Religious Homophobes With Blood On Their Hands

Religious homophobia has deadly consequences. Here’s the result of the heinous persecution of homosexuals in Africa. From the Washington Post:

A lawmaker in this conservative African country introduced a bill a year ago that would have imposed the death penalty for some homosexual acts and life in prison for others. An international uproar ensued, and the bill was quietly shelved.

But gays in Uganda say they have faced a year of harassment and attacks since the bill’s introduction.

The legislation was drawn up following a visit by leaders of U.S. conservative Christian ministries that promote therapy they say allows gays to become heterosexual.

I was challenged by a displeased reader to demonstrate how Rabbi Reuven Bulka and his friends at the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) have harmed any gays. Representatives of NARTH were prominent among the visitors to Uganda. Now look at the consequences and explain to me how this is not an assault on gays:

[A] front-page newspaper story featured a list of Uganda’s 100 “top” homosexuals, with a bright yellow banner across it that read: “Hang Them.” Alongside their photos were the men’s names and addresses.

In the days since it was published, at least four gay Ugandans on the list have been attacked and many others are in hiding…. One person named in the story had stones thrown at his house by neighbors.

The defamation of homosexuals in Africa, particularly Uganda in the wake of the visit from NARTH & Co., has reached Goebbels-like proportions. This is what happens when homophobia runs rampant:

More than 20 homosexuals have been attacked over the last year in Uganda, and an additional 17 have been arrested and are in prison….

I am going to continue to put religion under a microscope. People should see the good (Keshet) and the bad (NARTH and JONAH, it’s Jewish twin).

(P.S. That same reader challenged me to illustrate how Bulka is a hypocrite. When you hold yourself out as a defender of human rights and then support a group like NARTH that is responsible for the violation of human rights, you are, my friend, a hypocrite.)