LGBT POV

San Francisco-based blogger Michael Petrelis has done some important reporting on a possible link between the Christian Right movement in Southern California and the Ugandan government, which is considering an Anti Homosexuality Bill that calls for the death penalty.  Over the weekend Petrelis discovered that Uganda has an honorary consul in Hollywood – Matthew Crouch, a producer of Christian movies. Petrelis writes that Crouch was appointed honorary counsel in September 2007.

Crouch is the son of Paul and Jan Crouch who founded the mega-successful Trinity Broadcasting Network in Orange County, which the Los Angeles Times considered in 2006 “the  world’s largest religious broadcasting company.”

Petrelis “digresses” to note that

“Paul Crouch was sued by a former male employee over allegations of sexual relations in 1998. The employee agreed to a settlement of $425,000 to drop a lawsuit, according to published reports, showing there are gay skeletons in the family closet.”

That October 2006 profile in the Los Angeles Times entitled “Missionary in Hollywood” points out that Matthew Crouch received

“$32 million in tax-free donor money for the funding of three of his movies, TBN officials say. In addition, $16 million was given to a ministry that funded “One Night.”  However Crouch’s “small, publicly traded company is struggling, having lost nearly $3.7 million last year, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.”

Nonetheless, thanks to funding from his parents, Matthew and his wife live well – which he flaunts, including hunting

“big game with a bow and arrow in Alaska and at a private reserve in Texas and displays his trophies — stuffed elk, gazelle and ram heads — on his study wall.

In many ways, Crouch and his company, Gener8Xion Entertainment, are Hollywood anomalies. He hasn’t had to look further than his parents — with their tax-free donor base and worldwide television reach — to bankroll and market his movies. In other ways, the stereotype of a Hollywood producer fits snugly. Friends and foes describe him, by turns, as charismatic, arrogant, charming, ruthless, visionary and greedy.”

And then there’s this from The Times story:

“Associates also say that Crouch’s impulsiveness — and perhaps a desire to escape his father’s long shadow — has prompted him to take shortcuts that have led to risky decisions. During the production of “Omega Code,” his key personnel included a former adult-film actor and a novice screenwriter who was arrested and convicted of soliciting a child for sex.”

Petrelis asks:

“But when did Crouch’s relationship begin with the Ugandan government and for what purposes? The answers come from an October 2005 news release on President Yoweri Museveni’s web site:

The exhibition was also meant to give an opportunity to an American television crew from Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) that is currently in Uganda to document the achievements. [...]

The President saluted TBN and Mr. Matthew Crouch for volunteering to publicise the achievements of Uganda. He invited them to establish a filming industry in Uganda and assured them that government would support them. [...]

Mr. Matthew Crouch, who is leading the TBN filming crew reported that most of the achievements of Uganda are not sufficiently publicised internationally and said “that is why it is associated with the Amin dictatorship, the HIV/AIDS scourge and other negative attributes.”

Petrelis says he can’t find any specific links online between Crouch and Uganda’s Anti-Homosexual Bill, but found two Tweets referencing his trip to the country.

From Crouch’s Twitter account:

@MC8X at nashville airport flying to Dallas. Leaving for Uganda Africa on tues. Scheduled to meet with President Museveni while there! 1:49 PM May 30th from Tweetie

@MC8X wow! Couldn’t tweet from Uganda. Back from Africa a few hours ago. Was at a pastors conference with 10,000 people/leaders in Africa! 9:52 PM Jun 11th from Tweetie”

Petelis has emailed Matthew Crouch “asking him for communication about these issues.”

Petelis concludes:

By the way, the Ugandans list their LA consul’s address as Gener8xion Entertainment, 7095 Hollywood Blvd, Suite 1260, Los Angeles, CA 90068.

I don’t know if this is a mail box rental business address, or if there is an actual office there for Crouch. If there is a real office, might be a good location for a picket on Thursday, December 10, the day solidarity actions occur in San Francisco and London.

While most of the attention has gone to Mel Gibson and “The Passion of the Christ,” there is actually a booming Christian movie business with such stars as former child star Kirk Cameron and such Religious Right institutions as Pat Robertson’s Regent University come to Hollywood for gala events – last year’s event featured guests was Matthew Crouch along with host Kathy Lee Gifford.

While the Religious Right is clearly free to express their beliefs as they wish, when they use money received through tax-free donations to fund a political activity – the old question of the separation of church and state must again be raised. And if TBN or Matthew Crouch or any of the Religious Right is in any way involved in helping the government of Uganda pass a law that punishes homosexuality with death – ALL Christians must ask if they want this advocacy done in their name.  Would Jesus advocate this bill?