The church's anti-gay rhetoric, which stoked the anti-gay flames in Uganda and led to last year's Kill the Gays Bill
~ which was shelved, but remains pending ~ and led to the beating death of LGBT rights leader David Kato, followed him to his grave Friday, as mourners rushed the pulpit after a minister began chastising them for being gay.
Reuters reports:
During the funeral -- which was attended by about 300 people, including about 100 members of the country's gay community -- the pastor lashed out at homosexuality, provoking a strong reaction from friends of Kato.
"The world has gone crazy," the pastor told the congregation through a microphone.
"People are turning away from the scriptures. They should turn back, they should abandon what they are doing. You cannot start admiring a fellow man."
Gay activists, wearing T-shirts featuring Kato's face with sleeves coloured with the gay pride flag, then stormed the pulpit and grabbed the microphone.
"It is ungodly," the pastor shouted, before being blocked from sight.
"ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE US"
An unidentified female activist then began to shout from the pulpit.
"Who are you to judge others?" she shouted. "We have not come to fight. You are not the judge of us. As long as he's gone to God his creator, who are we to judge Kato?"
Locals intervened on the side of the pastor and scuffles broke out before he was taken away to Kato's father's house to calm the situation.
Villagers then refused to bury the body at which point a group of Kato's friends, most of whom were gay, carried his coffin to the grave and buried it themselves.
Uganda's anti-gay movement first made international headlines in October 2009 when a bill was tabled in the country's parliament proposing the death penalty for homosexuals who are "repeat offenders".
The bill was quietly postponed under international pressure, but rights groups fear it may pass after a February presidential election that President Yoweri Museveni is expected to win.
"I'm very upset," Julian Pepe, gay rights activist and a friend of Kato's who attended the funeral, told Reuters, her voice breaking with emotion.
"After we had read statements from everybody, including Obama, after all the nice things friends said about David, that this man could stand up and throw dirt at someone who should be resting in peace. It's just disgusting."
I believe most all of organized religion is the root of inequality and injustice in our world. It should be called what it is...a self centered and exalted mega-business which controls the minds and pocketbooks of billions. The irony,paradox and sinfulness of it all needs complete exposure to the light of day.
ReplyDelete