Uganda Antigay Bill Step in Right Direction

Conservative Christian activist Scott Lively described Uganda's "kill the gays" bill as "a step in the right direction" in an interview with radio talk-show host Alan Colmes, although Lively said the proposal goes too far in its punishments.

Lively, president of Abiding Truth Ministries, praised Uganda for "actively discouraging the mainstreaming of homosexuality" when he appeared on Colmes's show Monday night. He told Colmes he does not agree with the legislation's prescriptions of life imprisonment or capital punishment for gays in certain circumstances, and he does not think parliament will pass the measure as currently written. Pressed by the host about what he would consider appropriate punishment, Lively said only that he does not favor incarceration for gays and that society should encourage heterosexual marriage.

Lively was one of three U.S. conservative Christian leaders who spoke at a conference in Uganda last March on how to fight homosexuality. The bill was drafted shortly thereafter, and some press reports, like this New York Times article, have explored how U.S. evangelicals may have influenced the antigay movement in Uganda -- although Lively and the other Americans have tried to distance themselves from the legislation.

People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch blog has posted audio of Colmes's interview with Lively. Click below to listen.