The anti-homosexuality bill known to many as the "Kill The Gays" bill has been put back on the table for consideration in Uganda. The proposed legislation would deliver a life sentence in prison for any consensual gay sex act, and the death penalty for gay sex acts by a person with HIV. Driven mostly by religious fervor, the bill is a searing reminder that, for so many human beings around the world who are born gay, life does not "get better."
Upon hearing this news, I felt an almost unbearable sadness for these oppressed men and women. In videos posted online, their deep-rooted shame is palpable, and I see myself in their faces, in their speech, and in their dreams for their lives. I cannot separate myself from them. I know that whatever is happening to them is very much happening to me, and to every one of us.
This week, I felt a resolve to do something about it. I recorded my first YouTube video with the intention of illuminating the fact that, despite everything we've heard, God loves gay people. Though it has never been my goal to convince non-believers, I'll point out that one needn't condemn spirituality simply because a handful of religious extremists has misinterpreted holy scripture; that's throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Instead, I urge gays to look inward and perceive their own very personal love -- that is God, and it will save you and, indeed, the world.