'KONY 2012' charity Invisible Children linked to gay marriage ban Prop 8 backers
Tue. March 13, 2012 12:00 PM by OnTopMag.com
The charity Invisible Children, whose video KONY 2012 has been viewed more 76 million times since its March 5 YouTube premiere, has been linked to backers of Proposition 8, California's gay marriage ban.
The film's ambition, according to its creators, is to make Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony famous "to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice."
The charity has been criticized for its financial dealings with the National Christian Foundation and two prominent opponents of gay marriage.
In 2006, Invisible Children gave "special thanks" to the Caster Family Foundation in its annual report. The next year, the group thanked Terry and Barbara Caster.
Gay marriage activist and presidential hopeful Fred Karger in 2008 launched a call-in campaign against A-1 Self Storage, which is owned by San Diego businessman Terry Caster.
"Mr. Caster and many of his eight sons and daughters and their spouses have given a combined total of $293,000 to the Protect Marriage campaign between January and July of 2008," Karger said at the time.
The National Christian Foundation, which has supported a number of anti-gay rights groups, reportedly gave Invisible Children $350,000 in 2007 and $414,000 in 2008.
U.S. Christian conservatives have been accused of attempting to influence Uganda lawmakers to approve an anti-gay bill which would increase the penalties for gay sex, including putting repeat offenders to death under certain circumstances and criminalizing discussions of homosexuality.
The film's ambition, according to its creators, is to make Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony famous "to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice."
The charity has been criticized for its financial dealings with the National Christian Foundation and two prominent opponents of gay marriage.
In 2006, Invisible Children gave "special thanks" to the Caster Family Foundation in its annual report. The next year, the group thanked Terry and Barbara Caster.
Gay marriage activist and presidential hopeful Fred Karger in 2008 launched a call-in campaign against A-1 Self Storage, which is owned by San Diego businessman Terry Caster.
"Mr. Caster and many of his eight sons and daughters and their spouses have given a combined total of $293,000 to the Protect Marriage campaign between January and July of 2008," Karger said at the time.
The National Christian Foundation, which has supported a number of anti-gay rights groups, reportedly gave Invisible Children $350,000 in 2007 and $414,000 in 2008.
U.S. Christian conservatives have been accused of attempting to influence Uganda lawmakers to approve an anti-gay bill which would increase the penalties for gay sex, including putting repeat offenders to death under certain circumstances and criminalizing discussions of homosexuality.
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