspaper) cover he is pictured next to Bishop Christopher. Bishop Christopher recently toured the United States with the support of IntegrityUSA. Please keep David Kato, his family, Bishop Christopher and his family in your prayers.


Watch Rachel Maddow tonight. She will undoubtedly have more information on this. She has been the chief national news source for information on the treatment of gays in Uganda and the disturbing ties with "Christian" evangelical missionaries form the US.

For another point of view read my husband's blog on this and follow the links.

NAIROBI, Kenya — David Kato knew he was a marked man.

Multimedia

Related

• The Lede Blog: Before His Death, Ugandan Gay Rights Activist Explained Hostile Climate (January 27, 2011)

As the most outspoken gay rights advocate in Uganda, a country where homophobia is so severe that Parliament is considering a bill to execute gay people, he had received a stream of death threats, his friends said. A few months ago, a Ugandan newspaper ran an antigay diatribe with Mr. Kato’s picture on the front page under a banner urging, “Hang Them.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Kato was beaten to death with a hammer in his rough-and-tumble neighborhood. Police officials were quick to chalk up the motive to robbery, but the small and increasingly besieged gay community in Uganda suspects otherwise.

“David’s death is a result of the hatred planted in Uganda by U.S evangelicals in 2009,” said Val Kalende, the chairwoman of one of Uganda’s gay rights groups, in a statement. “The Ugandan government and the so-called U.S. evangelicals must take responsibility for David’s blood.”

the rest at NYTimes

British B and B meets the Law

A gay couple was turned away by British B and B owners because they said that accepting them challenged them. Watch this fascinating 15 minute clip where the issue is debated.

My favorite audience comment is a gentleman who points out that in Bethlehem about 2000 years ago an couple about to give birth to a child out of wedlock would certainly have been turned away by an innkeeper with deeply held religious convictions. Makes one wonder, was there really no room at the inn?

Wearing Black

The Crawford/Houghton household will be wear black. Keith Olbermann was fired by MSNBC. If it weren't for Rachel Maddow we would be boycotting.

And it has come to this...

RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT?

In Sarah Palin's PAC memorable "crosshairs" add, Gabrielle Giffords was one of the targeted congress members.

Let's hear from her that it is time to stop the madness in today's political arena.

A Pima, county sheriff was on the phone with MSNBC to report that Giffords was not dead regardless of reports to the contrary. He counted himself a friend of Representative Gifford. Toward the end of the interview he spoke with passion and eloquence in a personal plea that the craziness end.

The comments of this law officer might well make us all think of how difficult law enforcement is in country where people are encouraged to carry weapons at public gatherings.

A minority Gay view on the Enterprise Affair

This gay man is not with the majority of gay voices regarding the captain of the Enterprise. No, not James Tiberius Kirk, Capt. Owen Honors.

The films were offensive, to women and to Lesbian and Gay folks. Michelangelo Signorile on OutQ XM radio suggested yesterday that the point of these movies was to keep gays in the closet and enforce "Don't Tell." At some deeper level we know that bigotry is about power and control. Too often we give to much credit to this being a conscious decision. Our political correctness and lack of a bit thicker skin damages our cause.


This was an example of ignorance and insensitivity. It was a perfect opportunity to educate. The removal of Capt. Honors has made that a lost opportunity. He will be a victim in the minds of the the many men and women that came to his defense. Honors was well like and, by all accounts, a capable leader. His dismissal makes him a martyr to political correctness and he will be seen as a victim of the repeal of DADT by a shipload of 19 year old sailors, most of whom will not be able to see this as anything but black and white.

A reprimand and a public statement of apology could have been the start of building support for the education which is key to making gay men and lesbians welcome in the military.