World Pulse

Philippe Leroyer

Uganda's Anti-Gay Legislation

Next month Uganda's anti-gay bill is slated to come before parliament. The proposed bill criminalizes the "promotion of homosexuality"– targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Ugandans, their defenders and anyone else who fails to report them to the authorities. If the bill passes, those charged with "aggravated homosexuality" would face life imprisonment or the death penalty. There is an estimated 500,000 gay people living in Uganda.

World Pulse Voices of Our Future Correspondent and gay-rights activist Gertrude Pswarayi of Zimbabwe reports on the effects Uganda's proposed bill has had on her own country and the rest of Africa. She writes, "The precedent set by Uganda will leave an indelible mark on the cultural and religious attitudes towards gays and lesbians in Africa." Read the full article »

CommUNITY Action

Letter from a PulseWire Community Leader

Dear PulseWire members,

Every continent, country and province has a unique story to tell about the lives of sexual minorities. PulseWire offers us the safe space to share these stories and work together to find solutions for global problems. As we await the developments in Uganda, I am inviting you to participate in a global campaign to highlight the violation of the rights of LGBT in your community through posting stories from your countries, commenting on stories written by other members, and providing and sharing solutions to upholding the rights of everyone - including the rights of sexual minorities.

I encourage community members to take a close look at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Articles 1, 5, 7, 9, 12, 16 and 25 – and explore the implications of denying sexual minorities their rights. During this campaign, members should take stock of how far the legislation in their own countries protects gay rights. Our discussions should be solutions-oriented and aimed at changing attitudes, beliefs and perceptions that lead to violence against sexual minorities.

In solidarity,
Gertrude Pswarayi

See What Our Partners Are Doing!

Gertrude F. Pswarayi Zimbabwe Communications Manager, Sexual Rights Centre "The Ugandan bill has sent a chilling shockwave among sexual rights activists who fear that other countries will introduce similar laws."	Pouline Kimani Kenya Co-Founder, Minority Women in Action "There is dire need to create sources of empowering information and safe spaces to discuss issues of sexuality - especially homophobia and the foundation of our biases."	Jaime Todd-Gher United States Attorney, Human Rights Advocacy "Using the law as a sword to criminalize individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity has no basis in love or acceptance, much less tolerance."
simplystated Jamaica Chairperson, Women for Women "I envision a world so open and free of homophobia that gay people can live without fear of being beaten or killed due to their sexuality."	anutiklv Kyrgyzstan Chair, LGBT Organization 'Labrys' "After receiving the Go Visible Award, Labrys has been inspired to achieve even more in defence and promotion of LGBT rights within the hostile environment of largely homophobic Kyrgyzstan."