Avaaz: Uganda anti gay laws

This from Avaaz - please sign it. Over 1 million have so far and the number is growing quickly:

In 12 hours, the Ugandan Parliament may vote on a brutal new law that carries the death penalty for homosexuality. Thousands of Ugandans could face execution -- just for being gay.

We've helped stop this bill before, and we can do it again. After a massive global outcry last year, Ugandan President Museveni blocked the bill's progress. 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.

We have no time to lose. Let’s get to one million voices against Uganda's gay death penalty in the next 12 hours -- sign now then spread the word about this campaign!

Good Green and a quick update

Just returned from campaign from 7am to 7:30pm and looking forward to the 15 hour day tomorrow. The day started well with leafleting round Kingfisher Meadow without the security guard calling the police about me again, however having blagged my way in to Wallis Place next door, I managed to get lost in the maze of corridors and appartments.

Two pieces of great news I want to highlight:

• Canada has its first Green MP, Elizabeth May was elected yesterday. They suffer with FPTP too.
• Pink News has the Greens more popular than the Lib Dems, 18% compared to 11%. The Lib Dems have dropped from 57%.

Tories on gay rights???

Looks like the wheels are coming off of the Tory facade on gay rights. The press is full of how the shadow home secretary is happy to see discrimination against gay people wanting to stay at a B&B (Observer and Beeb).

Last week Cameron was exposed in an interview with Gay Times for not having a clue what his MEPs are doing in Europe.

It took plenty of pressure on Tory run Kent County Council to repeal their version of the appalling Section 28 legislation.

Gay rights are not optional. Any party that fails to take discrimination seriously should not be in power.

Widdecombe, Uganda and LGBT discrimination

Last week I emailed Ann Widdecombe asking her to sign an Early Day Motion condemning Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill which proposes the death penalty for some sexual acts. Today I received a reply.

While Ms Widdecombe was sympathetic with my concerns of the 'draconian' measures in the Bill she feels unable to sign the EDM as she "believe(s) it right to preserve the distinction between marriage and homosexual activity and therefore, find the final line of the EDM 575 impossible to sign".

For clairity the final line says: "and demands that the Ugandan government uphold international humanitarian law by abandoning its Anti-Homosexuality Bill, decriminalising same-sex acts between consenting adults in private, and outlawing discrimination against gay people"

Be careful who you vote for this year! Let's hope that whoever wins Ms Widdecombe's seat does not think discrimination against gay people is reasonable. You might want to the other challenge candidates on their views, I guess you know where I stand.

Kent Police could teach Uganda a thing or two

Firstly congratulations to Kent Police for being in Stonewall's top ten LGBT friendly organisations for the second year running.

Secondly, I received the email below from Peter Tatchell and I have emailed Ann Widdecombe asking her to back the EDM which condemns Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill. It will be interesting to read her response. Can I urge others to do this too.

Please ask your MP to sign the Early Day Motion on Uganda

London – 14 January 2010

Labour MP Harry Cohen has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM 575)condemning Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The Bill proposes the death penalty for certain categories of same-sex acts, including for repeat offenders, and life  imprisonment for merely touching another person with homosexual intent.

A copy of the EDM follows below.

“We hope the EDM will send a signal from the British parliament to the Ugandan government that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill constitutes an unacceptable attack on the human rights of Uganda’s lesbian, gay and bisexual citizens,” said Peter Tatchell of the London-based LGBT human rights group OutRage!

“This Bill violates Article 21 of the constitution of Uganda, which guarantees equality and non-discrimination:

21. Equality and freedom from discrimination.
(1) All persons are equal before and under the law in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life and in every other respect and shall enjoy equal protection of the law.

“It also breaches the equality and anti-discrimination provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which Uganda has signed and pledged to uphold.

“We are very grateful that Harry Cohen has tabled this EDM. He is a long-standing ally of the LGBT community and has championed gay equality for two decades. Way back in the early 1990s, he was one of the few MPs to ask Parliamentary Questions and write to Government Ministers, pressing for the repeal of homophobic laws. We thank him,” added Mr Tatchell.

The EDM reads:

ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL IN UGANDA

Harry Cohen MP

That this House calls on the British Government and the European Union to press the government of Uganda not to proceed with its Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which violates the equality and non-discrimination provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter of Human and People's Rights; abhors that this Bill, currently before the Uganda parliament, proposes the death penalty for repeat homosexual acts, extends the existing penalty of life imprisonment for anal intercourse to all other same-sex behaviour, including the mere touching of another person with the intent to have homosexual relations and imposes life imprisonment for contracting a same-sex marriage; notes that under the provisions of the Bill membership of providing funding for gay organisations
advocating gay human rights and providing condoms or safer sex advice to gay people will result in a sentence of between five and seven years for promoting homosexuality and that a person in authority who fails to report offenders to the police within 24 hours will incur a three year prison sentence; further notes that this monstrous proposed law contains extra-territorial jurisdiction so that it will apply to Ugandans who breach its provisions whilst living abroad, even in countries where such behaviour is not a criminal offence, and that such Ugandans living overseas could be subject to extradition, trial and punishment in Uganda; and demands that the Ugandan government uphold international humanitarian law by abandoning its Anti-Homosexuality Bill, decriminalising same-sex acts between consenting adults in private, and outlawing discrimination against gay people
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=40154&SESSION=903


What you can do

Please ask your MP to sign EDM 575 on Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill

You can email your MP direct via this website:

www.writetothem.com

Just click on the link and enter your postcode. It will tell you who is your MP and you can email him or her direct. Easy.

All you need to do is write as follows:

Draft letter to your MP [or use this one]:

Dear (insert your MP’s name),

As one of your constituents, I urge you to sign EDM 575, tabled by Harry Cohen MP. It condemns Uganda’s draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill. This Bill proposes the death penalty for some same-sex acts and life imprisonment for others. The Bill also proposes up to seven years jail for anyone who advocates gay equality and three years jail for parents who fail to report their gay sons or daughters to the police.

See a copy of the Bill here:
http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/09/Nov/Bill-No-18-Anti-Homosexuality-Bill-2009_Uganda.pdf

And a summary of the key points of the Bill here:
http://www.petertatchell.net/international/uganda-anti-homosexuality-bill–a-briefing.html

Please also consider writing to the Uganda High Commissioner in London:

Her Excellency, High Commissioner Joan Rwabyomere, Uganda High Commission, Uganda House, 58-59 Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DX.
Phone 020-7839-5783, Fax 020-7839-8925 or E-mail:
info@ugandahighcommission.co.uk

Thank you.

Insert your name

Peter Tatchell stands down

Sad news yesterday, Peter has decided to stand down as Green candidate for Oxford East. This is the press release:

Tatchell stands down as Green candidate

Brain injuries from Mugabe and Moscow bashings thwart bid to be Oxford East MP

London – 16 December 2009

“It is with great regret and reluctance that I am standing down as the
Green Party parliamentary candidate for Oxford East. My brain injuries
from the Mugabe and Moscow bashings mean that I would not be able to
campaign effectively in the general election or do the duties required
of an MP, if I was elected,” human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell
announced today.

“It would not be right for me to seek election if I could not do the
job of an MP to the high standards that I want and that Oxford East
voters have a right to expect.

“If I was elected, I could manage the parliamentary duties or the
constituency work. But my health is not strong enough for me to do
both.

 “This is huge disappointment and frustration. Oxford East is a target
Green seat. In the county elections in June, the Greens were
neck-and-neck with the Liberal Democrats as the main challenger to
Labour. The European elections saw the Greens win in Oxford East, well
ahead of Labour, the Lib Dems and the Tories.

“The brain damage caused by Mugabe’s thugs in Brussels in 2001 and by
neo-Nazis in Moscow in 2007 has been compounded by head injuries in an
accident while I was campaigning in Devon in July. A bus on which I
was travelling swerved and braked sharply. I was thrown forward,
hitting my head on a metal handrail.

“The injuries don’t stop me from campaigning but I am slower, make
more mistakes, get tired easily and take longer to do things. My
memory, concentation, balance and coordination have been adversley
affected. I can’t campaign at the pace I used to.

“I was selected as the Green Party candidate for Oxford East in April
2007. A month later, I was badly beaten around the head by neo-Nazis
during an attempted Gay Pride parade in Moscow.

See here:

http://www.petertatchell.net/international/moscowgayarrests.htm

“This exacerbated the brain damage caused when I was bashed
unconscious by President Mugabe’s bodyguards in Brussels in 2001,
after attempting to make a citizen’s arrest of the Zimbabwean leader
on charges of torture.

See here:

http://www.petertatchell.net/international/mugabearrest.htm

“Following the Moscow assault, I never rested and recuperated. I
carried on campaigning, with a very heavy schedule of commitments in
Oxford East. After several months, I was severely exhausted. This
stress and exhaustion probably intensified the damage and thwarted my
recovery.

“I have postponed making this announcement for several months, in the
hope that I might get better and be able to carry on as the Green
candidate. Unfortunately, my condition has not improved. If anything,
it is worse.

“There is, however, a glimmer of hope for the future. The medical
advice is that if I slow down and reduce my workload my condition may
improve in a year or so. On the downside, I am unlikely to ever
recover fully. Some of the damage is probably permanent.

“I don’t regret a thing. Getting a thrashing and brain injuries was
not what I had expected or wanted. But I was aware of the risks.
Taking risks is sometimes necessary, in order to challenge injustice.
My beatings had the positive effect of helping draw international
attention to the violent, repressive nature of the Russian and
Zimbabwean regimes. I’m glad of that.

“My physical inconveniences are nothing by comparison to the far worse
beatings inflicted on human rights defenders in countries like Russia,
Iran, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, Columbia, Sudan and Burma. These heroic
activists often end up jailed or dead. I count myself lucky.

“The Oxford Green Party expects to select a new parliamentary
candidate in January. That person will have my wholehearted support. I
intend to campaign with them during the general election.

“I would like to thank members of Oxford Green Party for their immense
kindness, support, and generosity during my two and a half years as
their candidate. It has been a pleasure working with the Oxford Greens
and I wish them future success,” said Mr Tatchell.

Further information: Peter Tatchell 0207 403 1790

-- 
NOTE: Please do not reply via this automated email system.

www.petertatchell.net

If you want to respond to this email, or at any time to contact Peter,
please email him at his NEW email address - peter@petertatchell.net

You can follow Peter on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PeterTatchell or
join the Peter Tatchell Human Rights Campaign Facebook group at
http://tinyurl.com/cj9y6s

Peter Tatchell is the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Oxford East
www.greenoxford.com/peter and www.petertatchell.net

PETER TATCHELL HUMAN RIGHTS FUND

Donations are requested to help Peter Tatchell's campaigns promoting
human rights, democracy and global justice. Peter is unpaid and
receives no grants. He depends on donations from friends and
supporters.

Please make cheques payable to: "Peter Tatchell Human Rights Fund".

Send to: PTHRF, PO Box 35253, London E1 4YF

To download a donation form or a standing order mandate, go to
Donations at: www.tatchellrightsfund.org

For information about Peter Tatchell’s campaigns: www.petertatchell.net

_______________________________________________
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Discussion@lists.greenparty.org.uk
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Complain about Jan Moir

In response to the Jan Moir / Daily Hate Mail's atrocious piece on why being gay caused Stephen Gately's death, I have complained to the Press Complaints Commission - copy of the email below.

The piece goes much further that just suggesting that Gately didn't die of natural causes, it is a pathetic attempt to smear civil partnerships, smears Gately's lifestyle, and claims that 33 year old men don't occasionally die suddenly. As a registered nurse who worked in a cardiac ward for a number of years, I can tell you for certain that 33 year old men do occasionally die suddenly from a previously undetected heart condition. I have seen it happen.

Please add your voice ot the complaints. The Press Complaints Commission website crashed last night but is working this morning and they have added a dedicated link for Jan Moir complaints. Facebook campaign here (over 9000 members in 24 hours!). More from the BBC here.

To: complaints@pcc.org.uk

Dear Press Complaints Commission,

I wish to lodge my complaint about Jan Moir's article on the Daily Mail website today which claims that Stephen Gately's death was not natural and was a result of him being gay.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1220756/A-strange-lonely-troubling-death--.html

This appalling offensive article breaches the following points of your code of practice:

Code 1) Accuracy
- The article fails to distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.
- Speculation around Mr Cowles and Mr Dochev's relationship is misleading.

Code 3) Privacy
- Reporting ill founded speculation over Mr Cowles and Mr Dochev's relationship is a clear breach of Mr Cowles right to privacy.

Code 5) Intrusion into grief or shock
- Reporting such speculation and insinuation so soon after Mr Gately's death in an intrustion into the grief of those who knew him, and the shock of his fans over his death and situation surrounding it.

Code 12) Discrimination
- The insinuation of Mr Cowles infidelity is only based on the fact he is a homosexual.
- Mr Gately's sexuality has no relevance to his death, or the cause of death.

I look forward to your response.
--
Stuart Jeffery
Green Party Parliamentary candidate for Maidstone and the Weald

Galaxy's message to the Pope

While the Pope has wished good cheer on the LGBT world this Christmas, others wait to be cast into the fires of damnation at a later date. Perhaps he will decide that seals are the embodiment of the antichrist and deserve extra clubbing next Christmas? We need to send a strong message to the Pope that his views are not acceptable.

Galaxy, have rejected Christianity altogether. This year's chocolate calender from Galaxy, contains a complete homage to consumefest and rejection of Christianity. I don't pretend to be a Christian, but I am happy to celebrate it and hate the consumefest.

A selection of Galaxy's 24 calender messages:

1st Dec: When's your first Christmas party?
2nd Dec: Picture of mistletoe
3rd Dec: Picture of a tag for a present
4th Dec: Picture of handbag
5th Dec: Have you put your tree up yet?
6th Dec: Picture of mittens
7th Dec: Have you eaten your first mince pie yet?

and so on to

24th Dec: Picture of a scarf

Clearly Galaxy are as upset as the rest of us at the Pope's words and have put out this advent calender to slight him. Shame they didn't focus on a better religion than consumerism.

Under 18's LGBT night in Maidstone

"Britain's first organised under-18s night for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people is being held in Maidstone."

This is a surprise first. Just three years ago Hazel Dawe (chair of Kent Green Party) was speaking at a protest outside County Hall to get Kent County Council to lift its own version of the Section 28 ban on Kent schools. This was lifted last year (possibly in 2006).

Maidstone gets libertarian!

Shame its in a pub, but never the less it's welcome news.