'Strange Fruit Hanging from the Poplar Trees. Billie Holiday's wrenching song about the lynching of black men. I put this up in support of the protest against the proposed execution of homosexuals in Uganda:
Which got me researching this proposed execution, which got me thinking, which got me angry, which got me here.
This is what I received from Avaaz today (a donations funded charity organization):
It's monstrous -- thousands of Ugandans could face the death penalty -- just for being gay. On Wednesday, Parliament may pass a law that punishes homosexuality with death –we have 48 hours to act.
We've stopped this bill before, and we can do it again. Ugandan President Museveni is scared of losing valuable international aid from the West -- after a massive international outcry last year, he stopped the bill from coming to a vote. But political unrest is mounting in Uganda, and religious extremists in Parliament are hoping confusion and violence in the streets will distract the international community from a second push to pass this hate-filled law. We can show them that the world is still watching. If we block the vote for two more days until Parliament closes, the bill will expire forever.
With 48 hours to go, every moment counts. Over half a million of us have already joined the call -- let’s get to one million voices against Uganda's gay death penalty in the next 48 hours -- click here to take action, then forward this email to everyone:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/uganda_stop_homophobia_ petition/?vl
For Frank and thousands of others, being gay in Uganda is already dangerous and terrifying. They are regularly harassed and beaten, and just months ago, Avaaz colleagueand gay rights activist, David Kato, was brutally murdered in his own home. Now LGBT Ugandans are threatened by this draconian law which imposes life imprisonment for people convicted of same-sex relations and the death penalty for “serial offenders”. Even NGOs working to prevent the spread of HIV can be imprisoned for “promoting homosexuality” under this hate-filled law.
Right now, Uganda is in political turmoil -- in the wake of the Arab spring, Ugandans across the country are taking to the streets, protesting high food and gas prices. President Museveni has responded by violently cracking down on the opposition. This upheaval has provided religious extremists in Parliament the perfect chance to slip in the shelved anti-gay bill just days before Parliament closes and all proposed laws are wiped from the books.
Museveni backed away from this bill last year after Obama called it an 'odious' law and international pressure threatened Uganda's aid and support. With violent protests sweeping the streets, Museveni is more vulnerable than ever. In the next 48 hours, let’s build a massive international outcry in support of respect for human rights, justice and tolerance and against the anti-gay death penalty law. Together we can save lives by stopping this bill -- sign below, then tell friends and family:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/uganda_stop_homophobia_ petition/?vl
Earlier this year, we stood in solidarity with Uganda's equality movement to show that every human life, no matter what creed, nationality or sexual orientation, is equally precious. Our international petition condemning the gay death penalty law was delivered to Parliament – spurring a global news story and enough pressure to block the bill for months. When a tabloid newspaper published 100 names, pictures and addresses, of suspected gays and those identified were threatened, Avaaz supported a legal case against the paper and we won! Our community has funded security for gay rights activists and operational funding for gay rights organizations. Together we have stood up, time and time again, for Uganda’s gay community -- now they need us more than ever.
I think this is - as Obama said - an 'odious' law. In fact, it's much worse than odious. It's cool that we can affect the final decision from our bedrooms.
Peace. X
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