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Sanctimony Alert

Jim Burroway

March 13th, 2009

Exodus International’s vice-president Randy Thomas has collected his thoughts on the Uganda anti-gay conference mess. How’s this for a jaw-dropper:

It isn’t going to be a gay activist yelling at the Ugandan government that will actually get our ssa brothers and sisters out of jail. It will be people like me pleading with these leaders to recognize the Christ-likeness inherent in respecting self-determination and the dignity of every soul that draws breath. If I had the opportunity I would go directly to the jail and visit these people and plead for their freedom.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Talk is cheap. Book the damn flight already.

I saw this earlier this afternoon and spent the rest of the day trying to figure out to respond. But at the end of the day I just had to give up. I’m speechless. I’ll be spending this weekend counting to 100,000.

BTB’s complete coverage of recent anti-gay developments in Uganda:
Oct 16: Does Exodus Support Criminalizing Homosexuality?
Oct 15: Human Rights Watch, Sexual Minorities Uganda Condemn Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Oct 15: Here It Is: The Text of Uganda’s Proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Oct 14: Uganda Parliament Takes Up Anti-Gay Bill Adding Death Sentence and Bans on Free Speech”
Sep 15: Draft Anti-Gay Bill Circulating In Uganda
Jul 26: Uganda Parliament To Take Up Bill Banning LGBT Free Speech
Jul 6: Sports Figure Latest Victim Of Ugandan Anti-Gay Offensive
Jul 3: Uganda May Ban All LGBT Advocacy
Jun 1: Nazi Comparisons
May 14: Uganda’s Anti-Gay Campaign Snares LGBT People and Rival Pastors, Tabloid Promises More “Outings”
May 4: Uganda Gays Arrested, Blackmail Attempts Reported
Apr 24: Uganda Anti-Gay Activists March, “Storm Parliament”
Apr 20: Alan Chambers Addresses Developments In Uganda
Apr 19: Uganda’s Public Vigilante Campaign Is Now In Full Swing
Apr 17: Uganda Government Attacks Human Rights Groups for “Promoting Homosexuality”
Apr 10: Uganda Columnist: “Happy Easter …Irrespective of Sexual Orientation”
Apr 6: Uganda Press Crank Up “Predator” Rhetoric
Apr 3: Uganda to Ban LGBT Advocacy?
Apr 2: Exodus Maintains Month-Long Silence Amid Ugandan Gov’t Calls For LGBT Arrests
Apr 2: Press Release from Ugandan LGBT Advocacy Group
Mar 31: Forced Outings Continue As Uganda LGBT Advocates Allege Oundo Is In It For The Money
Mar 31: Uganda Activist Cites Disbarred “Therapist” As Authority on Homosexuality
Mar 30: Uganda Situation Continues To Deteriorate; Exodus Washes Their Hands
Mar 27: Videos Surface of Ugandan Activist Stirring Anti-Gay Fervor; Fears of Violence Grow
Mar 26: Ugandan Gov’t Poised to Take “Stern Action” Against Gays
Mar 26: The “Ex-Gay” Star of the Uganda Anti-Gay Campaign
Mar 25: More on Uganda Anti-Gay Vigilante Incitement
Mar 25: Another Anti-Gay Vigilante Campaign May Have Begun In Uganda
Mar 23: Schmierer’s & Lively’s Uganda Talks Continue to Reverberate
Mar 17: Lively Defends Forced Therapy Proposal
Mar 16: Commentary: When Good Men Do Nothing
Mar 13: Sanctimony Alert
Mar 13: Scott Lively and Alan Chambers Respond to Questions About Uganda Conference
Mar 13: Exodus Applauds Schmierer’s Part in Uganda Conference
Mar 12: South African LGBT Advocates Condemn Exodus
Mar 12: Ex-Exodus Minister Condemns Uganda Conference
Mar 12: Ugandan Conference Leaders Call For Another Meeting While Pushing Pedophilia Theme; Exodus Continues Silence
Mar 11: Open Letter To the Exodus International Board of Directors
Mar 10: Scott Lively: The Gay Agenda Is “To Turn The Whole World Gay”
Mar 9: Exodus Removes Link To Scott Lively From Its Web Site
Mar 9: EU Group Condemns Ugandan Conference
Mar 8: Uganda Anti-Gay Conference: Day Three — Gays Blamed For Rwandan Genocide & Pedophilia; More Exodus Ties To Holocaust Revisionism
Mar 6: Uganda Anti-Gay Conference: Day Two
Mar 6: Exodus’ Silence About Uganda: Day Five
Mar 6: Exodus Board Member Participates In Uganda Conference Calling For Forcing Gays Into Conversion Therapy
Mar 5: Anti-Gay Conference Kicks Off In Kampala
Mar 5: Warren Throckmorton Speaks Out Against Uganda Conference
Mar 5: International LGBT Group Expresses Concern About Uganda Conference
Mar 2: Anonymous Ugandan Blogger Wants Answers From American Anti-Gay Activists
Feb 24: Exodus Board Member Joins Nazi Revisionist At Uganda Conference

Comments

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John
March 14th, 2009 | LINK

In the same post, Randy Thomas also wrote, “If I had the opportunity I would go directly to the jail and visit these people and plead for their freedom.”

Randy Thomas does have a history of arguing for leniency in sentencing. He has even lobbied the US Congress on this subject.

Unfortunately, he has argued for leniency for those that commit heinous violent crimes against gays and lesbians, but he has no real history of arguing for equal protection (or even decent treatment) for gays and lesbians. He opposes federal Hate Crime protections for gays and lesbians.

These would be the sort of laws that might be used against a violent mob that was chasing a suspected gay individual through a city like Kampala (though located in the US) with baseball bats, chains and whatever else they wanted to use to harm, kill or otherwise terrorize their victim.

And despite his new found fervent desire to plead the case for imprisoned gay people in Uganda, he wasn’t much interested in fighting the good fight for freedom from imprisonment for gays and lesbians in the US when the US Supreme Court was deliberating the Bowers v. Hardwick case.

Unfortunately for Randy, he has a public record. So, his attempt to paint himself as a decent human being is severely undermined his previous and present actions and inactions.

Timothy Kincaid
March 14th, 2009 | LINK

Oh. So that’s why Don Schmierer was in Uganda. To go directly to the jail and visit these people and plead for their freedom.

Too bad he got distracted by being a key speaker at the conference where he lent his authority – and that of Exodus – to the call for increased inforcement, life sentences, and forced reorientation.

grantdale
March 14th, 2009 | LINK

Randy’s claimed activity on behalf of imprisoned and persecuted gay men and women is rather too similar to his claimed heterosexuality.

After 20 years, generously described as ‘elusive’.

Less generously, a public lie.

/snort Timothy… except on this occassion of opportunity… Schmierer not only didn’t go directly to gaol, he picked up a cool $200 on the way round. I only wish life for gay men and women in Uganda was as innocuous as a board-game.

Lynn David
March 15th, 2009 | LINK

I got $50 that I’d put up towards an airline ticket for Randy Thomas to go to Uganda to do just what he said (”If I had the opportunity I would go directly to the jail and visit these people and plead for their freedom“). Do you think they’d listen to him? Do you think that they would have believed that he had really changed?

Oh, that’s for a one-way ticket. He’d have to get himself home.

grantdale
March 15th, 2009 | LINK

No, they wouldn’t be ‘listening’ Lynn.

Wholly because Randy wouldn’t be ’saying’.

All day he’d be too busy day-dreaming about the breakfast buffet at Hotel Five Star to give a bugger about the homosexuals in a putrid gaol not 500 yards from his air-conditioned room. It might upset the people paying for the food and accommodation if he said rude things about them

Sometimes, you’ve got to know on what side your bread is buttered.

And how to ask nicely for ‘extra butter’.

Randy, plainly, knows how to ask.

ps: if your scheme does take off, count us in to contribute one of those gold drink cards*

(*An Australian $50 note is yellowish in colour — it’s nicknamed a “gold drink card”. A $20 is a “lobster”, look at it’s colour… Just thought you’d like to know, in case you visit.)

Strange, True & Religious : Conference in Uganda by 3 professional anti-gays from U.S. sets off strange feeding frenzy with pastors accusing rivals of gayness, miracle faking and human sacrifices
May 14th, 2009 | LINK

[...] Mar 13: Sanctimony Alert [...]

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