For the urgent attention of:
H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni President of the Republic of Uganda,
Members of The Parliament of Uganda,
Ministries of Uganda,
High Commissioner for Refugees Hon. António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres,
High Commissioner for Human Rights Hon. Navanethem Pillay,
Members of the European Parliament,
Foreign ministers of the European Union,
Human Rights NGOs
International Media
Rome, May 9th, 2011
During the proceedings of the 3rd Regional Changing Faces, Changing Spaces Conference, recently concluded in Nairobi (Kenya), the delegation of the LGBT movement in Uganda sounded the alarm concerning the imminent adoption by the Parliament of the Republic of Uganda of the anti-homosexuality bill filed by the MP David Bahati in 2009. The measure, which violates the international conventions on human rights and the ethical laws that civilization is built on, would transform Uganda into a ruthless regime bent on the persecution of a minority which has already suffered – due to religious or racial intolerance – serious abuses throughout history. According to the information we have received, the law foresees the death penalty or, alternatively, a life sentence for gay people. Parliament will vote on the measure next week. We truly hope that Uganda, a country that is valued worldwide for its contribution to civilization, will not regress to a state of barbaric intolerance, and we appeal to the authorities of the country, and to President Museveni himself, to do everything in their power to prevent this dangerous drift taking place. At the same time, we are asking the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to provide support to homosexual refugees if the unjust law is passed as it would lead to a tragic exodus. In a continent already ravaged by wars, internal conflicts, clashes between different factions and disturbing foreign interference, Uganda now has the opportunity to show it has undertaken a path of tolerance, peace and social progress by refusing to approve the bill against homosexuals which would result in the victory of fundamentalist hatred and persecutory and intolerant ideologies of the lowest kind.
Roberto Malini, Matteo Pegoraro, Dario Picciau, Glenys Robinson, EveryOne Group
Sergio Rovasio, Segretary Associazione Radicale Certi Diritti
Paolo Patanè, President of Arcigay
Sergio D’Elia, President of Nessuno Tocchi Caino (Hands off Cain)
Marco Cappato, Segretary Associazione Luca Coscioni
Donatella Poretti, Marco Perduca, Rita Bernardini, Marco Beltrandi, Matteo Mecacci, Elisabetta Zamparutti, Parlamentari Radicali
