American Far Right Funding Anti-Gay Hate in Europe

There have been numerous articles that trace ant-gay hate and bigotry to far right "Christian" organizations and in Uganda, it is very evident that American hate groups have done their best to fuel anti-gay rhetoric and animus.  Now reports out of Europe suggest that similar efforts are being made on that continent and that just like the National Organization for Marriage these "family values" organizations are hiding the sources of their funding. Personally, I'm not surprised since we've seen the Christianists seeking to export "reparative" therapy and the "ex-gay" fraud to European nations, particularly the United Kingdom.  EU Observer has a piece that looks at some of these nefarious organizations.  Here are excerpts:

BRUSSELS - Lobbyists in the EU capital opposing gay rights are in close contact with US neo-conservative organisations, raising questions about where their money comes from. The lobbyists themselves deny any funding comes from overseas.  One such lobby group is European Dignity Watch, founded in 2010, advocating "life, the family and fundamental freedoms."

It rallies against abortion, euthanasia, but most ardently against gay rights. It accuses the European Parliament of pressuring member states into legalising same-sex marriage, and the European Commission of bias for hosting a pro-gay photo exhibition.  .  .  .  .   Its president, Jorge Soley, is a well-known figure within the European Christian-conservative movement.

For his part, Michael Cashman, British centre-left MEP and co-president of the parliament's LGBT intergroup, says he finds it "deeply worrying" that the organisation does not disclose the origin of its funding.  "[Its] proximity to neo-conservative funds and think-tanks leaves no doubt as to their raison d'être: they want to export the culture wars to Europe, along with an ultra-conservative agenda," he told EUobserver in an e-mail.

One lobbyist who leaves little doubt about the origin of his pay-check is Vienna-based Roger Kiska, EU representative of the Alliance Defense Fund, a US network of lawyers "defending the right to hear and speak the Truth."   .   .   .   .   One of his 'victories' is a proposed EU anti-discrimination law which continues to be blocked by a number of member states. "A lot of people did well," he says, not wanting to take the credit.

Apparently the haters are not satisfied with making Christianity synonymous with hate and bigotry in America but now seek to do the same thing across the Atlantic.  Conservative Christianity - like fundamentalist Islam - is a cancer that needs to be stopped.