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Violence Erupts at Kato Funeral 


DAVID KATO FUNERAL X390

A local pastor attending Friday’s funeral for murdered Ugandan LGBT activist David Kato grabbed the microphone in the middle of the ceremony and decried homosexuality, causing a fight to break out and leading villagers to refuse to bury the body.

During the funeral in Mukono, Uganda, which was attended by about 300 people, according to Reuters, the pastor grabbed the mike and began screaming, provoking strong reaction from Kato’s friends.

"The world has gone crazy," the pastor said. "People are turning away from the scriptures. They should turn back, they should abandon what they are doing. You cannot start admiring a fellow man."

As he screamed, “It is ungodly,” gay activists stormed the pulpit and grabbed the mike. They were wearing T-shirts featuring Kato's face with sleeves with gay pride colors.

"Who are you to judge others?" a female activist yelled. "We have not come to fight. You are not the judge of us. As long as he's gone to God his creator, who are we to judge Kato?"

Villagers then refused to bury Kato’s body, leading his friends to carry the body to his grave and bury it themselves.

Kato was the advocacy officer for Sexual Minorities Uganda. He was found brutally beaten to death Wednesday at his home.

He was one of many gay Ugandans threatened with death on the cover of Rolling Stone newspaper in October.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Adam C.
    Date posted: 2/7/2011 12:40:01 PM
    Hometown: Oakland

    Comment:

    Science--that is, well-tested explanations for observed facts--tells me the following: --No-one "hung" the stars. Stars, including our own, are organized in galaxies, which in turn are organized in larger structures hundreds of millions of light-years across. These structures originated as small fluctuations in matter and energy in the first few tiny fractions of a second after the Big Bang. --Modern monkeys share a a common ancestor with humans and the great apes. We are roughly 90% genetically identical to monkeys and over 98% genetically identical to chimpanzees. Our imperfect adaptation to walking upright is what gives us so many knee and back problems. --Homosexuality is entirely natural and exists in many large animal species, from penguins to wolves to apes. It has occurred among humans throughout recorded history. Whether or not one believes in God, therefore, the notion that "God" will punish us for our sexual nature is disgusting and absurd.

  • Name: Kristie Gauthreaux
    Date posted: 2/1/2011 9:49:26 AM
    Hometown: Louisiana

    Comment:

    There is a God and when you leave this earth, you will find out! I don't know if people think the stars hung themselves or if monkeys make rain! But God is real, His word (the scriptures are real), and every man will be judged by Him only. According to how you live the life that He gave you while here on earth. Aliens do not grow Oak Trees from acorns, God does and whether the world wants to believe it or not the day will come for all who dont believe. It is not right to judge anyone for God is the only judge no matter the sin or lifestyle in which a person leads. Its not right to criticize, beat up, or murder another person because you don't like what they stand for. However it is not right to live a life total opposite of what God created either. So either way, whatever side you stand on, unless you love God enough to let Him handle it, He will judge what you do or have become.

  • Name: Bloodhound
    Date posted: 1/30/2011 12:38:23 PM
    Hometown: USA

    Comment:

    Those of you who continue to pursue the masochistic folly of these traditionally homophobic religions will never find anything but oppression. All such religions have to offer us is more pain and suffering for the world. Indeed, religious beliefs in general are wholly illogical, irrational, unproven, delusional, destructive, and uncompromisingly hateful toward everything that is natural and human more often than not. And surely after religion has caused so much pain for so long for so many, any outburst against religion is nothing short of self-defense, and it's about time because religion has unquestionably brought more pain and suffering into the world during the last thousand years than any other single idea. It has spread throughout the world like some sort of bizarre, contagious, extraterrestrial mental disorder out of a grade-B, sci-fi novel and is a curse on civilization. In view of what is going on in the world today, believing in it is nothing short of self-destructive. How many of you have actually considered the possibility that there really is no God? Logically speaking, you certainly can't prove there isn't a God, but you can't prove there is one either. Therefore, the correct belief is that you don't know. That's called agnosticism. I myself am an agnostic when I'm feeling logical, an atheist when I'm pissed, and a militant atheist when I'm feeling really pissed. And no, by criticizing religion I'm not just as bad as the homophobes who bash the LGBT community in the name of religion. I'm actually quite a nice guy once you get to know me, but I do intend to take up for myself and for what is clearly the only logically correct position on this matter. Of course, if you choose to promote the very belief system that is trying to destroy you, that is your prerogative.

  • Name: Sr. Bishop Zachary G. Jones
    Date posted: 1/29/2011 10:23:00 PM
    Hometown: New York, New York

    Comment:

    Now is the time that we as a community must come together and take a stand. We to shall overcome as the arch of the universe is long but it really does bend toward justice. We will see justice for our brother and sojouner Kato. thou they slay us, Yet will we serve him! Sr. Bishop Zachary G. jones

  • Name: CjWhitmore
    Date posted: 1/29/2011 10:19:28 PM
    Hometown: Saskatoon

    Comment:

    May he know a peace in Heaven that the evangelical "Christian" haters will never find.

  • Name: Chris Sullivan
    Date posted: 1/29/2011 4:34:48 PM
    Hometown: Chicago, IL

    Comment:

    A perfect example that willful ignorance is an evil unto itself. These "religious" people have absolutely nothing to do with God. They are sad, sick and pathetic individuals.

  • Name: Carol
    Date posted: 1/29/2011 1:37:29 PM
    Hometown: MO

    Comment:

    The Village Ugandans were "terrorized" by this supposed Anglican Priest, when he grabbed the mike and ruined Kato's funeral service. Imagine how his family is suffering. His friends were his friends right to the end. The Villagers didn't want to be attacked or killed when they least expected to be as Kato was. Fundamentalist Christians are a blight on my religion. Lots of bad karma ahead for the offenders.

  • Name: Dyana Marie Haynes
    Date posted: 1/29/2011 11:35:19 AM
    Hometown: West Plains Missouri

    Comment:

    the emotion named UNHEALTHY SHAME will kill if allowed to flourish inside of a person. Look around...shame is everywhere, but is hidden behind the actions of those who act as if they are shameless. When one has conquored UNHEALTHY SHAME ( a personal goal of mine) then the proper response to others is to allow them to be who they are...not to oppress and to shame others into being something and someone they ARE NOT...I wish we could all come together and declare war on unhealthy shame...it is truly what septerates us all. UNHEALTHY SHAME IS THE TRUE ENEMY

  • Name: riffraf002
    Date posted: 1/29/2011 8:16:34 AM
    Hometown: Portland ME

    Comment:

    Its time for us here to find this American Evangelical church and target it for protest and take it down once and forever! Buy any and all means look at our gay brothers in Egypt and other nations they took it to the streets lets learn from their example!

  • Name: Chad
    Date posted: 1/29/2011 3:48:54 AM
    Hometown: Tulsa

    Comment:

    Personally, I find it better-fitting that his friends should carry his body to it's final resting place. If it were my funeral, that's the way I'd have it. And if I were a Ugandan activist, I'd consider it symbolic of my friends to be picking up the slack and finnishing what needs to be done. It is sad, and feels insulting, though, even to one so far away, and disconnected in all but spirit to this tragedy.

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