Uganda has recently considered imposing insanely draconian laws that would punish homosexuality with death and even imprison landlords who rent to gays or relatives who fail to rat out their gay kin. Who whipped up the homophobic frenzy that led to this madness? You get one guess. Yep. Fundamentalist nitwits, disappointed in their efforts to purge America of godless sodomites, have taken their crusade to Africa. According to Jeffrey Gettleman, writing in The New York Times, last March three evangelical American Christian activists–Scott Lively, Caleb Lee Brundidge, and Don Schmierer–gave a series of talks in Kampala about how gays can be “cured” and how the “gay agenda” seeks to desroy marriage and promote a culture of promiscuity. One month later the death-for-gays bill was introduced. The Ugandan organizers of the anti-gay conference admit helping to draft the legislation. With breathtaking hypocrisy, even for Christian fundamentalists, the three American nitwits are now trying to distance themselves from the bill.

Even if the crazy bill does not become law, life for gays and lesbians in Uganda has gotten much worse. Quoting Gettleman: “Gay Ugandans…describe a world of blackmail, death threats like ‘Die Sodomite!’ scrawled on their homes, constant harassment, occasional beatings, and even so-called correctional rape.” “Correctional rape,” by the way, is the practice of raping lesbians to try to “cure” their attraction to females.

Kapya Kaoma, a Zambian minister who opposes the anti-gay hysteria, says that the three Americans “underestimated the homophobia in Uganda.” The Rev. Kaoma is extending far too much Christian charity to these rascals. I bet they knew exactly what they were doing and had every intention of promoting their bigotry precisely where they thought it would do the most damage. On the other hand, if they truly were that clueless, and they sincerely regret the firestorm they started by playing with matches, then these gutless wonders should stand up and take the blame due them rather than trying to weasel out.