Congresswoman Barbara Lee on Passage of Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2013
Contact: Carrie Adams (202) 225-2661
Washington, D.C.— Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement upon passage of the anti-homosexuality bill by the Ugandan parliament. First introduced by the Ugandan Parliament in 2009, the bill’s many cruel and unconscionable provisions include life imprisonment as the maximum penalty for repeated homosexual behavior. It also criminalizes the promotion of homosexuality, which includes funding organizations that serve LGBT people or that support the human rights of sexual minorities:
“I am dismayed and disappointed that the Ugandan legislature has passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Around the world, human rights are being extended to LGBTQ communities, and this draconian legislation moves us in the opposite direction of our goals of equality and justice. This dangerous legislation would also threaten life-saving health services, eliminate access to HIV testing and treatment programs, and significantly impair Uganda’s HIV response. I urge President Museveni to consider the broader international standards of human rights, and it is my hope that he would uphold these standards."
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee is a former Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and currently serves as CPC Whip and Chair of the Task Force on Global Peace and Security. Congresswoman Lee is also a founding member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus.