The lead sponsor of Uganda’ controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill, David Bahati, (pictured) was reportedly disinvited today from The National Prayer Breakfast, which is scheduled for February 4, in Washington, DC. According to The Advocate Magazine, Ambassador Richard Swett, a breakfast spokesperson, distanced the group that hosts the event, The Family, from Bahati and the “Kill the Gays” bill in Uganda.
“The National Prayer Breakfast is an organization that builds bridges of understanding between all peoples, religions and beliefs and has never advocated the sentiments expressed in Mr. Bahati’ legislation,” said Ambassador Swett.
This statement is not only astonishing, but it is inaccurate and dishonest. The Family is intimately tied and directly connected to the politicians who sponsored Uganda’ Anti-Homosexuality bill. As a result of negative publicity, The Family is covering its rear-end and scurrying away as fast as it can. However, it is completely outrageous, totally insincere and remarkably deceitful for The Family to deny the crucial role it played in the introduction of the “Kill the Gays’ legislation.
On November 24, 2009, Terry Gross, host of National Public Radio’ Fresh Air, interviewed Jeff Sharlet, the author of “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.” In the interview, Sharlet identified Uganda’ dictator, President Yoweri Museveni, as one of The Family’ “key men” in Africa. He also linked Bahati directly to The Family.
“David Bahati, the man behind this legislation, is really deeply, deeply involved in The Family’s work in Uganda, that the ethics minister of Uganda, Museveni’s kind of right-hand man, a guy named Nsaba Buturo, is also helping to organize The Family’s National Prayer Breakfast,” Sharlet revealed to Gross on Fresh Air. “And here’s a guy who has been the main force for this Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda’s executive office and has been very vocal about what he’s doing, in a rather extreme and hateful way. But these guys are not so much under the influence of The Family. They are, in Uganda, The Family.”
The linkage and direct connection is incontrovertible. Swett’s only comeback against such damning evidence might be that the actual National Prayer Breakfast does not promote death bills. Well, maybe not on-stage, but backstage is where this creepy organization recruits it’s “key men”.
Along with eggs and bacon, The Family is serving up extremism at The National Prayer Breakfast – even if the dirty work is done behind the scenes. This is not a benign organization and they have displayed atrocious judgment in selecting “key men” across the globe. The people they have held up as “moral’ have turned out to be monsters and it is time they apologize for the damage they have inflicted on innocent people.”
On February 2, respected religious leaders will hold a press conference to announce the formation of The American Prayer Hour, a multi-city event on February 4, 2010, with primary events in Washington, DC, Dallas, Chicago and Berkeley. Please consider attending one of these events, or hosting your own American Prayer Hour in your town.
