■ Dr. Ken Hutcherson:  Was he a White House "envoy" in Riga earlier this month?

LONDON, March 26, 2007  –  As news emerged that a new “anti-gay” group had been registered in Latvia, the plot thickened as to the involvement of an American preacher with religious groups in the country who told an American newspaper: “this is a war”, referring to his anti-gay campaign in Europe.

Ken Hutcherson, the former NFL linebacker and now Dr. Hutcherson, the founder and senior pastor of the Antioch Bible Church near Seattle, claimed to have been a special envoy of the White House when he visited Riga earlier this month.

“I come to you representing the White House”, Dr. Hutcherson told the Riga conference, organised by the New Generation Church.

“In my country, people will know how Latvia responded to anti-Christian statements.  We need to stand for righteousness not only morally, but also physically and financially.  It’s a great battle for righteousness and no one can stop it.  I promise to stand with you.”

And in an audio clip acquired by The Stranger, a Seattle newspaper, he says:  “We are here to make sure the United States is not being used to push gay rights.  That’s the view of the right.  And I have the power and the commission to ask these questions.”

The new anti-gay group in Latvia, Other Europe, which registered with the Latvian authorities on March 19, also quoted the Seattle pro-footballer/preacher.

“Kenneth Hutcherson is the representative of the American human rights organization Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (FBCI).  The organisation was founded on January 29, 2001 by US President George Bush and its main goal is to protect human and values in the society.  [It] Reports directly to the President of the United States. [Translation from Russian]

The FBCI is headed by Jay Hein and both telephone and email inquiries to his office concerning Dr. Hutcherson’s claim that he was a “White House envoy” during his visit to Riga earlier this month have not been answered.  Also, Dr. Hutcherson was in a meeting every time UK Gay News telephoned.  A response by email is promised, and will be added here when received.

However, The Stranger reported last week that a White House spokesperson had denied that Dr. Hutcherson had been appointed a ‘Special Envoy for Adoptions, Family Values, Religious Freedom, and Medical Relief’.

Dr. Hutcherson claims that he was given the appointment by Mr. Hein during a visit to the White House on February 7 for a reception with Pastor Alexei Ledyaev, a priest from Kazakhstan who now heads the New Generation Church in Riga.

The Seattle preacher – known for outspoken views against homosexuality – has close ties with the religious communities of Eastern Europe.  According to Janet I. Tu, a staff reporter for the Seattle Times, he entertained Pastor Andrej Shapovalov, an Eastern European now living in America, at the Antioch Bible Church.

Pastor Shapovalov was reported in the January 27, 2007, Seattle Times as telling the congregation at the Antioch Bible Church: “We are on the same page” as Hutcherson.

Earlier, the Latvian-born pastor had invited the children in the congregation to come forward, saying: “Bless them.  Pray that none of them become homosexuals or lesbians or have abortions or live a life of crime.”

Dr. Hutcherson has subsequently held further meetings with Pastor Shapovalov.  “We better wake up.  This is a war,” the Seattle Times quotes him as saying.

■  According to its website, Other Europe describes itself as “a new organisation officially registered on 19 March 2007 in Latvia”.

The organisation’s statute provides that the main aim of this organisation is facilitating social initiatives and supporting groups that defend traditional values in Latvia and in Europe.  The founders of the organisations explain that such values include family and traditional religious values, and also cultural specifics of the European civilization, the website continues (in Russian – translation by ILGA-Europe).

Other Europe was born on a basis of an informal “Movement for traditional values” which was created in Latvia in 2005 during the protests against first gay pride parade.

Later on the initiative was joined by experts in political sciences, social and religious leaders from various countries. On March 8. 2007 there was a founding meeting when a decision to form Other Europe was made and activities throughout Latvian and EU began.

The group goes on to say that it intends to participate at what it calls “expert meetings” in the European Union and Russia.

Members of Other Europe will also be taking also part in international conferences as speakers at political seminars, carry out charity work to support the traditional family, organise volunteer programme to support orphans (project “Healing of Society”), and also participate as experts at the European Organisations for Security and Cooperation.

One of the events mentioned in a list of planned activities for June 2, during the next Friendship Days/Riga Pride, is a debate “Homosexuality: Choice or Inevitability”.

The group says that “representatives of sexual minorities organisations” will be invited to this event.

Currently residents of Latvia, Lithuania, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and Russia form the membership of Other Europe.