Right now, we have no commitment from the US to do anything in particular if this bill passes. And there won’t be a commitment unless we start asking for one. BTW, one person has made the request. Unfortunately, she’s a fugitive in hiding in Uganda. Maybe HRC can put down its cocktails and amplify her demand.

http://bikyamasr.com/57261/gay-activist-in-hiding-wants-donors-to-rethink-uganda/

Not sure whether it is a fact, or a probability, but my supposition is that they both care – obsessively.

What I am saying is that we now have to demand that Obama actually execute the policy – put it into practice – in the context of Uganda. If he doesn’t apply it in this stark case, then the “policy” will be judged as nothing more than a statement of principles and aspirations. Every country considering anti-gay policies would then be able to discount the loss of American aid as a potential consequence.

Obviously, Obama would have to weigh our demand against other competing interests in Uganda. But it is disturbing that our organizations haven’t even asked. We expect him to prioritize the human rights of gay Ugandans over other interests, but at the same time gay organizations like HRC don’t care enough to mention it. If HRC won’t bring it up, then the gay blogosphere should.

Why aren’t our orgs issuing a clear demand to Obama that he live up to the human rights policy recently announced by Sec. of State Clinton?

I think you have the timeline wrong. the White House announced the policy as the result of a presidential directive, and Clinton followed up with her speech later that day in Geneva.

If the bill passes, US aid should end. Period. In fact, there should be a series of escalating military, economic, and diplomatic sanctions instituted at intervals following passage of the bill. These should include: a recall of US military advisors, cessation of military aid, cessation of economic aid, cessation of all aid to NGOs operating in Uganda, a travel advisory issued by the Dept. of State, recall of the US ambassador, and expulsion of the Ugandan ambassador. Ideally, these measures would be coordinated with the UK and other nations providing aid to Uganda. Uganda is a sovereign nation and if it wants to kill its gay citizens, it can do so. But we don’t have to subsidize it.

Obama can take all of these steps on his own. So why aren’t we pushing him to do so? Why didn’t anyone at that fancy $1.4 million fundraiser think to mention this a few nights ago?

good food for thought. I think that the consequences of what they’ve done has been, for many, a deterrent to rethinking the issue or reconsidering their position. For someone who identifies with being godly or holy, recognizing that you have contributed to horror can be a threat to their very sense of self.

I do have one request: as you continue contributing, please select a screen name of some sort. And welcome to the conversation.

Think of it as thus: They’ve created a vile environment that goes against homosexuality, whether it’s out of emotions (“two guys doing it is icky, but two girls going at is is great!”) or under religious reasoning from God’s followers*, some people have been practically been raised under the notion that anyone whom may have an attraction to the same gender, regardless if it’s true, goes so far as to deserve death.

Now, with that in mind, needless to say, blood has been spilled; from executions in Iran, to mass suicides in the US.
Now think about this for a minute: You’ve created a toxic environment, which has gotten many people killed. Now imagine this novel thought: what if you’re wrong about homosexuality? This may seem like an abstract thought…but then as you think about it, you come to a horrible conclusion: if being gay isn’t really any different then being straight, then that means that making such a toxic environment is all for nothing, and several innocent people have been killed; their blood in on your hands.

Of course, it’s just a theory, but I think it’s good food for thought. To admit they were wrong about the way they treated homosexuals, would be dangerously close to admitting they were responsible for their homophobic environment, and any deaths this environment caused.

* Note that, to my knowledge, God, at least in the Bible, never said WHY he found homosexuals and sodomy an “abomination,” his followers do the reasoning for him. Perhaps God’s homophobia is out of personal disgust like his followers?