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Over 462,000 people have signed a petition urging Parliament to drop the gay genocide bill.
“CLIMATE OF FEAR: Frank, a Ugandan human rights advocate fighting the bill, has received threats & must protect his identity” Uganda: Rights Not Repression
Gay Ugandans may be sentenced to death if legislation being debated right now passes.High level international condemnation has just pushed the President to send the bill for review, but Ugandan allies say only a worldwide outcry could tip Parliamentarians away from discrimination, alarming them with global isolation.
We have just days left — sign the petition to oppose Uganda’s anti-gay law below and send it on to friends and family and it will be delivered to Uganda’s politicians, donors and embassies around the world.
To President Museveni of Uganda, Members of the Review Committee, and donor governments:
We stand with citizens across Uganda who are calling on their government to withdraw the Anti-Homosexual Bill, and to protect the universal human rights embodied in the Ugandan constitution. We urge Uganda’s leaders and donors to join us in rejecting persecution and upholding values of justice and tolerance.
The atmosphere in Uganda is so repressively homophobic that rural news services won’t touch the issue because they can’t find anyone willing to “get the perspective of gay people or the people who support them.” In that light, any Ugandans signing a petition against a bill that would have them jailed for doing so, were it enacted, is an exceptional act. Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo, Canon Rev. Gideon Byamugisha, Frank Mugisha and Maj. (rtd) Rubaramira Ruranga, who presented the petition to parliament, are therefore people of great courage and integrity.
| PROFILES IN COURAGE: “L-R: Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo, Canon Rev. Gideon Byamugisha, Frank Mugisha and Maj. (rtd) Rubaramira Ruranga presented the petition to parliament. Photo by Stephen Wandera” |
H/T Gay Uganda
6 Comments
Ugandan citizenshipHow about a million or so of us acquire Ugandan citizenship and vote Ssempa and his ilk out of office?
Luckily Ssempa isn’t in office (he’s a cleric)but I take your point.
Thanks, LurleenThat’s what I get for not reading the fine print.
I missed where it said that the 460,00 signers were Ugandan.
Are you sure that this was a Ugandan only petition. I seriously doubt it. The article states that it was an online petition. I think it’s very likely that it was an international petition.
It would truly be impressive if 462,000 Ugandans signed this petition, but alas I don’t think that that’s the case.
You’re rightThank you for catching that – this is what I get for writing on too short a deadline! You’re right that the petition can be signed by people worldwide. I’ve included the link the the petition itself (thought i’d done so already), and changed to title and diary wording to be more accurate.
Hugely Impressive AchievementWhilst this may not be a Ugandan only petition to get 460,000 people passionate enough about the issue (which is one definitely worth getting very passionate about) is incredibly impressive.
I also have a huge amount of respect for Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo, Canon Rev. Gideon Byamugisha, Frank Mugisha and Maj. (rtd) Rubaramira Ruranga for signing the petition. As you say Lurleen to do so takes huge courage.