Being the Change I Wish to See » Scott Lively

Ugandan kill-the-gays bill part 13: Now it’s the imprison-the-gays-for-life bill

Sherri Joubert — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 07:50:53 +0000

This article is part 13 in a multi-part series about the Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill of 2009, better known as the Ugandan kill-the-gays bill. The first 12 articles can be accessed at the following links:

There has been a change of opinion on the Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill of 2009. 1) Ethics minister, James Buturo, said to the media that ‘homosexuals can forget about human rights’, and 2) President Museveni has decided that the death penalty parts of the bill will be removed before passage.

There has also been a very troubling clarification from Bob Hunter of The Family concerning who decides when and where United States Senators and Congressmen travel on The Family’s business. Senator James Inhofe has bragged to his colleagues that when he goes to Uganda or anywhere in Africa, he can open doors because of his American political position. This is quite a revelation about the separation of church and state in this country. Who do our Congresspersons and Senators really work for when they are members of The Family? Who do they represent?

Please watch the video (7 min). Much of the discussion is based on its content.

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Here is the link to Box Turtle Bulletin with a lot more of Scott Lively’s videos. Lively equates gays to sociopaths, Nazis, mass murders, serial killers, and the cause of the Rwandan genocide. He claims to know more about homosexuality than anyone else in the world? Really? Is Lively secretly gay and telling the truth? Has he participated in murder and genocide? I don’t think so. Watch the videos if you can stomach the lies and hate. After this false input into a society in a “sexual knowledge and education” vacuum, it’s no wonder Ugandans hate gays even more than they did before. (Again, Scott Lively is not associated with or a member of The Family).

Here is the link to Jeff Sharlet’s response to the Bob Hunter interview. Jeff says he doesn’t know why Hunter said he denied his own reporting. He clearly doesn’t. It would benefit The Family considerably if the most persistent investigative reporter about them said he was wrong. It would let them all off the hook about everything Jeff has written about them. The whole article is an important read, but the most important quote from it is posted below the link. What the Family isn’t saying about the kill-the-gays bill in Uganda

Working with two documents Hunter prepared for government and Family leaders, “Re: organizing the invisible” and “A Trip to East Africa—Fall 1986,” and Family leader Doug Coe’s account of Hunter’s trip, I argued that Hunter traveled at the behest of the U.S. government. Hunter’s correction? He didn’t go at the government’s behest; American politicians went to Uganda at his behest. He didn’t work for them; they worked for him. Emphasis mine.

American politicians go on trips at Bob Hunter’s behest. That means The Family and it’s church(es) control a part of the U.S. government. It decides which members will go where, when, and on our tax dollars. So much for separation of church and state. This is the exact kind of problem the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was meant to prevent.

I (charitably) don’t think Bob Hunter fully understands the conflict with the First Amendment that he is creating when our legislators travel at his behest. It doesn’t matter if the trips are for good works or not. It conflicts with the solemn oath sworn by legislators to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. That includes leaving religion out of trips abroad and sticking to U.S. policy. I’m not sure why Senators and Congresspersons are permitted to travel out of the country representing the U.S. without the State Department’s knowledge and blessing.

Here is Bob Hunters reply to Jeff Sharlet’s written response on the TRMS website.

Bob Hunter’s article is a bit rambling, but it is definitely worth reading. He concludes his thoughts as follows:

While Jeff and I still argue vigorously about important (to us) details, we do agree on the only critical thing: the Uganda Anti-homosexual[ity] Bill must be stopped. I commit to continue working on that with Jeff and others who seek that important outcome, including friends in high position in Uganda. This discussion demonstrates the essence of how the Fellowship works; learning to love one another while not giving up our individual positions, even on issues we feel deeply about.
NEWS FLASH
After preparing this post, I learned that President Museveni appears to be moving in the right direction. I am sure that Jeff is as pleased as I am to hear the good news!

Perhaps the kill-the-gays bill will be dropped after all. However, it’s not over yet. I’ll keep you posted.

Part 14 may be accessed here.

Technorati Tags: anti-gay religious movement, Bob Hunter, Box Turtle Bulletin, Evangelicals in Uganda, James Buturo, Jeff Sharlet, kill-the-gays bill, Museveni, Rachel Maddow, Scott Lively, separation of church and state, The Rachel Maddow Show, Uganda

Ugandan kill-the-gays bill part 7: Evangelicals were for it before they were against it

Sherri Joubert — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:32:59 +0000

This article is part 7 in a multi-part series about the Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill of 2009, better known as the Ugandan kill-the-gays bill. The first 6 articles can be accessed at the following links:

Uganda is severely homophobic. They see homosexuality and the “International Gay Agenda” as a major cause of disrupting traditional family values and life in their country. Americans of authority have been visiting Uganda for over 2 decades, some of them fundamentalist Christians, and have subtly or not-so-subtly fed into Ugandan homophobia.

In the past decade, anti-gay Evangelicals Rick Warren (author of The Purpose Driven Life) and Scott Lively have been going to Uganda often telling them how evil, horrible, and sick gays are (listen to some of Scott Lively’s quotes in the next video).

Cure-the-gays quacks like Richard Cohen and Don Schmierer, who are presenting themselves as scientific authorities on curing gay people, have spoken about their “cures” to Ugandan Parliament members and citizens. (The quote from Richard Cohen’s book in the following video is completely untrue. Homosexuals are far less likely to molest anyone than heterosexuals).

American anti-gay Evangelical activists and cure-the-gays quacks have given homophobic Ugandan Parliament member David Bahati and Ethics Minister James Buturo, both members of the Ugandan branch of The Family, all the ammunition they need to justify a Draconian anti-homosexuality bill.

Anglican Priest Rev. Kaoma attended the March 2009 Kampala conference where Scott Lively spoke of zero tolerance for homosexuality and recorded Mr. Lively saying so. Steven Langa, Caleb Brundidge and Don Schmierer also gave lectures about gay “cures” at that conference, where multiple copies of Richard Cohen’s book were distributed. This conference and these speakers are directly connected to the anti-homosexuality bill.

These Americans claim after they misled Ugandans that they didn’t intend for gays to be killed or imprisoned for life and are against the bill. What the hell did they think was going to happen?

Americans are neck-deep in this human rights violation disaster (videos 8 min. each):

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Jeff Sharlet interview:

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American Family members were solidly against this bill when David Bahati proposed it as early as October 2008, then again at the Kampala conference in March 2009.

All claim to be against this bill and are speaking out in America about it, but aren’t telling Ugandans. The Family in America, people like Bob Hunter, are using their leverage behind the scenes to stop the bill. Influential Evangelicals, Senators and Congressmen need to use their influence to make sure this bill is stopped, but all they have done is distance themselves from the legislation.

The American branch of The Family has the power to stop this bill but hasn’t publicly put their foot down. They have great influence and access in the Ugandan government. They need to use it for accountability as well. The Family’s American Prayer Breakfast, coming up in February, should not include David Bahati or James Buturo. Both were planning to attend, but they may be uninvited because of this bill.

Part 8 is located at this link.

Technorati Tags: Caleb Brundidge, David Bahati, Don Schmierer, Human Rights, James Buturo, Jeff Sharlet, kill-the-gays bill, Rachel Maddow, Rick Warren, Scott Lively, The Family, Uganda

Ugandan kill-the-gays bill part 6: Richard Cohen and debunking gay cure

Sherri Joubert — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:22:16 +0000

This article is part 6 in a multi-part series about the Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill of 2009, better known as the Ugandan kill-the-gays bill. It is longer than the others to date, so I recommend grabbing a drink before you sit down to read and watch the embedded videos. The first 5 articles can be accessed at the following links:

This report is where The Family and other Evangelicals such as mega-church pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church (an anti-gay ministry) and Scott Lively of Defend the Family International (an anti-gay ministry); and cure-the-gays industry members Richard Cohen and Caleb Brundidge of the International Healing Foundation (a pseudo-psychotherapy cure-the-gays organization) and Don Schmierer of Exodus International (a cure-the-gays through Jesus ministry) diverge in their influence of the Ugandan government to construct an anti-homosexuality bill. This proposed legislation came directly out of the “pray-the-gay-away” March 2009 conference in Uganda where Caleb Brundidge, Don Schmierer, and Ugandan Steven Langa spoke extensively about the ability of gays to be cured. Scott Lively was present to speak on the evils of the homosexual agenda being imposed by outsiders such as the U.S. and Europe, which provide a huge amount of aid to Uganda.

Richard Cohen, author of Coming Out Straight, provided multiple copies of his book to the March 2009 gathering in Uganda. Cohen presented himself and his foundation, along with Caleb Brundidge and Don Schmierer as legitimate experts in the field of curing gay people.

These Americans are not members of The Family and do not represent it. The Family in America is not directly involved in promoting this bill. It is hoped they have enough influence in Uganda and the will to stop the bill.

For the record, no credible medical, psychological or psychiatric professionals believe being gay is a disease, nor that it can or needs to be cured. Being gay is a normal variation in the human species, those who are gay are born that way and one’s sexual orientation is an innate part of one’s being.

Introducing Richard Cohen (video, 5 min.):

Mark Benjamin of Salon.com investigated the “cure the gays” industry and even went undercover, posing as a gay man, to see first-hand what “cures” are being offered by these snake-oil salesmen.

Here is Rachel’s interview with Mark Benjamin (9 min.):

The only people who claim the “cure” works are those with a financial interest in the industry; selling books, doing counseling for money, selling CD and DVD courses and lecturing about it. The industry wouldn’t produce “healed” patients because of confidentiality. Mr. Benjamin could not locate any patients independent of the industry who claimed to be cured.

Mr. Benjamin found a lot of people who are desperate to be cured of being gay, and spent years and thousands of dollars only to remain just as gay as they were before they started. Mr. Benjamin reports many people like this either attempted suicide or told him of others who committed suicide because they couldn’t reconcile their sexual orientation with their religion.

Please take some time to read Mark Benjamin’s series of articles in Salon.com. They are eye-opening to say the least. The links are listed here:

Mark Benjamin – Salon.com 2005 series part 1: Turning Off Gays

Part 2: My Gay Therapy Session

Part 3: Getting Straight With God

Part 4: True Confessions

Rachel’s interview with Richard Cohen (18 min.):

Richard Cohen claims as his professional credentials that he cured himself of being gay and his proof of cure is his 27 year marriage (to a woman) which produced 3 children. He claims to have a Master’s degree in some form of psychology or social work, though he is not a licensed therapist. He teaches that gays are gay because of a number of intertwining factors that occurred during preadolescence and can be cured with different types of therapy. The cure is for those who have unwanted same-sex attractions. Those who remain gay choose to remain gay. He says he insists all people regardless of sexual orientation choice should be treated with love, compassion and respect, but that part of his message was lost on the Ugandans who are using his book to justify the new law.

The flammable mix that seems to have resulted in this bill is the combination of Ugandan homophobia, anti-gay Evangelicals such as Rick Warren and Scott Lively, and the IHF and Exodus International claiming gays are curable. The homophobic conclusion Ugandans drew is that gays can be changed into heterosexuals, and therefore gays are gay by choice. Since gays can be cured, they can avoid the consequences of the draconian law by getting “therapy” and becoming heterosexual. The only people who would be subject to the new law are those who refuse to be cured.

Again, curing gays was debunked by the American Psychiatric Association in 1973, and homosexuality no longer appears in the DSM-IV as a mental disorder. Many other medical and psychological professionals and their organizations have done extensive research which debunks that being gay is a mental disorder of any kind.

Uganda, like many other African and Muslim countries, is extremely homophobic and already has laws against homosexuality, though they are not as far-reaching and punishments are not as extreme as the proposed bill. Other homophobic countries with such laws do use capital punishment against gays.

The difference is the basis for their laws did not come out of the United States in the 21st century from conservative, fundamentalist Christians. The beliefs these conservatives espouse sound nothing like the mainstream Christianity most Americans follow. It is fundamentally un-American and un-Christian for such lies and intolerance to be exported to uninformed societies willing to use any excuse to do whatever they want to rid themselves of a part of their population they don’t believe should exist.

Part 7 is located at this link.

Technorati Tags: Caleb Brundidge, Chuck Grassley, Coming Out Straight, Don Schmierer, Exodus International, International Healing Foundation, kill-the-gays bill, Mark Benjamin, Rachel Maddow, Richard Cohen, Rick Warren, Salon.com, Scott Lively, The Family, Uganda