Black Leader Condemns Kato Murder

The chairman of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS is condemning the murder of Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato, as well as decrying Pennsylvania's Lincoln University for withdrawing support for a conservative conference after a gay group signed on as a sponsor.

Rev. Calvin Butts -- chairman of the NBLCA, as well as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS -- took umbrage both with Uganda's homophobia and with Lincoln University pulling support from this year's Conservative Political Action Conference because of the involvement of GOProud, the gay Republican group.

"Although we may not feel a connection to Mr. Kato's death or the controversy swirling around GOProud because of where we live, where we worship or how we vote, we are all impacted by the homophobia, bigotry, ignorance, senseless fear, and in some cases, outright stupidity, that devalues us as a society," read his statement. "Homophobia, stigma and discrimination have no place in a civilized society. As Chairman of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc., I can say without hesitation that this feeds the transmission of HIV/AIDS by driving many to engage in forms of behavior, including high-risk sex and substance abuse, often resulting in infection with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases... I urge you to search your own hearts and remember that your words and actions can cause irreparable harm to your fellow human beings. Gay people deserve our love and compassion, not our hatred, scorn, and self-righteousness. "

Read more about the NBLCA here.