Gay Sex is Bad, But Men Raping Girls is Natural...?

From Bilerco:

[Stephen] Fry noted that the documentary [called "Out There"] brought him to places as diverse as Russia, Brazil, India, the United States, and Uganda. And then he dropped a bombshell:

I actually got a Ugandan minister to say on camera -- he's the Minister for Ethics and Integrity; it's the only such ministry in the world -- and I said to him, 'Look, even if these... utterly false supports on which you base your homophobia were true, which they aren't, there's so much more to worry about in your country than the odd gay person going to bed with the other gay person. For example, you have almost an epidemic of child rape in this country, which is just frightening.' And he said, 'Ah, but it is the right kind of child rape.' 

Ferguson and the audience were understandably stunned. Fry continued:

I said 'That was on camera. Do you know that that was on camera?' He said yes. I said, 'Can you just explain what you mean? He said, 'Well, it is men raping girls, which is natural.'

Note: The relevant part of the video starts at 27:49.

If you are going to have a Minister of Ethics, it should probably be someone who does not think there is a "right kind of rape." Maybe that is just my opinion though...

The Religious Wrong: Gospel of Intolerance

A Conservative's Crimes Against Humanity

From Huffington Post:

While Lively's name may not be familiar to the majority of Americans, he is known to those fighting for LGBT rights in Uganda. According to the New York Times, the suit against Lively alleges that he "conspired with religious and political leaders in Uganda to whip up anti-gay hysteria with warnings that gay people would sodomize African children and corrupt their culture." Vince Warren, executive director of the CCR, argues in a Washington Post blog that Lively calls himself the "'father' of the anti-gay movements" in Uganda. 

In 2009, the African nation considered enacting a bill, referred to by some as the "Kill the Gays" bill, that would have imposed the death sentence on active homosexuals living with HIV or in cases of same-sex rape, per the Times. As part of the bill, an undefined category of "serial offenders" would also be eligible for death. The Times notes that one of Lively's Ugandan contacts proposed the bill.

Uganda's "Kill the Gays" bill was initially dropped after an international outcry but was reintroduced in February 2012. It is possible that this new version of the bill may nix the capital punishment clause, according to The Times. Lively voiced his support for the revision on his blog, writing, "Since the alternative to passing this bill is to allow the continuing, rapid, foreigner-driven homosexualization of Ugandan culture, I am giving the revised Anti Homosexuality Bill my support."

U.S. State Dept. on Uganda's "Kill The Gays" Bill

From The New Civil Rights Movement and the Washington Blade:

Victoria Nuland, a State Department spokesperson, said during a daily briefing Monday that Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson met with high-profile leaders in Uganda “over the weekend” and raised concerns about the bill, which among other things would punish homosexual acts with life in prison. The questioning was initiated by the Washington Blade.

“As we have regularly said, we call on the parliament of Uganda to look very carefully at this because Uganda’s own Human Rights Council has made clear that if this were to pass, it would put the country out of compliance with its own international human rights obligations,” Nuland said. “And so, Assistant Secretary Carson had a chance to make that point again and our strong opposition to this, to the president, to the parliament and to key decision makers in Uganda.”

Nuland also affirmed media reports from last week that the legislation has passed out of the Legal & Parliamentary Affairs Committee, saying, “Our understanding is that a version of the bill has now passed the committee in Uganda.”

~

U.S. Ambassador to Uganda Scott H. DeLisi was quoted in a Ugandan newspaper as saying the United States has “decided to continue giving aid to Uganda,” but that was in response to misuse of foreign aid and not the anti-gay bill.

Nuland declined to directly answer a question from the Blade about whether the State Department was considering whether to cut foreign aid from Uganda if the legislation becomes law.

“I’m not going to get into any hypothetical situations,” Nuland said. “Our focus now is on raising awareness of the concerns within Uganda about this bill, so we don’t get to that stage.”

Asked by another reporter about whether a pledge to cut aid would be “a good, strong point to make” if the United States opposes the bill, Nuland said she won’t “make prospective points from the podium here about where we might go if this bill passes.”

Nuland refocused attention to talks within the country, saying, “I think there is a very intense conversation going on inside Uganda about this, and the far better course of action would be for the bill not to pass.”

The Wrap-Up: June 28, 2012

Former first lady Laura Bush and former vice-president Dick Cheney are being called out, but not by the left.

Congressional Republicans are coming up with lots of "reasons" to impeach President Obama.

Bryan Fischer, leader of the conservative, Christian group American Family Association thinks that we should let poor sick people die. I think he needs to reconsider his religion, since he has zero understanding of the Bible.

The U.S. may cut aid to Uganda because of the African nation's crackdown on the gay community.

The president of Exodus International takes about a half step towards being more progressive, admitting that homosexuality can NOT be cured (although the rest of us knew this ages ago). Half a step is better than nothing.

Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) along with about 36 other representatives will today be launching a congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus. It's that this is necessary, but good that kids will (hopefully) be protected.

Selena Gomez and Justin Beiber were on the House of Representatives? Wait for the explanation...

A committee in the California state assembly has approved a bill banning "reparative therapy."

And lastly, Republicans with delusions of grandeur. It must have been hard to narrow this down to just five, but these five are pretty big ones (especially the final one on this list).

NOTE: The Supreme Court will handing down their ruling on the Affordable Care Act (I believe) at or before 2 PM Eastern.

The Wrap-Up: June 25, 2012

Incompletely unsurprising news, a recent (and highly unreliable) study on the "perils" having gays parenting is strongly linked to the National Organization For Marriage Discrimination.

As corporate profits hit all-time highs, wages hit historic lows. Coincidence? I think not.

Former Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) has no desire to be Mitt Romney's running mate.

Some rural Washington parents are very upset over the events of a sex-education class.

On of the top witnesses supporting Proposition 8 in court has changed his tune. It's amazing what can happen to someone when their prejudices are questioned.

A proposed governmental dissolution of pro-LGBT groups in Uganda has been tabled...thankfully.

Some financial executives and industry insiders are calling for a financial transactions tax (on stock trades and such) to stabilize markets.

Sam "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher says he didn't mention the Holocaust in a recent YouTube ad even though he DOES mention millions being killed (including 6 million Jews) from 1939 to 1945. What's sad is that some idiots will still vote for this truth-challenged putz.

And lastly, La Raza, America's largest Latino civil rights group, has announced their support for marriage equality.

The Wrap-Up: April 20, 2012

The Vatican thinks nuns spend too much time helping the poor and not enough time hating gay people. Then again, the Vatican also enables pedophilia, so maybe they aren't the best example of good priorities.

17 years after the Oklahoma City bombing, conditions are remarkably similar in terms of the potential threat of domestic terrorism.

Last Summer's earthquake in Virginia has some lessons and warnings to tell.

I gotta say that I'm a bit surprised about the poll results for the Republican VP pick.

The president of "kill the gays" Uganda claims gay people aren't being persecuted.

Did you know that global warming is caused by illegal immigrants?

It looks like the former Michigan assistant AG will be going to trial for stalking a gay Student Government President. It couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy.

It's really amazing how often Michele Bachmann ends up with her foot in her mouth. This time, it made her look a little racist.

And lastly, the "ex-gay" movement may be in its death-throes.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Wrap-Up: March 15, 2012

Tennessee's "Don't Say Gay" bill may be dead...again. Better this trash of a bill than kids who would suffer because of it. Of course what the state will turn its attention to instead...isn't much better.

Harry Reid (D-NV) forced Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) hand on the Senate voting on federal judges. You read that right, Democrats actually made republicans do something for once.

A Uganda gay group is suing Scott Lively (largely credited with inspiring Uganda's "Kill the Gays" bill).

Filed under things Mitt Romney wants everyone to forget: a certain vow he made in his (failed) 1994 Senate race against Ted Kennedy.

Just when you think Sarah Palin can't sink any lower into ignorance and inflammatory comments, she finds a way. To bad she doesn't put the same effort into learning about the world around her. Then again, she's pretty much on her own planet.

This week in TERRIBLE ideas from Arizona, being able to fire a woman for using birth control. Doesn't this legislature have bigger (or actual) problems to deal with?

A former Goldman Sachs executive has resigned due to the "toxic" nature of the industry.

GLAAD has begun what it calls the "Commentator Accountability Project."

And lastly, say goodbye to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

The Wrap-Up: February 10, 2012

Rep. Allen West (R-FL)

For those thinking of not voting for Barack Obama, here is one reason why you should (especially given that battles coming in the next few years).

Luckily, many of the trends (though not all) are in Obama's favor.

CPAC's convention began today, which I suppose explains this headache I have.

A British politician has stated that his country's conservative party is "riddled with homosexuals." And to think I thought American Republicans had cornered market on that brand of hypocrisy.

Rick Santorum has a real knack for not knowing what the Hell he is talking about.

Former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ)

Out-spoken (Tea-Party backed) Allen West, who has many outrageous statements to his credit) may have a strong "well-financed" Democratic opponent for his congressional seat.

Uganda's government tries to have its cake and eat it too...but fails in doing so. Unless you categorically denounce this bill, you are, at the very least, tacitly complicit.

Rep. Gabby Giffords had an interesting request for one of her former aides.

And lastly, today in political stupidity, a Mississippi legislator wants to axe the Gulf of "Mexico."

The Wrap-Up: December 29, 2011

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

I'm really glad that I don't live in Iowa with less than a week to go until the state's caucuses.

I have to wonder why Michele Bachmann is squirming away (to a degree) from the anti-gay stances that have made her a darling of the Republican base.

A Tennessee Christian school is going to some extreme lengths to purge itself of all things gay. Even saying the word could get you in trouble.

One would think that after what happened to Congresswoman Gabby Giffords this year, people would think twice about using this type of imagery for political gains. Apparently not.

Cardinal Francis George

The North Carolina Psychological Association lays out, in no uncertain terms, the damage that would be done if the state's propose anti-marriage equality amendment were to pass.

In other North Carolinian homophobia, a Gay-Straight Alliance (though not the kind associated with schools) faced a protest last month. Here is what some of those "kind-hearted" protestors had to say.

Bank of America is paying up big because of allegations of racial discrimination. 

A Catholic Cardinal offers a poor explanation of his comparison of pride parades and the Ku Klux Klan.

A gay Ugandan man is facing deportation back to his homeland. In case you haven't heard, they don't handle homosexuality very well over there.

Former Spanish PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero

It's nice to see how much these multi-millionaires/billionaires care about their fellow Americans. Have mentioned that I'm big on sarcasm? Seriously though, the title of this article is pretty epic (and accurate).

The former Prime Minister of Spain reflects proudly on his nations' recognition of marriage equality.

The Huffington Post runs down the top LGBT viral videos of 2011.

And lastly, Rick Santorum continues to be a joke. Seriously, the color was just unfortunate for him.

Uganda Update

Apparently the AP story about Uganda's "Kill the Gays" bill was wrong and a vote on the bill is scheduled for Friday.

There go my vacation plans...

Good News From Uganda

The "Kill the Gays" bill that was perhaps hours or days from passing has been dropped by Uganda's Parliament. This controversial bill sparked outcries from across the globe, including Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank saying that if the bill passed, aid to the nation should be cut off. Although the future of the bill is unknown, Wednesday was the last day of the legislative session.

The bill would have made homosexuality punishable by incarceration and  possibly, death (as the name implies) in Uganda.

For more information, here is an article from MSNBC.