Ugandan Pastor Preaches Compassion for Gays

A bishop who was expelled from the Church of Uganda said he first became an advocate for the country's persecuted gay population more than a decade ago when a group of young gay men who tried to change their sexual orientation turned to him for help.

Bishop Christopher Senyonjo told a 60-person audience Tuesday at the Trinity Cathedral in Sacramento about his early advocacy and his embrace of gays and lesbians, which eventually led him to be kicked out of the church. He said the young fasted and prayed to change their sexual orientation but realized nothing would change, The Sacramento Bee reports. Senyojo assured the men that they would be accepted by God even if they were rejected by their countrymen.

"They came to me because they were being regularly harassed, abused, and misunderstood by their families, their schools, and the church," he said, according to the Bee.

He is now touring cities around the world to raise awareness of the plight of gay people in Uganda.