Petrelis Files

Dec 10: Chicago, London, SF Protests:
Uganda's Anti-Gay Death Penalty Bill

(The lamp post/pillar at SF's UN Plaza inscribed with the year Uganda was admitted to the UN. Activists will gather there later this week.)

Gay human rights activists in three cities are staging protests and solidarity actions this Thursday, on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Ugandans fighting for their lives. Organizers issued the follow explanation:

To coincide with International Human Rights Day, this Thursday 10 December, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) has called for worldwide protests against the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill currently being debated by the Ugandan parliament.

Under this proposed new law, gay Ugandans will face execution for certain homosexual acts.

The new Anti-Homosexuality Bill, if passed, threatens with life imprisonment or the death penalty anyone even alleged to be homosexual. Parents who don’t report their lesbian daughter or gay son to the authorities could face 3 years in prison. Teachers who don’t report lesbian or gay students face the same penalties.

And landlords who give housing to a suspected homosexual risk 7-years imprisonment. Similarly, the Bill threatens to brutally punish anyone who works with the gay community in areas of HIV/AIDS activism or health care.

If you live near any of these cities, please participate in the action near you. Also, it's not too late to organize a vigil or action in your city. Consider staging a protest, ask your friends to join you, and when you have details on an action for Thursday, let me know the details.

For concise background details, check out the BoxTurtleBulletin updates, and also this report from TruthWinsOut.

Here is the info for the scheduled protests:

1.

US Evangelical Gay Haters Paved the Way
to Possible Death Penalty for Ugandan Gays

December 10, 2009
6:30 to 7:30 PM

Center on Halsted, Halsted and Waveland
Chicago, IL

Contact: Bob Schwartz, RufNel@aol.com

2.

Protest Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill

10 December 2009
12pm - 2pm

Ugandan High Commission
58-59 Trafalger Square, Charing Cross
London, UK

Contact: Peter Tatchell, peter@petertatchell.net

3.

Solidarity With Gay Ugandans

December 10, 2009
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

United Nations Plaza/Uganda Pillar
Market Street, Btwn 7th & 8th Streets
San Francisco, CA

Contact: Michael Petrelis, mpetrelis@aol.com

4.

Your city??