Community Leaders, activists and concerned citizens gathered at the Rehoboth Temple Christ Conscious Church in Harlem for an emergency Town Hall meeting to address the proposed Ugandan Anti-Homosexual Bill which if passed, would broaden the criminalization of homosexuality by introducing the death penalty for people who have previous convictions, are HIV-positive, or engage in same sex acts with people under 18 years of age. The bill also includes provisions for Ugandans who engage in same-sex sexual relations outside of Uganda, asserting that they may be extradited for punishment back to Uganda.
The Town Hall's Keynote speaker was Frank Mugisha of the non-profit organization Sexual Minorities of Uganda, whose vision is that of a peaceful non-discriminatory society with respect for human rights and equal health, social, economical and political opportunities for Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Uganda. Mr. Mugisha spoke of horrific conditions LGBT people face in Uganda such as corrective rape for women thought to be Lesbian, cramped living conditions for those nineteen men living in an isolation shack, fearing for their lives because they are gay, and if found out, will be put to death.
Frank Mugisha, of the non-profit organization Sexual Minorities of Uganda.
Frank Mugisha and Bishop Zachary Jones of Unity Fellowship Curch.
Last Wednesday, the author of Uganda's "Kill The Gays" bill, David Behati, appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show where Maddow repeatedly called Behati out on his absurd claims about wealthy American homosexuals "paying Ugandan school children to become gay." Behati's bill came to light after The Family, a powerful GOP-based lobby of anti-gay Christianists, visited Uganda to preach against homosexuality. Here's Part I of the interview:
Needless to say, after this interview aired, a town hall meeting was quickly organized to denounce the hateful message and bill brought to the US by MP David Behati.
Pastor Joseph W. Tolton, Pastor and Founder of Rehoboth Temple Christ Conscious Church addressing the audience.
Bishop Zachary Jones offering reflections on "kill the gays" bill and what that could mean for African Americans in the US should the bill be passed.
West African African Adinkra symbols and proverbs serve to connect and inspire...
...and song healed the pain.
The town hall ended with African American members from the audience standing in solidarity with Frank Mugisha, Pastor Joseph Tolton and Bishop Zachary Jones, denouncing the "kill the gays" bill.
Watch this video interview to learn more about the "kill the gays" bill from Ugandan LGBT activist Frank Mugisha:
"We are the one's we've been waiting for."
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