Defend The Family Intl Endorses Revised Uganda Bill

A leading U.S. based pro-family NGO has today endorsed the Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill after it was revised to remove its unacceptable provisions and to add a provision offering treatment to sufferers of same-sex attraction. Dr. Scott Lively of Defend the Family International, who advised the Ugandan Parliament on the issue of homosexuality in March rejected the prior version of the bill because it contained extremely harsh punishments including the death penalty and life imprisonment for certain forms of “aggravated homosexuality� such as adult/child incest and sexual abuse of the disabled. It also focused entirely on punishment and not rehabilitation as Dr. Lively had urged. However, as was reported today by Bloomberg.com, the Ugandan bill has been revised to remove these extreme sanctions and add a provision for therapy of homosexuality. The revised bill will soon go to a vote of the Parliament.

“When I addressed the Ugandan Parliament last Spring, my advice was to take a positive, pro-active approach to the problem, and actively promote marriage-based culture,� said Lively. “ I suggested for example that they require age-appropriate instruction to school children at every level designed to promote faithful marriage as the goal of each student, and to prepare young people to be good husbands and wives in their adult lives. By taking this approach,� Lively argued “ the entire population could be inoculated to the excesses of the sexual revolution that have done so much damage in the West.

Regarding homosexuality, specifically, I urged the government to lead the world in emphasizing rehabilitation for homosexuals through their public policy.

“Frankly, when I learned that bill included the death penalty I was mortified,� said Lively. “I publicly rejected it as written, and privately expressed my strong disapproval through my pro-family allies in Kampala, asking them to pass my concerns along to the MPs. Thank God the sponsors did in fact agree to change the bill. I can’t say that I necessarily agree with every element of the revised bill, but I believe this revision is an acceptable compromise under the circumstances and well within the prerogative of a civilized sovereign nation.�

Prior to the revision of the bill, Dr. Lively had been the subject of intense criticism in the international media, which implied without evidence that he had advocated for the death penalty. Even The New York Times joined in the attack under the headline “ After Americans Visit, Uganda Weighs Death for Gays.�

“I’m used to being hated by the Left,� said Lively, “because I speak plainly and truthfully about the global homosexual movement and it’s terribly destructive agenda. I make no apologies for my views, and accept the hate from the “gays� and their allies as a cost of standing up to a vicious adversary. Too few people are willing to do that. However, when the Left uses its media power to engender hatred against me in the general public based on lies and misrepresentations, that really riles me. I deserve an apology from The New York Times, The Guardian, Rachel Madow and all the rest of the liars who have defamed me. …But I’m not holding my breath.�

Defend The Family International is a subsidiary of Abiding Truth Ministries, which is based in California. Dr. Scott Lively is a Christian attorney, pastor, and human rights advocate who has defended the pro-family position in nearly forty countries. His teachings in Uganda were drawn from his latest book, Redeeming the Rainbow: A Christian Response to the “Gay� Agenda, which may be downloaded from his website without charge.