Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), the LGBT rights group based in Uganda, issued these action suggestions for Americans to take:
* Call and/or write Letters of Protest to TheCall Ministries and ask them stop exporting homophobia to Uganda. The event they are organizing is dangerous to LGBTI people in Uganda. Contact:
JoAnna Watson, Coordinator of The Call Uganda (Email: Joannawatsonthint@yahoo.com, Phone: +256 779 864 985)
Share and promote the following video about Engle:
Sexual Minorities Uganda had this to say about Engle:
Sexual Minorities Uganda condemns Lou Engle's upcoming crusade scheduled for May 2, 2010. The crusade could cause incalculable damage, as it is designed to label homosexuality as a "vice" in Uganda and to incite people to "fight" against this "vice" in society. In the context of an already inflamed extremist religious movement against homosexuality in Uganda sparked off by American evangelicals, the inflammatory preaching of Lou Engle and his associates is likely to incite further violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people in Uganda.
Sexual Minorities Uganda calls on all human rights defenders, organizations, religious communities and leaders, governments, and civil society, globally to take action to ensure that Lou Engle and his associates do not set foot in Uganda and that the Call Uganda does not proceed with this inflammatory and hate-inducing plan.
The Danger of Lou Engle & TheCall
The web site for "TheCall Uganda" announces the stadium rally and encourages those attending to fast for twenty-one days before the massive rally in Kampala. Their goals are to fight against:
Witchcraft and human sacrifice
Homosexuality and increased immorality
Disasters and the resultant suffering of the people
The decay of morals and infrastructure of our city Kampala
Frank Mugisha, president Sexual Minorities of Uganda, said, "Gay people are already fleeing their homes and have to move from house to house because of threats to their lives. Americans need to stop Lou Engle from coming to Uganda."
Lou Engle's extremist and violence-laden preaching is often laced with references to gay people as being possessed by demons. During a rally for Proposition 8 in California, he called for Christian martyrs. His inflammatory speech and focus on martyrdom can easily incite people in Uganda to disregard people's human rights and go to extreme measures to eliminate whatever they characterize as "evil" or a "vice". For example, Lou Engle preaches:
The most 'dangerous terrorist' is not Islam but God. One of God's names is the avenger of blood. Have you worshiped that God yet?
The crusade is organized by TheCall Uganda and ten Ugandan Pentecostal pastors. According to www.thecalluganda.com, the crusade is 'intended to awaken and revive the young and the old, men and women, church and family, government and the public to fight vices eating away our society'. TheCall intends to address homosexuality in Uganda as a what they label a "vice".
Lou Engle is a core founder of TheCALL in the U.S. but has expanded chapters to different countries. Last year, TheCALL sent an American Evangelical, JoAnna Watson of Touching Hearts International, to be based in Uganda full-time to orchestrate this crusade to fight "vices" like homosexuality.
This crusade could have the same kind of impact that the March 2009 anti-gay conference had in Uganda. Scott Lively, Caleb Lee Brundidge and Don Schmierer reinforced the desire of some religious leaders to persuade the government to create laws which would eliminate homosexuality from the nation. Eventually, the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was introduced in the Parliament of Uganda by MP's David Bahati and Benson Obua.
Again from Sexual Minorities Uganda:
Lou Engle's crusade will be the second major American evangelist event with an anti-homosexuality agenda after the trio to set foot in Uganda and will definitely incite our people into more hatred of homosexuals that may lead to further violence. This is very evident with the nature of preaching that he does in the US. He claims that homosexuals have demons and has mobilized Americans on several occasions for anti -gay rallies. Since the Bill was tabled, the rate of violence and homophobia has increased drastically in Uganda. Lou Engle's inflammatory preaching is likely to exacerbate an already worrying situation.
We Need to Stop TheCall Uganda
Faith leaders and Human Rights organizations are calling for bloggers and other media, as well as the American Public, to expose the upcoming anti-gay TheCall Uganda.
Rev. Patricia Ackerman of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office said:
Only a public outcry will be able to stop TheCall from exporting more hate from the United States to Uganda in the name of religion.
The growing danger for LGBT people in Uganda isn't going away. We have to take a stand.
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Electronic petitions, Facebook groups and calls to TheCall are nice gestures, but the video footage of Engle tells me that there's no way to reason with him or his organization. I'm not psychologist, but from Engle's histrionics and charisma, he seems like the classic "fascist dictator" type, a Machiavellian man with no principles who would think nothing of his rally in Kampala leading to violence and may even hope that it does.
I think the best strategy is to take this to the mainstream press and get it out there as much as possible and make sure Engle is exposed to maximum public scrutiny. I would suggest taking material about Engle and forwarding it to the NY Times, Washington Post, AP, CNN and any other major media outlet you can think of. If a lot of people do that, it'll probably catch the media's attention.
I agree. In fact, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force is holding a press conference tomorrow in DC at noon:
WASHINGTON - April 26 - The Bishops and Elders Council of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, which is convening this week in Washington, D.C., will hold a noontime vigil, Tuesday, April 27, to support Ugandan lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
I also think that things like online petitions, facebook activity, and calls can capture the mainstream media's attention and push this further into the spotlight. It takes every avenue at our disposal.
Lou Engle is not speaking tonight at Onething, but I did find out the name of his right hand guy on a press release and his number. Thomas Hall 615-260-0917
I used to be a christian. One of the reasons why I am now an agnostic is the kind of thing that is happening in Uganda with the full support of some of the evangelical community. I am not sure how many rank and file christians are aware of what their leaders are doing to promote violence and hatred in Uganda.
Not only are gays and lesbians - and their supporters - in danger, but also all women, in particular intelligent women who don't quite fit the mold. Remember the burning times!!! Never forget...
Lou Engle, a radically anti-gay and anti-abortion evangelical, is scheduled to hold an all-day anti-gay stadium event, TheCall Uganda Rally, on May 2nd, at Makerere University Sports Field, Kampala, Uganda. Engle is known for his overheated religious rhetoric, calling for "martyrs" and bloodshed to cast out "homosexual demons."
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We want to know your opinion on this issue! While arguing about an opinion or idea is encouraged, personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please be respectful of others.
The editorial team will delete a comment that is off-topic, abusive, exceptionally incoherent, includes a slur or is soliciting and/or advertising. Repeated violations of the policy will result in revocation of your user account. Please keep in mind that this is our online home; ill-mannered house guests will be shown the door.
Electronic petitions, Facebook groups and calls to TheCall are nice gestures, but the video footage of Engle tells me that there's no way to reason with him or his organization. I'm not psychologist, but from Engle's histrionics and charisma, he seems like the classic "fascist dictator" type, a Machiavellian man with no principles who would think nothing of his rally in Kampala leading to violence and may even hope that it does.
I think the best strategy is to take this to the mainstream press and get it out there as much as possible and make sure Engle is exposed to maximum public scrutiny. I would suggest taking material about Engle and forwarding it to the NY Times, Washington Post, AP, CNN and any other major media outlet you can think of. If a lot of people do that, it'll probably catch the media's attention.
I agree. In fact, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force is holding a press conference tomorrow in DC at noon:
I also think that things like online petitions, facebook activity, and calls can capture the mainstream media's attention and push this further into the spotlight. It takes every avenue at our disposal.
Lou Engle is not speaking tonight at Onething, but I did find out the name of his right hand guy on a press release and his number. Thomas Hall 615-260-0917
Did you see Karen's post about Engle's takeover of the Hawaii government? That's even scarier!
I used to be a christian. One of the reasons why I am now an agnostic is the kind of thing that is happening in Uganda with the full support of some of the evangelical community. I am not sure how many rank and file christians are aware of what their leaders are doing to promote violence and hatred in Uganda.
Not only are gays and lesbians - and their supporters - in danger, but also all women, in particular intelligent women who don't quite fit the mold. Remember the burning times!!! Never forget...
Stop the craziness NOW!