Kato Murder: Homophobia=Death

One of the leaders of Sexual Minorities Uganda is dead. Murdered in his house, and only weeks after he and others successfully sued a tabloid newspaper that published their photos and addresses with an incitement to "hang them" for being homosexuals.

The report on the Human Rights Watch website indicates that David Kato, who had been one of the leading voices of Uganda's LGBT movement and an outspoken critic of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill filed by Parliament member David Bahati, was hit twice in the head by his assailant who then drove off. Kato died on the way to the hospital. Human Rights Watch is calling for the police to do a thorough and impartial investigation into his murder. I can't say as I have much hope for that.

The situation in Uganda has been going from bad to worse for awhile. Aiding in them falling into the death pit of homophobia are evangelical preachers from the USA who have decided to export hatred and fear of the sexual minorities to Africa. They have played upon the need for the strong to always find a weakling to attack so they can know they're the strong. It is horrid. It is disgusting. And it is anti-Christian. It is time for the international community, secular and religious, to stop side-stepping their moral responsibilities on this situation in Uganda and impose sanctions until the government of President Museveni puts an end to this pogrom.

Kato had said he was afraid for his life after the Ugandan tabloid, the Rolling Stone, published his photo and address as one of the "100 homosexuals" that the paper said should be hanged. Sadly, he was right to be scared.