Update, November 10, 2014
In August, anti-gay legislation that could have imposed life sentences on gays in Uganda was annulled by Uganda's constitutionality court on a technicality. But now the Ugandan government has announced that, before the end of this year, it will introduce new and far-reaching anti-gay laws that could result in people being jailed for up to seven years for "promoting homosexuality."
The new law could prove to be far more repressive than previous legislation. A newspaper that reports about homosexuality, or someone mentioning homosexuality on a Twitter account, could be seen as "promotion." Human rights groups defending LGBT rights could also be charged with "promoting" homosexuality.
It is more important than ever to tell President Yoweri Museveni to stop this new and hateful anti-gay bill.
Last year, the Ugandan parliament passed a bill that would make homosexuality a crime punishable by life in prison – and now the president of Uganda is the only person who can stop it.
LGBT people in Uganda can already face a 14 year sentence just for their sexual orientation, because the government has decided that being LGBT "destroys" the Ugandan family unit. Anyone who knows someone is gay and doesn't report it can face jail time, and even HIV doctors and landlords can be imprisoned for "promoting" homosexuality.
This culture of fear has caused an HIV epidemic and horrific discrimination, with local tabloid papers, neighbors, and even family members outing people and turning them in to the police.
President Yoweri Museveni is all that stands in the way of this vicious bill – and now that foreign governments are denouncing the the bill, he's saying he hasn't decided yet if he's going to pass it. He told the press, 'I will first go through it, if I find that it is right I will sign but if I find that it is not right I will send it back to parliament.'
Sign the petition now to demand that President Yoweri Museveni abolish this hateful, ignorant bill and focus instead on improving human rights in Uganda.
Dear President Yoweri Museveni,
We the undersigned urge you to reject oppressive and discriminatory anti-gay legislation. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill was annulled in court this past August. But now, in November of 2014, Ugandan politicians are seeking to introduce new and far-reaching anti-gay laws that could result in people being jailed for up to seven years for "promoting homosexuality."
These laws will only lead to increases in HIV, and will jeopardize Uganda's position with the nations of the world.
Sincerely,
