U.S. ties to a Uganda hate law

THIS IS an article I wish I never had to write. Who would ever think that in the last month of 2009, one would have to write a story concerning a country that is thinking of passing a law making homosexuality not only illegal, but punishable by the death penalty.

Yet this is the situation today in Uganda. A proposed "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" would make the criminalization of LGBT people even harsher, with execution a possible punishment for some people convicted under the law, and penalties for any person or organization that supports LGBT rights.

As disturbing as this law is by itself, it is not the only disturbing part of this story. The members of Uganda's parliament who are proposing this draconian law, right out of the era of the Spanish Inquisition, have very close ties to Americans connected to the right-wing Christian fundamentalist ministers and politicians of the so-called "House on C Street."

The House on C Street is an actual house in Washington, D.C. that is a religious retreat for right-wing conservatives, run by what is known as "The Family." Prominent Republicans and Democrats, not to mention leading figures from the Christian Right, have stayed at the house for long stretches or attended so-called prayer meetings.

One regular at C Street connected to the proposed law in Uganda is Scott Lively, a dedicated Christian social conservative activist who opposes LGBT rights and woman's productive freedoms, and generally favors a Christian fundamentalist theocratic state. Lively has been on a speaking tour of Uganda to whip up a climate of hate and fear against the gay population, and claims that LGBT people from the West want to take over the country.

Lively has stated he would favor the Uganda bill if the death penalty was removed and mandatory conversion therapy included instead for anyone convicted of "homosexuality." This, Lively said, would "represent an encouraging step in the right direction for Uganda."

Lively's position about taking the death penalty out of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill has been endorsed by the Ugandan minister of ethics, James Nsaba Buturo. Buturo says he would be willing to cure gays of their homosexuality instead of hanging them.

This position fits exactly within the framework of the so-called ex-gay movement. Many American right-wing religious figures believe in conversion therapy, and are looking at Uganda as a place to advance their business interests--as MSNBC's Rachel Maddow has continually exposed on her show.

THERE ARE a few things that greatly concern me about this question.

The first is that a law like this could actually be proposed in the 21st century. Unfortunately, a number of African nations are like Uganda in criminalizing homosexuality--the result of homophobic reactionary beliefs left over from British colonial rule. While Britain and Western Europe as a whole have moved forward on LGBTQ rights, Africa hasn't.

One must wonder, if Uganda actually passes this law, what nations will follow Uganda's lead? Already, Rwanda's parliament has proposed legislation that would imprison for five to 10 years and impose a hefty fine on "any person who practices, encourages or sensitizes people of the same sex, to sexual relation or any sexual practice," according to the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

My second concern is the connection between U.S. religious conservatives and the Ugandan political leaders responsible for this proposed law. Rick Warren, pastor of the notorious Saddleback Church, has had the archbishop of Uganda--a supporter of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill--as a houseguest. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has blamed Western countries for "promoting and funding homosexuality," also has close ties to many C Streeters--most notably Sen. Daniel Inhofe of Oklahoma who has bragged about his influence in Ugandan politics.

The third point that scares me is that I believe the overall goal of C street is to make the U.S. into a theocratic republic, based on values and beliefs taken from the Bible. America has always been a very puritanical society, and the right wing has been fighting the "culture wars" since the 1961 Supreme Court case outlawing state-sponsored prayer in school, and continuing with the attack on abortion rights.

I believe that supporters of the Ugandan anti-LGBTQ law are acting at the behest of The Family in the U.S. If these American right-wingers succeed there, they will move on to other countries. I feel they see these kind of laws in America as part of their plan--with Uganda being a practice run for them.

This is not the time to be silent. The organization Equality Across America has proposed a day of action to protest the proposed Ugandan hate law on February 4, 2010--the date of a national prayer breakfast in Washington, D.C. Please join in a protest to show you also favor the separation of church and state.