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National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS Newsletter
NBLCA Board Chair Condemns Homophobia, Stigma and Discrimination
February 1, 2011
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A STATEMENT FROM
THE REV. DR. CALVIN O. BUTTS, III
Chairman of the Board
National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc.
The January 28, 2011 edition of the New York Times contained two articles which saddened and compelled me to release a statement in response. The first article reported the death of David Kato, a young gay rights advocate in Uganda who was bludgeoned to death with a hammer supposedly in a botched robbery attempt. However, most believe that Mr. Kato was yet another victim of the senseless violence targeting gays in Uganda simply because of their sexual orientation.
Gay rights activists in Uganda attribute the current rein of terror to the March 2009 visit of a group of American evangelicals. Reportedly, the evangelicals traveled around the country hosting rallies and workshops on how to change people from gay to straight. They claimed that gay men were attempting to seduce innocent teenage boys in an effort to recruit them to become members of an “evil institution.” Since then, hundreds of gay men and women have been the victims of vigilante violence and many have lost their lives. The government of Uganda has gone so far as to propose legislation, still pending in Parliament, which would allow so called “serial” gays and persons living with HIV to be executed. Furthermore, the bill would impose life imprisonment on consenting adults who engage in same sex behavior. It is in this toxic environment that Mr. Kato lost his life.
The second article concerned the decision of several conservative groups and an academic institution, Liberty University, here in the United States, to withdraw sponsorship support for this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference due to the involvement of GOProud, a group of gay conservative Republicans. The dean of the Liberty University School of Law was quoted as saying that “GOProud is working to undermine one of our core values.” Another group’s representative claimed that the gay organization was trying to “force public affirmation of homosexual conduct.” What was the real cause of this uproar, you ask? GOProud signed on as a co-sponsor of the conference.
Although we may not feel a connection to Mr. Kato’s death or the controversy swirling around GOProud because of where we live, where we worship or how we vote, we are all impacted by the homophobia, bigotry, ignorance, senseless fear, and in some cases, outright stupidity, that devalues us as a society. Homophobia, stigma and discrimination have no place in a civilized society. As Chairman of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc., I can say without hesitation that this feeds the transmission of HIV/AIDS by driving many to engage in forms of behavior, including high-risk sex and substance abuse, often resulting in infection with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best when he wrote in his April 16, 1963 letter from Birmingham Jail that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Beloved, whether it is violence against gays in Uganda or the bigoted actions of individuals here in the United States, injustice against any of God’s children, is a threat to justice for all of God’s children. When we allow ourselves to be guided by hate, we defy the will of God and distance ourselves from his grace.
I urge you to search your own hearts and remember that your words and actions can cause irreparable harm to your fellow human beings. Gay people deserve our love and compassion, not our hatred, scorn, and self-righteousness.
Contact Information
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phone: 212-614-0023
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