OutRage! News Service Sept 21st.

Uganda! Stop persecuting gays!

Protest: 4pm on Friday 22 September 2006
Ugandan High Commission, 58-59 Trafalgar Square, London WC2

Organised by the NUS LGBT campaign, supported by OutRage!

London – 21 September 2006

Uganda punishes male homosexuality with life imprisonment. Lesbians
and gays are subjected to vigilante violence by homophobic mobs,
especially in rural areas where most of the population live. The
government has banned same-sex marriage and fined a radio station for
airing a debate about gay issues. State-funded HIV campaigns refuse to
promote safer sex and condoms to same-sex partners.

The latest outrage is an outing campaign by the Ugandan tabloid
newspaper, Red Pepper. It has outed 58 alleged lesbian and gay people
in the last two months; and has urged readers to send more names, so
they too can be outed. The paper also published a list of underground
gay venues, exposing them to the risk of homophobic attack.

Recently, Red Pepper carried an article with the headline 'Jinja Cops
Hunt For Gays, ' in which they reported a police manhunt to arrest
homosexuals in the Kampala suburb of Jinga.

The NUS LGBT campaign, working with partnership organisations such as
OutRage!, is organising an emergency demonstration outside the Ugandan
Embassy, 58/59 Trafalgar Square, London at 4pm this Friday 22
September.

“We call on individuals and groups, LGBT or otherwise, to protest
against the intimidation, arrest and torture of LGBT people in Uganda.
We will be handing a letter of protest to the Ugandan Ambassador
calling on his Government to respect the provisions enshrined in the
Ugandan Constitution giving citizens rights to equality and freedom
and the clauses of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (ICCPR) monitored by the UN, which allows the right to privacy,
free from discrimination,” said Claire Anderson of the NUS LGBT
campaign.

OutRage! congratulates the NUS LGBT campaign for organising Friday’s
protest, and urges its friends and supporters to attend.

“Uganda's anti-gay laws were imposed by the British colonialists who
occupied the country, stole its wealth and abused its people,” said
Peter Tatchell of OutRage!

“The time has come to ditch this oppressive, divisive, imperialist
legislation.

“The Ugandan government should accept the diversity of humanity,
including the existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
people.

“One of the hallmarks of an enlightened, democratic society is
live-and-let-live. Majorities should respect minorities, even if they
don't always agree with them.

“I urge the people of Uganda to show understanding and acceptance of
their fellow citizens who love people of the same sex.

“Ugandans should be judged by the quality of their character, not by
their sexual orientation,” said Mr Tatchell.

Further information:

Brett Lock, OutRage! 0770 843 5917

ENDS



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