The bludgeoning death of gay activist David Kato this week in Uganda stunned the gay community around the world and prompted Kato's angry allies to point the finger of blame at Christian-fueled homophobia in the East African nation, and at conservative Christians in the United States who have long ties to anti-gay forces in Uganda.
"David's death is a result of the hatred planted in Uganda by U.S Evangelicals in 2009," Val Kalende, the woman who heads "Freedom and Roam Uganda," a gay rights group, said in a statement. "The Ugandan Government and the so-called U.S Evangelicals must take responsibility for David's blood."
The critics say that U.S.-based support was especially notable in a March 2009 forum in the capital, Kampala, that featured a trio of well-known Christian pastors from the so-called ex-gay movement. They say that forum helped inspire Christian parliamentarians in Uganda to propose draconian measures against gays and lesbians, including a bill pending in the Ugandan parliament that would allow for the death penalty for some homosexual activity.
In Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Kato's killing "is a reminder of the heroic generosity of the people who advocate for and defend human rights on behalf of the rest of us -- and the sacrifices they make." And President Obama released a statement praising Kato's courage and pledging that "At home and around the world, LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered] persons continue to be subjected to unconscionable bullying, discrimination, and hate."
Authorities were quick to declare that Kato was murdered in the course of a home invasion by a trio of men -- one of whom was in custody at last report -- a sadly prosaic explanation that could in fact turn out to be true given the volatility of the neighborhood where Kato lived.
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