Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyJanuary 28th, 2011
A scuffle broke out midway through David Kato’s funeral today when the Anglican priest Thomas Musoke burst out with an anti-gay rant. The funeral drew about 300 people, including 100 LGBT friends and colleagues. No one was hurt in the fighting, but LGBT advocates report that they had recieved threats that that their cars would be stoned as they left the service.
Reuters desribed the scene this way:
The world has gone crazy,” the pastor told the congregation through a microphone. “People are turning away from the scriptures. They should turn back, they should abandon what they are doing. You cannot start admiring a fellow man.”
Gay activists, wearing T-shirts featuring Kato’s face with sleeves coloured with the gay pride flag, then stormed the pulpit and grabbed the microphone.
“It is ungodly,” the pastor shouted, before being blocked from sight.
After the scuffle was calmed, villagers refused to bury Kato’s coffin, so it was left to Kato’s friends, most of them gay, to carry him to his grave and bury him themselves.
Pepe Julian Onziema of Sexual Minorities Uganda was at the funeral, and was very upset at what she saw:
After we had read statements from everybody, including Obama, after all the nice things friends said about David, that this man could stand up and throw dirt at someone who should be resting in peace. It’s just disgusting.
Latest Posts
Featured Reports
In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.
When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.
In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.
On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.
Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"
At last, the truth can now be told.
Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!
And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.
Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.
Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.
Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.
The FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.
“Google” is a trademark of Google Inc.
© Box Turtle Bulletin. All Rights Reserved.
Posts 
Posts via daily email:
Ray
January 28th, 2011
This situation in Uganda is criminal and obscene. This takes my breath away.
Alex 0^0
January 28th, 2011
Horrifying barbarians. We need to stop all aid to Uganda and boycott any business that works in Uganda. Some cultures just aren’t worth fighting to change.
Pomo
January 28th, 2011
It’s maddening!
Bruce Garner
January 28th, 2011
To Richard Rash: I presume you have read the story in the Gospel where Jesus told a crowd that the one who is without sin could throw the first stone. No one threw anything and they dispersed. I hope you don’t claim to be a Christian because it seems that you have no concept of what being a follower of Jesus Christ is all about. I am a born from above practicing follower of Jesus Christ who attends and is active in church on a regular basis. I feel the presence of God in my life and the fire of the Holy Spirit burning within me. I am also one of “all those homosexuals out there.” You are not in a position nor do you have the authority to judge me. May I prayerfully suggest that you look inward and then spend some time on the teachings of Jesus Christ? I can guarantee you that I could find a dozen or more things you do in your life that are condemned by Scripture. Jesus redeemed us from the chains of the law. He taught us much and there is more to learn from Him.
Regan DuCasse
January 28th, 2011
Not even in violent death, can a gay person be given the dignity and respect they deserve at their funerals.
David K in his way, showed the greater love, and greater courage by putting his life on the line for the freedom and human rights of his friends.
To the troll, Richard Rash: I see no such conduct among the anti gay, whose own behavior doesn’t commit to the BETTERMENT of anyone by showing hostility, threat and lack of compassion to gay people.
No one and no thing is good that abuses another human being. Period.
There is no rational justification for doing so against gay people. None.
Coming into a website and throwing the typical bomb of disdain at gay people only shows the depth of cowardice that continues to be representative of anti gay people.
Paul J. Stein
January 28th, 2011
Well if you really want to put a hurting on Uganda STOP drinking coffee, Robusta,Arabica, put your money where your mouth is, literally!
Jim Burroway
January 28th, 2011
Actually, the U.S. and Canada imports almost no coffee from Uganda — very little anyway. Uganda’s coffee trade is mostly in lower quality coffees which make there way to Central and Eastern Europe. There are efforts to increase the quality of Ugandas coffee growers, but there are significant transportation and financial impediments.
If I thought a boycott of coffee would have had an impact, I would have jumped on that bandwagon a long time ago.
Ahab
January 28th, 2011
Horrible. As if Kato’s murder wasn’t terrible enough, a pastor had to make homophobic comments at his funeral. Even in death, he’s subjected to homophobia.
I hope that Kato’s killer will be brought to justice soon, and that this tragedy serves as a wake-up call to the dangers of anti-gay bigotry.
Peter
January 28th, 2011
Looks like Uganda has its own version of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church.
When are we as a species going to get beyond the ignorance promulgated by religion and grow up?
Timothy Kincaid
January 28th, 2011
There’s something about the temptation to preach to a captive audience that can lead some preachers to lose all sense of compassion.
In 1995 I had a close friend die of AIDS. The pastor of the church he grew up in conducted a memorial and asked the family if my friend had made his peace with God. When they answered in the affirmative (my friend had never left his faith), the pastor took it to mean that he had ‘rejected the homosexual lifestyle’ and repented of it on his deathbed, which he then announced at my friend’s funeral along with some ‘if only he’d repented sooner’ remonstrations.
Some friends stood up and stormed out. His parents were devastated and never went back.
Rob San Diego
January 28th, 2011
Glorious are the Ori, who lead us to salvation, who did fight the evil that would doom us all to mortal sin. Did they defeat the old spirits and cast them out? And now, with the strength of our will, they do call upon us to prevail against the corruption of all unbelievers.
The book of Origin tell us that enemies of the Ori will show no mercy in their attempt to lead us astray from the true path, likewise we must attack with all the Strength which we have been given
Hallowed be the Ori!- Stargate SG1.
IT
January 28th, 2011
A more detailed description of the event and who was there is in this article at the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News, by the Rev Canon Albert Ogle, who works with liberal Anglicans in Uganda and elsewhere to fight the hate.
The Ugandan church did not send a priest. It was a lay reader, not a man in orders, who spouted the homophobia. (NOt that it would have made a difference, the church in Uganda being vitriolic itself). It was an excommunicated bishop who works for reconciliation, who helped bury David Kato.
The problem with boycotts is that they hurt the people we need to support. We need there to be voices, loud voices in Uganda to counter the lying Scott Lively and his crew. People who speak with the authority of religion and can speak about the authority of love.
There are lots of faith groups who actively support LGBT people in this country and overseas. This is not a battle against the religious and the mockery doesn’t help. It’s a battle against one narrow slice of belief that has perverted the message, and that would deny freedom of religion to all others.
Meadowlark
January 28th, 2011
This is terrible–I am weeping to hear that the villagers refused to bury him properly. Where is his mother? I wish I could have been there myself to help carry him and give him the respectful burial he deserves. Rest in peace, David Kato, and thank you for your courage.
GreenEyedLilo
January 28th, 2011
What a horrible, horrible excuse for a human being that pastor is. And what brave, inspiring people Kato’s friends are. This reminds me of just how varied humans can be. It’s awful that they had to have this funeral at all.
truthteller
January 29th, 2011
@Bruce Garner
Hate to tell you this, Bruce, but the beautiful story you mentioned does note exist in the earliest biblical documents. It is a forgery, adder much later.
Tom in Lazybrook
January 29th, 2011
This Anglican Priest should be censured publically by CANA (The Nigerian/Ugandan influenced anti-Gay Anglican group in America).
If Prominent CANAns (or Orthodox Anglicans in America) felt so strongly about a Gay priest being the head of NH Episcopalians that they would leave, then why the silence of them in this case?
Abukar
September 28th, 2014
Iam one of somali gays and ididnt have any righs here in africa somalia or kenya and iwas facing very difficult circumstances both somalia and kenya such as rape and discrimination of gay and i have no anyone to help and idont have some where to stay am unable sexual orientation i suffer in eastliegh nairobi all forms abuse and i cannot complain to any outhority considering the homophobia please help iam insecurity here please save me life kindy help me on humantrian ground thanks email biimo2013@gmail.com
Leave A Comment