Ugandan LGBT Activist Speaks Out Against Anti-Homosexuality Law

By UUA International Resources

Frank Mugisha, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) spokesperson, will appear at several public East Coast events this month to explain the connection between U.S. conservative religious forces and increased harassment of LGBT people in Uganda. Mr. Mugisha is visiting the United States to publicize the crisis in LGBT human rights in Uganda. Conservative religious leaders from the United States have targeted African nations such as Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria as anti-gay arenas where they can encourage support of homophobic sentiment at home. African LGBT people have suffered discrimination in the form of “collateral damage” from these campaigns. While it is already illegal to be a homosexual in Uganda, pending legislation would make it punishable even to know an LGBT person and not to report them to the authorities. Mr. Mugisha was among the first gay Ugandans to come out in order to challenge the myth that homosexuals do not exist in Uganda. The law that prohibits homosexuality in Uganda has successfully kept LGBT people in the closet. He is among those whose names were printed in the Ugandan media, causing him to lose jobs, friends and family. He has faced hostility, threats, arrests, intimidation, and discrimination for his fight for the recognition of gay rights in Uganda. Mr. Mugisha has worked internationally with religious leaders, NGOs, and diplomatic missions to stop the latest anti-homosexuality bill and is a moving speaker on international human rights. He will be accompanied by Rev. Dr. Kapya Kaoma, author of the recent report published by Political Research Associates, Globalizing the Culture Wars, U.S. Conservatives, African Churches, and Homophobia. Rev. Kaoma attended the infamous anti-gay conference in Uganda in March 2009, collecting video footage undercover. He has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show, been cited in media such as the New York Times, Time, and Newsweek, and he has testified before Congress and the UN on how US evangelicals are exporting homophobia to Africa. Upcoming Frank Mugisha appearances: 3/22 6-7:30 PM Astraea Foundation 116 East 16th St. New York, New York 10003 (212) 529-8021 3/23 7-9 PM The Riverside Church 490 Riverside Drive New York, New York 10027 (212) 870-6700 3/26 7-9 PM Harvard Epworth UMC Church 1555 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge MA 02138 (617) 354-0837 3/27 12-2 PM Cathedral Church of St. Paul 138 Tremont St. Boston MA 02111 (617) 482-5800 3/30 7-9 PM Foundry UMC Church 1500 16th Street NW Washington DC 20036 (202) 332-4010

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