President Yoweri Museveni, Members of Parliament of Uganda,

 

and the People of Uganda

 

English: Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

English: Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

Through Ms Elizabeth Napeyok, High Commissioner,
Ugandan High Commission in New Delhi, India

C- 14, ANAND NIKETAN,

 

New Delhi – 110021

 

Phone No: 011-49363636

 

Fax No: 011 – 49363649

 

 

 


We register here our strong condemnation of President Museveni’s signing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2009 into law. The Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014 violates the basic human rights of the kuchus of Uganda, impeding their right to live and love without harm to others, in enjoyment of the rights of freedom and equality guaranteed by the Ugandan Constitution. In the face of this severe blow to the struggle for universal human rights, we reassert our solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, disabled and HIV-affected people of Uganda, and of all 36 of Africa’s 55 countries where same-sex relations are illegal. We write as citizens of India, also a former British colony grappling with the multiple legacies of colonialism, of which the inheritance of homophobic laws is only one. We too have been told that homosexuality is a ‘Western import’ that is alien to our culture. This claim flies in the face of a wealth of evidence of same-sex love and desire in our histories and cultures. It is a matter of fact that same-sex love in our cultures, and in parts of Africa including Uganda, was accepted, and in some contexts, celebrated until the advent of the colonial experience. It is a claim that, moreover, is contradicted by the fact that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, represents the most aggressive institutionalisation of the criminalisation of homosexuality in the history of the Indian subcontinent. It is this legislative initiative of an unrepresentative colonial state that was then replicated in only slightly modified forms in other colonies of the British state, including Uganda. It is homophobia, rather than homosexuality that is a colonial legacy. Today, we are engaged, along with our counterparts in other ex-British colonies, in an ongoing struggle against this legacy of colonialism, a struggle in which we have relied primarily on the activist labours of our people and on the moral and legal commitments of laws and Constitutions that we have given unto ourselves. 

As a post-colonial state that is proud of its hard-won independence, we understand, share and support Uganda’s commitment to realising and maintaining democratic decision making processes, in line with your Constitution and in the exercise of your sovereignty, unimpeded by the external world.

 

In this context, we are concerned by numerous analyses and critical commentaries that have shown the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014 is itself an externally sponsored initiative, drafted with considerable encouragement and advice from US-based evangelicals whose moral, theological and political agendas do not prioritise, or rather undermine the welfare of the entirety of Uganda’s people. In this context it is important to emphasise that the Act disregards and devalues the lives of Uganda’s own people. We urge you to listen to those brave Ugandan voices in every walk of life who have stood up for basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people in Uganda without regard to considerations of tribe, region, religion, sex, nationality, disability, or sexuality.

 

We reach out in solidarity against attempts at imperialist control over our political, moral, ethical and cultural lives. The irony of history is that the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014, which is an instance of such attempts at control, is being hailed as evidence of the expression of sovereignty. To recognise the rights of all Ugandans to lives of dignity, equality and freedom of expression and assembly, by immediately repealing the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014 would be the true assertion of sovereignty.

 

Signed:

  1. A. Mani, University of Calcutta, Kolkata*
  2. Aarthi Pai, CASAM, SANGRAM, Bangalore
  3. Abhi Tam, Hyderabad
  4. Abhijit Majumder, Fellow, InStem-NCBS, Bangalore
  5. Abhishek Divyam, Guwahati
  6. Achintya Prahlad
  7. Adam Fernandes, Mumbai
  8. Aditi, TISS, Mumbai
  9. Aditya Narvekar, Navi Mumbai
  10. Aiswarya J
  11. Akhil Kumar, Youth Ki Awaaz, New Delhi
  12. Akshata Ravi, Mumbai
  13. Amborish Roychoudhury, Mumbai
  14. Amritananda Chakravorty, Lawyers Collective, New Delhi
  15. Anand Pendharkar, Mumbai
  16. Ananya Dutta Roy, Youth for Equality, Silchar
  17. Andy Silveira, Hyderabad
  18. Ann Ninan, India
  19. Anshuman Das, Cuttack
  20. Anurag Nair, Bangalore
  21. Aravind Chandrasekaran, Chennai
  22. Aravindh C., Trichy
  23. Archana Shetty, Bangalore
  24. Arunima Dey, Mumbai
  25. Arushi Singh, Rights Activist, Goa
  26. Ashitosh, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
  27. Ashwitha, Secondary School Teacher, Mumbai
  28. Association of Transgender/Hijra in Bengal, Kolkata
  29. AUD Queer Collective, New Delhi
  30. Avinash Matta, Hyderabad
  31. Bharat, New Delhi
  32. Brenda Lias, Orlando, Florida, USA
  33. C Moulee, Orinam, Chennai
  34. Chanakya, India
  35. Chayanika Shah, Member, LABIA, Bombay
  36. ChemsEddine HAKIMI, Algiers, Algeria
  37. Chhandita Chakravarty, Hyderabad
  38. Chiranjoy, Guwahati
  39. Citizens’ Collective against Sexual Assault, New Delhi
  40. CREA, New Delhi
  41. Cynthia Tiphagne, Sudhathra, Madurai
  42. Danny Bhotia, New Delhi
  43. Deep Nand, Mumbai
  44. Deepak, Thrissur
  45. Deeptaarko Dutto, Malda
  46. Deepti Murali, Mumbai
  47. Deepti Sharma, New Delhi
  48. Deya Bhattachaya, Femin Ijtihad, Calcutta
  49. Dhamini Ratnam, Journalist, Mumbai
  50. Dolly Koshy, Secular Humanist, Bengaluru
  51. Dr. Gilles DENIZOT, Chennai
  52. Dr. S. Rajgopal, Coimbatore
  53. Felix, Orinam, Chennai
  54. Garima Sharma, Mumbai
  55. Gayatri Chawla, Patna
  56. Gayatri Menon, Bangalore
  57. Gayatri Sekar, Chennai
  58. Goutam Sahoo, Bhubaneswar
  59. Gowthaman Ranganathan, Lawyer, Bangalore
  60. Gulshan Kumar Mittal, Guwahati
  61. Hari Menon, Bangalore
  62. Hariharan, Chennai
  63. Harish Iyer, Equal Rights Campaigner, Mumbai
  64. Harshavardhan Goel, Student at the National Law School of India, Bangalore
  65. Henri Tiphagne, Convenor, WGHR, New Delhi
  66. Himangshu Kalita, Guwahati
  67. India HIV/AIDS Alliance, New Delhi
  68. Isha Singh Sawhney, freelance journalist, New Delhi
  69. Janani Vaidya,
  70. Jaya Sharma, New Delhi
  71. Jayant Iyer, Bangalore
  72. Jayesh Gopi, Mumbai
  73. K Rahul Sharma, New Delhi
  74. Kabi S, Bombay
  75. Kamayani Bali Mahabal, Feminist and Human Rights Activist, Mumbai
  76. Karishma Dorai, Mumbai
  77. Karthik Umapathi, Chennai
  78. Karuna Nundy, Advocate, Supreme Court of India, New Delhi
  79. Kaveri R I, LesBiT, Hyderabad
  80. Kaveri, India
  81. Kavita Krishnan, AIPWA, New Delhi
  82. Kavita Srivastava, Jaipur
  83. Kavya Murthy, Bangalore
  84. Ketaki, Delhi
  85. Keval Patvi, Mumbai
  86. Kiran Shaheen, Media Action and Research Group, New Delhi
  87. Krishna B, Karur, Tamil Nadu
  88. Kunal Kochhar, Panchkula
  89. L Ramakrishnan, public health professional, Chennai
  90. LABIA Queer Feminist LBT Collective, Bombay
  91. Lena Ganesh
  92. Lenin, New Delhi
  93. Lesley Esteves, Queer Rights Activist, New Delhi
  94. Linda Dale, Leek Staffordshire, UK
  95. Madhana RNR, Lancaster, PA, USA
  96. Maisnam Arnapal, Delhi University, New Delhi
  97. Maksoom Ali, Pahal Foundation, Faridabad
  98. Mamatha Karollil, Ambedkar University, New Delhi
  99. Manak Matiyani, Delhi Queer Pride, Community-The Youth Collective, New Delhi
  100. Manojkiran C, Chennai
  101. Mario da Penha, Mumbai
  102. Maya Sharma, Vikalp (Women’s Group), Baroda
  103. Mayur Suresh, Lawyer, Bangalore
  104. Meena Seshu, Director, Sangram, Sangli
  105. Minal Hajratwala, Bangalore
  106. Mohnish Malhotra, Queer Rights Activist, New Delhi
  107. Monica Narula, New Delhi
  108. Mridul Dudeja, Mumbai
  109. N. Jayaram, Journalist, Bangalore
  110. Namrata Bajaj, Mumbai
  111. Nandini Rao, New Delhi
  112. Neal Sen, Youth for Social Change, Mumbai
  113. Nuzhat Nasreen, Student
  114. Oishik Sircar, Academic and Lawyer, Kolkata
  115. Orinam, Chennai
  116. Padmini Baruah, WHaQ, Bangalore
  117. Pankaj Nanda, Delhi
  118. Paroma Mukherjee, Photographer, New Delhi
  119. Partners for Law in Development, New Delhi
  120. Pawan Dhall, Varta, Kolkata
  121. Ponni Arasu, Chennai
  122. Pramada Menon, Gurgaon
  123. Prasanna R, Orinam, Chennai
  124. Pratik Bahekar, Mumbai
  125. Priyank Verma, Mumbai
  126. Pronoy Rai, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA
  127. Punita Gupta, Photographer, Mumbai
  128. Purwa Bharadwaj, Delhi
  129. Rachit Sai Barak, Media Professional, New Delhi
  130. Rafiul Alom Rahman, DU Queer Collective, New Delhi
  131. Rahil Chatterjee, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
  132. Rahul Patel
  133. Raj Patel, Goa
  134. Rajendra Parihar, University of Delhi, New Delhi
  135. Ram Chakraborty, Kolkata
  136. Ranjana Padhi, New Delhi
  137. Ranjita Sinha, Kolkata
  138. Regina Hansda, University of Cambridge, UK
  139. Richa Jha, India
  140. Ricky Patel, London, UK
  141. Robin Bose, Chennai
  142. Rohit K Dasgupta, University of the Arts, London, UK
  143. Ronald, Mumbai
  144. Roshni Sen, Youth for Social Change, Mumbai
  145. Rupa Kanapathipillai, Australia
  146. Ryan Figueiredo, International Planned Parenthood Federation, South Asia Office, New Delhi
  147. Sadia Saeed, Delhi
  148. Samira Obeid, University of South Florida, Florida, USA
  149. Samraj Kundi, Park Surgery, Middlesbrough, UK
  150. Sandhya Luther, India/USA
  151. Sapan Parekh, Mumbai
  152. Saptarshi Mandal, Lawyer, New Delhi
  153. Sarabjeet Singh, Mumbai
  154. Sathya Bose, just a lover of equality, Mumbai
  155. Satnam Kaur, Saheli, New Delhi
  156. Satya, Sampoorna [For Trans* Indians – By Trans* Indians – Across the Globe], India
  157. Saurabh Bondre, Mumbai
  158. Saurabh Shabdik, Silchar
  159. Sayan Bhattacharya, Kolkata
  160. Shalini Krishan, New Delhi
  161. Shambhavi Madhan, Chennai
  162. Sharmi Surianarain, African Leadership Academy, Johannesburg, South Africa
  163. Sharmila C, India
  164. Shilpa Ahluwalia, Professional Social Worker
  165. Shiv Sahoo, New Delhi
  166. Shiva Karthik, Preston, United Kingdom
  167. Shobhna S. Kumar, Mumbai
  168. Shreyas Kumari, Santa Clara, USA
  169. Shridhar Sadasivan, Orinam, Chennai
  170. Shrinkhla Agrawal
  171. Shruti Gautam, Delhi
  172. Shubham Bose Roy, Delhi Queer Pride Committee, New Delhi
  173. Sibi Mathen, Yaariyan and Queer Azaadi Mumbai, Mumbai
  174. Siddhant, Mumbai
  175. Smriti Nevatia, writer, feminist, Mumbai
  176. Smruthi Narayan, LGBT individual and activist, Hyderabad
  177. Sonal Sharma, Researcher, Ambedkar University, New Delhi
  178. Sonia Singhal, Mumbai
  179. Soorya Sriram, Humanist, Chennai
  180. Soumya Tejas, Campaigner at Must Bol, New Delhi
  181. Sreekala MG, New Delhi
  182. Subhankar Das, Punjab
  183. Sudeepthi, Chennai
  184. Suhas Vasudev, New Delhi
  185. Sumathi. N, Bangalore
  186. Sundar Jeyaraman,
  187. Suneeta Dhar, India
  188. Sunil Mohan, Bangalore
  189. Sushil Rathi, Kharagpur
  190. Swati, Boston, MA, USA
  191. Sylvester Merchant, Lakshya Trust, Gujarat
  192. Tanushree Gangopadhyay, Ahmedabad
  193. Tanya Joshua, Chennai
  194. TARSHI, New Delhi
  195. Thaddeus Alfonso, Goa
  196. Udayan Dhar, Diversity Consultant at Mingle, Mumbai
  197. Uma V Chandru, PUCL-BLR Member, Bangalore
  198. Vaasu, Mumbai
  199. Vic Advani Friman, India/Sweden
  200. Vihang Ghalsasi, Heidelberg, Germany
  201. Vikram S, Chennai
  202. Vinay Chandran, Executive Director, Swabhava Trust, Bangalore
  203. Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression, India
  204. Yadavendra Singh, India HIV/AIDS Alliance, New Delhi
  205. Zoya Chhabra

 

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