Pope Francis quote...

[theHandpuppet]

71. The Catholic Bishops in Uganda have NOT condemned the new laws

Their latest stance is that they will "reserve judgment" on the newly passed laws while reaffirming their opposition to LGBT rights. Over the years their position on the anti-gay laws has seesawed from pushing the "kill the gays" bill, then withdrawing their support until the death penalty clause was removed, then supporting the bill again when it was reintroduced. Now they simply "reserve judgment". Ugandan Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Simon Lokodo, a former Catholic priest, has such a hatred for gays that he has stated that to commit child rape is better than being homosexual. So please don't try to pass off the Catholic leaders in Uganda as advocates for LGBT rights -- they are anything but.

There are plenty of folks here who have condemned and ridiculed the religious right's involvement in anti-gay violence and hatred. That they should find no support here is a given. The difference is, folks here don't post cheerleading threads for Rick Warren or Pat Robertson or Scott Lively (currently facing charges of crimes against humanity). They don't post threads here praising promoters of homophobia even as gays around the world are fighting for their rights and lives because most folks understand how incredibly insulting and hurtful that is. GLBTs and their supporters JUST won a victory in Arizona and are still fighting a similar law in Kansas, both bills backed by the Catholic conferences of both states. So instead of granting us just 24 hours to breathe a sigh of relief what we get instead is a reminder of the religious bigotry we still face. Well gee, thanks a freaking lot. That will really take my mind off the fact that women and gays are still facing scores of lawsuits filed in the church's "religious liberty" campaign.

Finally, you know, most of us can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can fight the war on poverty and income inequality, against unjust wars, support labor unionization, fight for immigrants, and yet do so without throwing the rights of women and LGBTs under the bus. Some of us actually see all of these battles as a common cause.