The New York Times came out against Uganda’s “kill the gays” bill in an editorial, saying “the United States and others need to make it clear to the Ugandan government that such barbarism” will result in the loss of millions of dollars in foreign aid.

Writes the Times: “Corruption and repression — including violence against women and children and abuse of prisoners — are rife in Uganda. According to the Times’s Jeffrey Gettleman, officially sanctioned homophobia is particularly acute. Gay Ugandans are tormented with beatings, blackmail, death threats and what has been described as ‘correctional rape.’’’

What makes it worse, the paper continued, is that American evangelical Christians have helped fuel this legislation by going to Uganda and telling thousands of officials that gay people can be “cured” and that gay men and lesbians are a threat to Bible-based family values.

Read the full editorial here.