In response to a letter co-authored by Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned Uganda’s anti-gay bill which would authorize the death penalty to homosexuals under certain conditions, and harsh prison sentences for all the others. From HRC Back Story:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that she shares Capitol Hill’s concerns that Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill would “create fear, promote hatred, and potentially divide communities” in Uganda. Moreover, she stated that “the United States has urged Uganda to take all necessary measures to ensure that sexual orientation or gender identity may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties, harassment, or discrimination.” According to the Secretary’s letter, she continues to monitor the bill and will continue to speak directly about the bill with Ugandan officials, human rights activists, and international donors.

Hopefully this will be a part of a more concerted effort to get the Ugandan government to back down on this awful bill. Or it may backfire, as Uganda doesn’t take kindly to criticism from the West.

Rachel Maddow did some in-depth reporting last night on Uganda’s anti-gay bill, calling out those who inspired it, and those who might have the influence to stop it. Watch:

8: The Mormon Proposition, a documentary exploring the role of the LDS Church in the passage of Proposition 8, will make its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, deep in the Mormon heartland. From the Salt Lake Tribute:

“We’re bringing the pain of this home,” said Reed Cowan, who directed “8: The Mormon Proposition,” which will have its world premiere next month in Park City at the Sundance Film Festival.

Cowan’s documentary is one of more than 50 titles announced Dec. 3 in the festival’s non-competitive slate.

“It’s really well done, and it’s really thorough,” festival director John Cooper said. “[Cowan] goes very deep, into the Mormon Church and its relationship to the anti-gay-marriage movement, all the way back almost before it really started, all the way back to the ’90s.”

The movie chronicles the 2008 campaign for Prop. 8, which overturned a court decision to allow same-sex marriage in California. In the film, Cowan tracks the LDS Church’s involvement with the Yes on 8 forces — and reveals what the film’s producer/editor Steven Greenstreet calls “an orchestrated strategic campaign” by the church to pass similar ballot measures in other states over the past two decades.

The LDS Church had no comment on the film, a spokesman said Thursday.

The trailer for the film is below.

In a recently published interview, Mexican Cardinal Javier Barragan said “Transexuals and homosexuals will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, it’s not me who says it but St. Paul.” From Reuters:

Asked if people were born homosexual Barragan, whose comments were posted on a conservative Catholic website called www.pontifex.roma,it, was quoted as saying:

“One is not born homosexual but they become that way. This is for various reasons: education, for not having developed their identity during their adolescence, maybe they are not guilty but by going against the dignity of the body they certainly will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

“Everything that goes against nature and against the dignity of the body offends God,” he added.

The now retired Vatican official has already been rebuked by his former employer, seeking to distance themselves and the Pope from his statement, while citing the same tired “hate the sin, love the sinner” refrain.  Italy’s biggest gay rights groups called the remarks as more “ridiculous theories about sexuality and the dignity of the person.”