Let's Embarrass Some Gay-Bashers

Much has been made of the bill introduced in the Ugandan legislature to make being gay punishable by death. That's good. That kind of thing needs to be called out and made to be an embarrassment for anyone that attempts it, no matter if it's an international hotspot or not.

As it stands, the parliament that was debating what has been deemed the 'Kill The Gays' bill ran out of time before the end of the session. However, a new parliament has been sworn in, and they intend to reintroduce the bill. The current president, Yoweri Museveni, in power for 25 years, is starting a fourth term in the wake of a disputed election. Even without the bill, Uganda isn't in a good way.

There are, however, so many other fronts on the battle for gay rights as to be bewildering. Pick your favorite.

Here's a sampling of a few of the other fronts:

*The United Belize Advocacy Movement is challenging the constitutionality of a law making gay sex acts punishable under sodomy laws, carrying a 10-year prison sentence.

*Last Monday, Malawian president Bingu wa Mutharika gave an inflammatory anti-gay speech. In his words, "You will never see dogs marry each other. These people want us to behave worse than dogs. I cannot allow it." Unlike heterosexual dogs, of course, who, like, totally get married and everything.

*Then there's this chipper little screed out of Muhummad Qasim's keyboard from The News International in Pakistan, where things are going on that are not the continued death of Osama bin Laden. The headline reads "Homosexuality an emerging threat to health and norms in Pakistan". It goes on from there.

*Finally, there's St. Paul, Minnesota, where Bradlee Dean, pastor of ministry You Can Run But You Cannot Hide, was invited to give a prayer on the floor of the Minnesota state legislature. This was a mistake. Dean's "prayer" went so far off the rails that afterwards, the chaplain was brought in to do the prayer over again. Dean has, in the past, said things such as:

"Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America. This just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination."

And:

"On average, they molest 117 people before they’re found out."

To their credit, the Republicans that invited him quickly denounced every word that came out of his mouth. Hopefully, Dean hasn't caused any lasting damage.