Obama, Clinton denounces Uganda “Kill Gays” Bill at Prayer Breakfast

Yesterday, President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton slammed the anti-gay Uganda bill which could enforce life imprisonment and the death penalty on gay Ugandans at an event called the National Prayer Breakfast. The breakfast was hosted by an organization that has ties to that very legislation.
According to Bilerico, The Fellowship – also called The Family – is a secretive organization with no website or any indication of legitimacy as a non-profit, but hosts this event every year. A number of religious leaders and lawmakers are said to be members, but asked not to be public about it. (Creeped out yet?) What we do know is that the organization has a history of involvement with the Ugandan government and its members have possibly took part in the creation of the bill. Even the Ugandan MP who authored the bill, David Bahati, has deep ties with The Family – he was originally invited, and then disinvited, to the event.

While some said it would be outrageous for the White House to attend such an gathering, others like Bishop Gene Robinson thought it was an opportunity to make a statement against The Family’s shady involvement. And they did. Obama said in his speech at the breakfast:

We can take different approaches to ending inequality, but surely we can agree on the need to lift our children out of ignorance; to lift our neighbors from poverty. We may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are — whether it’s here in the United States or, as Hillary mentioned, more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda.

Not only did Clinton name-drop Uganda as well, but has been taking forceful action in making it clear to Uganda that if this bill is passed, there will be ramifications.
Various religious groups and organizations responded strongly to the breakfast. An “American Prayer Hour” was organized, where a gay Ugandan man spoke — with a paper bag over his head to hide his identity — about the demonization and oppression LGBT individuals in Uganda face. In the meantime, the leader of a Christian group sent out a press release incredulously in defense of the Ugandan bill, stating, “It is not a ‘Kill the Gays’ bill. Rather, it is designed to kill the disease that some homosexuals spread through their reckless and irresponsible conduct and lifestyle.”
Since this bill was proposed, the exposure of the treachery by these religious and political leaders in power is unsettling, for lack of a better word. But at least we have solidarity from the White House; we could certainly anticipate the silence from the previous administration. Let’s just hope enough action is taken to stop this madness.