London Protest of Anti-Gay Bill at Ugandan Embassy

There were several worldwide protests against Uganda's proposed Anti Homosexuality Bill on Thursday and Friday. The largest was outside the Ugandan High Commission in London.

Peter Tatchell of London-based Outrage!: "The keynote speakers were gay Ugandan John Bosco and straight Ugandan human rights activist, Michael Senyonjo. John Bosco was recently jailed in Uganda, after he was illegally and forcibly returned to Uganda by the British Home office while seeking asylum in the UK. He condemned the Anti-Homosexuality Bill as 'an attack on the civil liberties of all Ugandans,' denouncing it as 'dividing Ugandans against each other and requiring people to report...family members who are gay.'"

Tatchell adds: "President Museveni is fast becoming the Robert Mugabe of Uganda and that's a threat to the civil rights of every Ugandan person—gay or straight. There's a huge ground swell of public opinion that this bill goes way too far. Even people who say they're against homosexuality say this bill is excessive and a threat to the human rights of all Ugandans."

There were smaller protests in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, where Supervisor Bevan Dufty called on the Obama Administration to threaten to withhold aid to Uganda if it doesn't kill the legislation.

In related news: The European Union has lodged a formal protest with the Uganda Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the proposed legislation. The demarche was also signed by the Norwegian and American Embassies to Uganda, reports The Monitor. Two weeks ago, the prime ministers of Britain and Canada personally voiced their displeasure with President Museveni.

Comments

[AfroGay]

Thanks for your support in publicizing this heinous bill Rod.

[Ali]

This is good news. Glad to see the protest in London, there is a very large expatriate Ugandan community there. Not everyone agrees with this bill, unfortunately good people are being silenced. And thanks Rod for staying on Uganda. You've been on the situation there ever since I started reading this blog in '07. Hopefully the bill will not pass, it is hard enough for gays in Africa without added persecutions.

[chris-leo]

i'm glad the pressure is on, and it's working. however, i'd love to think we have a president who's not afraid to make a personal, public statement on such a horrific bill.

as much money as we give uganda, one would think we could use a little "leverage."

[alicia banks]

kudos!!!!!

homo warriors = 1

homohating church folks = fail!!!!

i have always known houston was cool

while atlanta was fronting, houston was always the real "nyc" of the south

this proves houston rocks!...