GUILTY Uganda - Gay rights activist slain after his photo was published, 2011

When will Uganda wake up and see the hatefulness and harm they are spreading? This breaks my heart. Such a gentle and bright man with a promising future who stood up for what he believed. He is truly a hero who died a martyr. Bless Mr. Kato and his loved ones.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110127...jA3luX21vc3RfcG9wdWxhcgRzbGsDdWdhbmRhbmdheWFj

Ugandan gay rights activist slain after photo published

"KAMPALA, Uganda – A prominent Ugandan gay rights activist whose picture was published by an anti-gay newspaper next to the words "Hang Them" was bludgeoned to death. Police said Thursday his sexual orientation had nothing to do with the killing and that one "robber" had been arrested.

Activists were outraged over the death of David Kato, an advocacy officer for the gay rights group Sexual Minorities Uganda. His slaying comes after a year of stepped up threats against gays in Uganda, where a controversial bill has proposed the death penalty for some homosexual acts.

Kato, who had received multiple threats, was found with serious wounds to his head caused by an attack with a hammer at his home late Wednesday in Uganda's capital, Kampala. Kato later died on the way to the hospital...."

more at link

Well, Missizzy, let me just say, this interview should keep you occupied for a little while and will probably knock your socks off:

http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=120746516

It is the transcript of an interview with Jeff Sharlet, "The Secret Political Reach Of 'The Family'" that was on November 24, 2009 - TERRY GROSS, host:

About half way through the interview they talk about the relationship between The Family and President Museveni, of Uganda and his anti-homsexual crusade.

And, next:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120746516

This page has an excerpt from Sharlet's book, "The Family", and it has an audio of the Fresh Air interview but the audio won't play unless you click on it, so don't worry about that.

The main Ugandan to focus on is probably "the legislator that introduced the bill, a guy named David Bahati, is a member of The Family. He appears to be a core member of The Family. He works, he organizes their Ugandan National Prayer Breakfast and oversees a African sort of student leadership program designed to create future leaders for Africa, into which The Family has poured millions of dollars working through a very convoluted chain of linkages passing the money over to Uganda."

Bahati has appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show at least once, maybe more.

i.b.nora--Thank you for posting that link. I am appalled. I remember reading that transcript about a year ago but I totally missed the part about Uganda and focused instead on Gov. Sanford and other US politicians. I had forgotten about the Ugandan link. Everyone needs to spend a few minutes and read this. It's terrifying.

Does this not prove what pure hatred can do? The needless and cruel death of an innocent advocate for human rights.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110127...jA3luX21vc3RfcG9wdWxhcgRzbGsDdWdhbmRhbmdheWFj

"....A Ugandan tabloid newspaper called Rolling Stone [Note: not at all related to the US periodical of the same name] listed a number of men they said were homosexuals last year, including Kato. Kato's picture was published on the front page, along with his name and a headline that said "Hang Them."

Kato and two other gay activists sued Rolling Stone over claims that it had violated their constitutional rights to privacy and won the case earlier this month. A judge issued an injunction banning the publication of the identities and personal details of alleged homosexuals...."

more at link (updated)

Being that Bishop Eddie Long of Georgia and his "spiritual son", Pastor Brian Tamaki of New Zealand, have called for the death penalty for homosexuals, I'm left wondering if they too might be what Jeff Sharlet refers to as The Family's "key men"?

Eddie Long took some of the young men accusing him of sexual harassment to Kenya, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Interesting that he stayed out of Uganda.



[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_politics_in_New_Zealand[/ame]

"....televangelist Brian Tamaki founded his own political vehicle, Destiny New Zealand. In May 2007, this became rebranded as the Family Party, still with significant input from Destiny Church and another New Zealand Pentecostal religious organisation, City Impact Church...."

Bahati states that $15 million has being pumped into Uganda to recruit children to "become gay". He even told Rachel Maddow (when she was a bit curious about this fact) that he would provide the videos. He has not:

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bahati[/ame]

The full interview (just a few weeks ago) with Maddow:

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/12/09/5614680-rachel-maddowdavid-bahati-full-interview

I am so terribly distraught over this killing. I have prayed, meditated, and researched. It was a dark dark day for all of us on the day Mr. Kato was slain. I view him now as a martyr, a hero. He bravely fought for what was right and knew, all too well, that his days were numbered. IMO, the Americans who went to Africa to proselytize have blood on their hands. An excellent commentary:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/weekinreview/30gettleman.html

".....Why come back to Uganda?

“We are few people who are out here,” he [David Kato] said. “Me, I’m a professional teacher, I went to nice schools. My role is to fight and liberate.”

He was a small man with thick glasses and thin wrists. He said police officers had broken his arm and cracked him in the nose after he held Uganda’s first gay rights news conference several years ago. He talked fast, constantly scanning the darkness. He struck me as clearly brave and deeply frightened.

Uganda, which Winston Churchill famously called the “pearl of Africa,” doesn’t feel like an especially intolerant place. Most people here seem free to say what they want, even regarding President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power 25 years straight.

But beneath the mild surface is an intensely strong current of religion. And in March 2009, the American evangelicals came to Uganda to discuss what they called “the gay agenda — that whole hidden and dark agenda,” and to assert that gay men often sodomized teenage boys....."

more at link




And:

http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=277815&catid=1261

Pastor Angers Mourners Over Statement

"The minister conducting the funeral of a gay activist outraged mourners when he said homosexuals would go to hell, officials in Uganda said.

The minister made the comment at the funeral of David Kato, 46, who was beaten to death in his home this week near the capital, Kampala, CNN reported.

Sympathizers rushed the pulpit and grabbed the microphone when the pastor said homosexuals would "go to hell." Another minister concluded the funeral as police escorted the first minister from the service....."

more at link

Lively's not only being callous, he's got some other problems it seems--hiring a RSO to work around kids in his Christian coffee-house.

I've heard and read so much about this trip by US evangelicals to Africa in 2009. I have to wonder about Bishop Eddie Long. It's well reported that he too traveled to Africa--with some of the boys who recently accused him of sexual improprieties. Why did Long go to Africa and was he a part of this group which promoted hatred?

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/blogs/the_angle/2011/01/scott_livelys_r.html

Scott Lively's bizarre response to the murder of David Kato

"After the brutal murder of a Ugandan gay rights activist Wednesday, a Massachusetts preacher [Scott Lively] accused of helping incite anti-gay sentiment during a trip to the African nation responded to the killing with a feeble, callous statement...."

and

"...in a statement posted on the website Defend the Family today, the Springield pastor made no mention of his 2009 trip, nor did he condemn the murder or offer his condolences. Lively also said he would "caution the media against assuming Cato’s [sic] murder was a hate crime...."

and

"....Lively has linked homosexuality to violence in the past. In his book Pink Swastika, Lively blames Nazi violence on homosexuality.

During their 2009 trip to Uganda, Lively and other U.S. evangelical preachers spoke at a conference condemning homosexuality, which gay rights groups say galvanized anti-gay sentiment. After that event, during which Lively argued that homosexuality "will lead to social chaos and destruction," the Ugandan government drew up legislation allowing for the execution of gay people, and a Ugandan publication printed the "leaked" names and pictures of gays and lesbians in the country. Kato's picture was featured on the cover under the words, "Hang them....."

more at link

According to Wikipedia the killer, Kato's driver, was sentenced to 30 years on November 10, 2011 (dead link), the reason was to be robbery.
David Kato - Wikipedia