VATICAN CITY: Pope Blesses Uganda's Rebecca "Kill The Gays" Kadaga

[allrevvedup]

42. "Vatican speaks out against Uganda anti-gay laws"

It seems Joe.My.Hillbilly.God got it wrong, imagine that:

Pope Benedict is opposed to 'unjust discrimination' against gay men and lesbians, according to a statement addressed to a United Nations panel by the Vatican's legal attaché, the Reverend Philip J Bene, today.

The statement is being seen as a response to a bill being considered by the Ugandan parliament, which would introduce the death penalty for 'aggravated homosexuality' in the east African country.

David Bahati, the Ugandan MP behind the bill, told Radio Netherlands Worldwide his reasoning for putting the new laws forward. . . .

Mark Bromley, of the Council for Global Equality, told Radio Netherlands Worldwide that Uganda was contradicting human rights laws it had already accepted under UN treaty provisions. . . .

Christian evangelists

In March this year, Mr Bahati attended a conference in Uganda held by anti-gay US Christian evangelists who have promised to wipe out homosexuality. He drew up his bill within weeks of the meeting.

Mark Bromley says there are clear substantial links between evangelical communities in the US and some of the communities and religious institutions that are now supporting these criminalisation efforts in Uganda. . . .

For his part, Mr Bahati maintains that pressure from the international community will not sway him. . . .

The bill’s classification of ‘aggravated homosexuality’, for which the death penalty could be passed, includes HIV-positive gay people and repeat offenders.

If Uganda passes the bill, which is very likely, it will join 37 other African countries where US-backed evangelical Christian groups are spreading an anti-homosexual message.