Maddow Confronts GOP Sen. James Inhofe Over Uganda's Gay Death Penalty Bill

Zack Ford sets up the clip at Think Progress:

In an interview with Rachel Maddow last night, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) claimed to have no knowledge of David Bahati, the Uganda legislator sponsoring the “Kill The Gays” bill. In the book he was shilling, Inhofe had taken a swipe at Maddow for criticizing his affiliation with The Family, a powerful secret society of evangelical Christian political organizers, of which Bahati is also a core member. When Maddow tried to set the record straight about her comments, Inhofe claimed he had never heard of Bahati nor had any interaction with him.

Rachel Maddow On David Kato's Murder

"Will the donor countries that Uganda relies on so heavily say publicly, 'We are paying attention to this murder. Do not disappear David Kato's murder or we will make you a pariah for it'? Given American citizens' vile involvement in this, maybe the United States can take the lead."

Tomorrow In DC: GetEQUAL To Picket Anti-Gay National Prayer Breakfast

Tomorrow morning in Washington, DC, activists from GetEQUAL will picket the National Prayer Breakfast, where members of the infamously anti-gay and shadowy GOP congressional group The Family will gather with other politicians and lobbyists. The Family has been outed as supportive of Uganda's gay death penalty bill. Details here.

More Maddow Vs. David Bahati

Last night Rachel Maddow concluded her interview with Uganda's David "Kill The Gays" Behati. Maddow also interviews the author of a book about the GOP's secretive Christianist group, The Family.

Rachel Maddow Vs. Uganda's "Kill The Gays" Bill Author David Bahati

Tonight the author of Uganda's "Kill The Gays" bill, David Behati, appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show where Maddow repeatedly called Behati out on his ridiculous claims about wealthy American homosexuals "paying Ugandan schoolchildren to become gay." Behati's bill came about after The Family, a powerful GOP-based lobby of anti-gay Christianists, visited Uganda to preach against homosexuality. Watch this.

Maddow: GOP's C Street House Examined For Illegal Rent Subsidies

The GOP's C Street townhouse, home to a cabal of Christianist members of Congress known as "The Family", is being examined for tax violations due to below market rents granted to residents. Maddow: "If there are other members of Congress living in fake churches, we'd like to hear about it."

ABC Nightline Covers Uganda's "Kill Gays" Bill And Pastor Martin Ssempa

Last night Nightline delivered an excellent report on the situation in Uganda, interviewing the genocidal Pastor Martin Ssempa and his American evangelical accomplice Scott Lively. Watch this.

Stop Kill Gays Bill: 450K Signatures Delivered To Uganda Government

Today activists delivered more than 450,000 signatures to the Ugandan government on a petition protesting the "kill gays" bill.

The online petition was organised by campaign group Avaaz, which hopes to eventually garner one million signatures. It was delivered to Uganda’s parliament in Kampala this morning by a delegation led by Anglican priest Canon Gideon Byamugisha. The petition was accompanied by a letter asking parliament to reject the controversial bill and instead pass legislation to protect gay people. The Daily Monitor reports that the Speaker of Parliament Edward Sekandi promised the delegation he would refer the petition to a committee for scrutiny. If passed, the legislation will impose the death penalty on those who have homosexual sex with a minor, disabled person, while infected with AIDS. The death penalty would also be imposed on repeat offenders, while others convicted for having gay sex would be jailed for life, instead of the current 14-year term. Those who fail to report homosexual activity, such as relatives, teachers, landlords or health workers, would also face prison sentences.

Despite international condemnation including threats to suspend foreign aid, the bill has not been withdrawn. The legislation first got legs after being promoted by American evangelists and GOP politicians, some of whom have backtracked on their words somewhat.

Maddow On National Prayer Breakfast

Obama Criticizes Uganda's "Kill Gays" Bill At National Prayer Breakfast

According to a tweet by CBS reporter Mark Knoller, this morning President Obama criticised Uganda's "kill gays" bill at the National Prayer Breakfast before the very GOP group responsible for backing the proposed law. The New York Times has the complete advance text of the president's planned speech, where no mention of Uganda or gay marriage is found, so it appears that Obama went off-script.

UPDATE: Here's the video, which includes Hillary Clinton calling out the Uganda bill. Interestingly, the presidents exact words are "we may disagree on gay marriage." What's this "we" jazz?

Ethics Group Calls On Obama To Boycott National Prayer Breakfast

Calling it a recruitment tool for "the shadowy Fellowship Corporation," aka The Family, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington is calling on President Obama not to attend next month's National Prayer Breakfast.

The Fellowship, also known as “The Foundation” and “The Family,” is run by Doug Coe, a spiritual advisor to past government officials who uses the organization to push his unorthodox brand of Christianity within government circles. The Fellowship operates the infamous C Street House, a congressional residence and meeting place on Capitol Hill that has been a frequent haunt of some ethically challenged elected officials, including Sens. John Ensign (R-NV) and Tom Coburn (R-OK), Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) and former-Rep. and now-Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC). The organization operates under an intense veil of secrecy, staying largely out of the public eye and hiding its donors’ identities. The Fellowship has used its government clout to facilitate backdoor meetings between U.S. and foreign officials, improperly claimed tax exempt status for the C Street House, and has persuaded members of Congress, including Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) to conduct Fellowship-sanctioned evangelizing while traveling at taxpayer expense. Members of the Fellowship also have been involved with legislation in Uganda calling for the death penalty for gays.

RELATED: The president is coming under increasing criticism from the wingnut press because the Obamas have yet to begin attending any Washington DC church. Which is sort of a riot, because wingnut hero Ronald Reagan never attended church there in his eight years as president, other than the occasional official state event.

Uganda MP David Bahati Disinvited From National Prayer Breakfast

Box Turtle Bulletin reports that Uganda MP David "Kill Gays" Behati has been disinvited from next month's National Prayer Breakfast, where President Obama is scheduled to speak. Via Advocate:

Ambassador Richard Swett, a spokesman for the breakfast, confirmed that Bahati was no longer allowed to come to the event, scheduled for February 4. He added, "The National Prayer Breakfast is an organization that builds bridges of understanding between all peoples, religions and beliefs and has never advocated the sentiments expressed in Mr. Bahati’s legislation.” Early reports from the Monitor newspaper in Uganda said that Bahati had planned to go to the even, and make a speech. The organization that puts on the National Prayer Breakfast is the Fellowship Foundation, also known as the Family, an evangelical Christian group linked to the development of the "kill the gays" bill.

Uganda's "Kill Gays" Bill Author To Attend U.S. National Prayer Breakfast

Box Turtle Bulletin reports that Uganda MP David Bahati, the author of the pending "kill gays" legislation, will attend the National Prayer Breakfast in DC, where President Obama is expected to speak. Via Uganda's Sunday Monitor:

In February, David Bahati, the mover of the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill is expected to attend a prayer breakfast in the American capital of DC. Mr Bahati, according to reports, may speak at the event where President Barack Obama – a gays-tolerant liberal president, is also expected to attend. On Friday, Mr Bahati said he would attend. The event is organised by The Fellowship- a conservative Christian organisation, which has deep political connections and counts several high-ranking conservative politicians in its membership. “I intend to attend the prayer breakfast,” said Mr Bahati – himself a part organiser of the Ugandan equivalent of the national prayer breakfast. This week, citing international pressure, President Yoweri Museveni advised his party’s National Executive Committee, his cabinet and the NRM parliamentary caucus to “go slow” on the Bill.

Behait was invited to the prayer breakfast by the secretive Family, a coalition of GOP leaders and evangelical pastors. Will the president have anything to say about Uganda during the event?

GOP's Secretive "Family" Condemns Uganda's "Kill Gays" Bill

In what may be their first public statement ever, the GOP's secretive "Family" has issued a condemnation of Uganda's "kill gays" bill. Rachel Maddow is stunned.

Maddow Continues To Expose GOP Connection To Uganda's "Kill Gays" Bill

Last night Rachel Maddow continued her expose on the connection between Uganda's "kill gays" bill and the GOP's secretive "Family."

Uganda Drops Death Penalty, Life Sentence From Proposed Anti-Gay Legislation

After weeks of international condemnation including threats to end foreign aid, Uganda will be dropping the sections of its anti-gay bill that call for the death penalty or life imprisonment.

The draft bill, which is under consideration by a parliamentary committee, will drop the two punishments to attract the support of religious leaders who are opposed to these penalties, Buturo said today in a phone interview from the capital, Kampala. Ugandan lawmaker David Bahati presented a private member’s bill on Oct. 14 which sought the death penalty and life imprisonment for gay people in the country. The Ugandan government supports the bill because homosexuality and lesbianism are “repugnant to the Ugandan culture,” Buturo said. Still, it favors a more refined set of punishments, he said. In addition to formulating punishments for the gay people, the bill will also promote counseling to help “attract errant people to acceptable sexual orientation,” said Buturo.

A "more refined set of punishments" - like forced reparative therapy. Overall good news nonetheless, but we must continue to expose the American evangelicals and GOP leaders that got this murderous legislation rolling in the first place.

Uganda Set To Pass Anti-Gay Bill, But May Remove Death Penalty

Uganda's infamous "kill gays" bill is about to pass in the country's parliament, but it is expected that the "gay death sentence" portion will be changed to life imprisonment.

The draft Anti-Homosexuality Bill is part of a growing campaign against homosexuals in Uganda, rights groups say. Critics say the aim is to divert attention from corruption and other political issues ahead of the 2011 national vote. But the bill's author, lawmaker David Bahati, says the legislation is about promoting family values. "Homosexuality is not part of the human rights we believe in," he said. Activists and political observers expect the private members' bill, which proscribes the death penalty for "serial offenders" and is still in the committee stage, to pass with little opposition and some minor changes. Likely changes may include modifying the death penalty to life imprisonment, altering clauses nullifying international treaties, conventions and protocols that contradict the act, and removing a section about extradition. "It's catastrophic," said Frank Mugisha, chairman of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a local activist group. People are being arrested, intimidated already. What's going to happen if it's passed?"

The "kill gays" bill was created with the aid of major U.S. GOP and evangelical leaders. It has been met with near universal global condemnation, including threats by some nations to suspend financial aid to Uganda. Yesterday Sweden announced that they would cut aid if the bill passed.

Rachel Maddow On Uganda's Proposed "Kill Gays" Legislation

Last night Rachel Maddow tore into Uganda's proposed "kill gays" legislation and its ties to American evangelicals, Rick Warren, and major GOP politicians. WATCH THIS.

American Right-Wing Christians Behind Uganda's "Kill Gays" Bill

Last month we learned that Uganda, where being gay can already bring a life sentence, was considering a death penalty for homosexual acts in certain situations. The proposed new law is now before Uganda's parliament.

Life imprisonment is the minimum punishment for anyone convicted of having gay sex, under an anti-homosexuality bill currently before Uganda's parliament. If the accused person is HIV positive or a serial offender, or a "person of authority" over the other partner, or if the "victim" is under 18, a conviction will result in the death penalty. Members of the public are obliged to report any homosexual activity to police with 24 hours or risk up to three years in jail – a scenario that human rights campaigners say will result in a witchhunt. Ugandans breaking the new law abroad will be subject to extradition requests. "The bill is haunting us," said Mugisha, 25, chairman of Sexual Minorities Uganda, a coalition of local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex groups that will all be banned under the law. "If this passes we will have to leave the country."

The bill has been denounced by the Swedish government and by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has condemned the bill as well.

Over at Box Turtle Bulletin, Timothy Kincaid and Jim Burroway have been tracking the connection to the bill by American right-wing Christians, in particular by the secretive "Family," which includes as members prominent GOP politicians like Sen. John Ensign and SC Gov. Mark Sanford. The push for the "kill gays" bill in Uganda is being promoted and funded by the Family. Go to Box Turtle Bulletin for an exhaustive recounting of the ties between Uganda, the Family, and the Christianist right.

Among those with close ties to Ugandans promoting the "kill gays" bill is Saddleback megachurch Pastor Rick Warren, who has hosted many appearance by Ugandan Pastor Martin Ssempa, one of the bill's leading advocates. Warren has since denounced Ssempa's extreme anti-gay stance. But yesterday on Meet The Press, Warren refused to distance himself from "kill gays" bill itself, saying, "I never take sides." Of course, we know differently from Warren's endorsement of Proposition 8.

What we are seeing in Uganda is a vivid depiction of what some on the Christian right would like to see in America. They are testing the waters there, dipping their vile toes into Uganda's government, seeing just how far they can take an anti-gay pogrom. Watch closely.