In many ways I guess I’m not even surprised anymore. Another country wants to kill gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people. Sometimes I wonder, in our own country, if conservative nut-jobs were given the opportunity if they would opt for similar action.
This week, I was greeted with a resounding yes. The right wing religious “church” The Family, that housed conservative Republican members of Congress and the US Senate, has now been tied to anti-gay Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
See author Jeff Sharlet who literally wrote the book on The Family talk about the connection on last week’s Rachel Maddow – Watch Here.
As you can see Rachel asks if any of these high power leaders could influence the Ugandan leaders and stop legislation like this from going through
“We don’t know” Sharlet says. “Because they’re not trying.”
The systematic extinction of persons of a given group, causing harm to members of a group, and inflicting conditions calculated to destroy a group are all defined under the United Nations as acts of genocide. Never mind the clear violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which begins by defining all human beings as being “born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
I think we can all agree that killing a group of people is wrong. At least I would hope we could, it seems a few members of Congress are a little confused and might need a reminder. But those of us who live in the civilized, world remain resolute in our defiance of genocide and a longing to stop it.
Conservative Senator Sam Brownback, has been outspoken on the genocide in Sudan. Yet, as a devout member of The Family, where stands he now on a legislated genocide in Uganda? Well, thus far he’s only said that he couldn’t make a judgment without reading the legislation.
Perhaps, he would prefer for them to wear small pink triangles and be put into little camps where they would be among their own kind. It’d be just like summer camp, right?! And they’ll stop with the LGBT community, I’m sure. Of course, Hitler sure didn’t.
The violation of human rights, human decency, and simple humanity is disgusting to me, but I would hope it would to anyone who values each other as brothers and sisters of our planet. The role played by the United States with ties to our own elected officials and famous members of US clergy is unacceptable.
As the holiday’s approach, the one thing all faith traditions believe in is each other. We are the connections to one and other, and we are the carriers of our future. Treason against that idea hurts not merely the community in which it targets, it hurts us all. Our humanity must be our instruments to do good.
If there is one thing I know about being an American it’s that we are for freedom everywhere. Freedom to live, freedom to worship, and freedom to learn. The bill before Uganda targeting LGBT people is an act of genocide and a fundamental attack on the freedoms of all people gay and straight. Such an act must not stand, will not stand; and I command the humanity within all of us to meet acts such as these with our strength diplomatically, economically, and materially. Finally, as an American, I command within each of us to enact a doctrine of intervention when humanitarian interests are at stake. Even when it is required of our own elected officials.
I beg of you this holiday season to summon your own humanity, your own value of our brothers and sisters, and stand with me in faithful service to a free world for all people. Email Senator Brownback’s office the link to read the legislation (PDF) and ask him where he stands on genocide.
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