Thursday, January 27, 2011

Evidence Of Scott Lively's Complicity In The Murder Of David Kato

I wrote earlier in the day about the brutal murder of Ugandan LGBT activist David Kato who was bludgeoned to death in his home. Not surprisingly, some of the Christian extremists who have agitated and inflamed anti-gay hysteria in Uganda and other parts of East Africa are trying to deny any responsibility for the fruits of their carefully sown and cultivated homophobia. The denials have about as much legitimacy to them as the denial of someone who yells fire in a crowded theater and then disclaims any responsibility for those who are trampled to death in the ensuing stampede for exits. Joe My God has a excellent take down of Scott Lively who has made a career out of spreading lies and falsehoods against gays with deadly results. Lively and those like him indeed are turning Christianity into something foul and evil. The truth is that denunciations by LGBT allies like Hillary Clinton are nice, but until there are severe consequences for inciting hatred and exporting it oversees, we can expect to see more deaths like that of David Kato. Here are highlights from Joe Jervis' post:
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The inspiration for Uganda's gay death penalty bill, and surely, Kato's murder, arises from the work of American evangelists, chief among them the repulsive anti-gay activist Scott Lively, whose infamous book The Pink Swastika blames the rise of the Nazi Party and the Holocaust on gay men. One year ago, the New York Times profiled Lively's hand in Uganda's burgeoning pogrom against homosexuals, which began after Lively hosted a three-day meeting attended by thousands of Ugandan police, teachers, and politicians.
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Yesterday Scott Lively's "nuclear bomb" against Ugandan gays went off in the form of the iron bar which crushed the skull of David Kato. In some countries, it's possible that Lively would be under arrest today. Also complicit in this murder is Peter LaBarbera, who for years has worked to publicize and praise Scott Lively's evil agenda. Then there's Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council, who last year paid lobbyists $25,000 to convince members of Congress to block a planned resolution denouncing Uganda's gay death penalty bill. And let's not forget Pastor Rick Warren, who supported, funded, appeared with, and publicized the work of Uganda's leading anti-gay activist, Pastor Martin Ssempa.
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Today we mourn David Kato, a brave LGBT activist who paid the ultimate price in defense of his brothers and sisters. But we've also got start looking at some serious legal remedies to the actions of American anti-gay activists in other countries. Outside of the United States, many legals systems are not so constrained by the American concept of freedom of speech. What can we do to leverage that difference to end this madness? Lawsuits? The Hague?
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To the list of those responsible, I would add Pope Benedict XVI, Maggie Gallagher and every Republican elected official who give haters such as Lively, Perkins, et al, legitimacy by their constant pandering to such nasty individuals.

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