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Fundamentalists Tied to Uganda's Antigay Law


JOHN ENSIGN MUSEVENI X390 (GETTY) | ADVOCATE.COM

An antigay conservative group with high-powered U.S. political allies has used its influence to support a proposed Ugandan law that would impose the death penalty on "repeat offenders" engaging in gay sex.

David Bahati, a Ugandan lawmaker and member of the fundamentalist group The Family, sponsored the antigay legislation and has received millions of dollars in funding through the organization’s African outreach programs. The Family has also cultivated a "deep relationship" with Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni (pictured, right), Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, said in a Tuesday interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross on National Public Radio.

Sharlet detailed The Family's connections with Capitol Hill powers-that-be, including Nevada senator John Ensign (pictured, left) and Kansas senator Sam Brownback. “Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma boasts of traveling around the world, doing The Family's political business, he said. "[Oklahoma] Senator Tom Coburn has done the same thing. [Iowa] Senator Chuck Grassley has been very involved in African affairs on behalf of The Family. Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming is a part of it.”

Though gay sex is already criminalized in Uganda, the proposed legislation currently before parliament would add a specific clause called “aggravated homosexuality,” which would impose the death penalty on so-called repeat offenders as well as those who have HIV and engage in sex. Even failure to report a gay person to authorities could result in a lengthy prison sentence.

The transcript of the interview is available here.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Sue Burnside
    Date posted: 12/3/2009 4:59:03 PM
    Hometown: Vallejo,CA

    Comment:

    12.03.09 Dear "The Family" & others like-spirited: How dare you claim JESUS, holding onto His robe-tails, & then going off & financing the Execution, Extermination, Murder of anyone who'se gay or accused of being gay or anyone "hiding" anyone gay. You are not only Anti-American, but also Anti-Jesus. I've no doubt that you will do the same (or ARE doing) here in America, if given the chance. TO ALL AMERICANS: This is what a Theocracy-ruled government does to human beings: persecute even unto the death. This is NOT Jesus' Way. Hypocracy comes in "Look-Good" clothes as well as in hand-me-downs. Either way, hypocracy turns people into filthy rags.

  • Name: Carol
    Date posted: 11/29/2009 3:09:26 PM
    Hometown: MO

    Comment:

    Until all media puts this out like MSNBC does, or at least Rachel Maddow, about the background work of "The Family" the general population won't know about it. This needs to be published in every paper, and put in every news media on the net.

  • Name: Mark
    Date posted: 11/29/2009 2:45:28 AM
    Hometown: Elizabeth, Colorado

    Comment:

    Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fellowship_(Christian_organization) says it all. Worlds worst homophobic politicians all are listed.

  • Name: lvnvrcd
    Date posted: 11/28/2009 7:30:25 PM
    Hometown: Las Vegas

    Comment:

    John Ensign is a two-faced, double talking, self-righteous piece of sh*t. How does a man who commits adultery feel like he should have anything to say about anything and have people take him seriously. Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!

  • Name: Jock Murray
    Date posted: 11/28/2009 4:46:49 PM
    Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa

    Comment:

    When will people in the west realise that our esteemed brothers whole control this continent REALLY DO NOT LIKE GAY PEOPLE. We here in South Africa probably have the most advanced Constitutioal rights with regards to Homosexual safeguards, but when our current president gets hauled up by the relevent courts for outright bigotry then dont be surprised at what you are seeing in Uganda. And they will not be the last ones. Please remove the rose tinted specs when it come to how this continent works. EG four months ago, a number of gents were sentenced for the murder and rape of one of the team members of our ladies national football team,she was lesbian, and the general concensus of the indigenous population was that this was the cure for the disease. Oh and i might add that the belief that raping babies as a cure for HIV/Aids is not an old wives tale, but propounded by certain factions of the Sangoma(Witch Doctor) fraternity who are recognised as practioners in law.

  • Name: Steve
    Date posted: 11/27/2009 6:49:30 PM
    Hometown: Idyllwild

    Comment:

    I remember hearing this on NPR and wondered (without a whole lot of wonder) why mainstream straight media had not and still has not picked up on this. Hopefully with all the 'share' postings of this article will bring it to the limelight! Thank you Advocate for bringing this to light via gay mainstream media.

  • Name: Gregg
    Date posted: 11/27/2009 3:38:18 PM
    Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

    Comment:

    I wouldn’t be surprised of some of the anti-gay groups in the US have seen the tide turning against them, like it did for their racist brethren in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and are trying a new tactic to try to prevent total irrelevancy, by turning their efforts overseas. Sure, they become pretty much irrelevant here, but their efforts on places like Uganda keep them in the news. This does have the potential of backfiring, since it’s possible that members of this group here in the US could face legal sanctions (such as practicing foreign diplomacy without the proper credential, interfering in a foreign government, and if the law passes and is enforced, potential homicide and genocide charges.

  • Name: Ran
    Date posted: 11/27/2009 2:28:40 AM
    Hometown: West Hollywood

    Comment:

    We should be asking the Senator's to explain their connection with The Family, and why they would be promoting human rights violations around the world when they're known, and employed, as US representatives. Is that legal? Where's the Ethics Committee?

  • Name: Stephen
    Date posted: 11/26/2009 7:27:34 PM
    Hometown: Dayton

    Comment:

    These people are disgusting! this is outrageous. American taliban in suits is the only difference. We need to educate and this needs to be widely publisized and exposed in broader media.

  • Name: Davya
    Date posted: 11/26/2009 4:02:47 PM
    Hometown: Wynnewood, PA

    Comment:

    Bomb the wretched place and persecute the senators the way they did those connected with anti-war organizations after 9/11.

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