Uganda...'nuff said

It always amazes me that in Western nations we talk about the campaign for gay rights coming so far.  And it has.  We have equality in many areas of life and campaigns are ongoing in others (see a recent post on same-sex marriage).

And because of this it's easy to overlook and forget developing nations where things are far from equal or even safe.

Like Uganda, for example.

Have a read at this.  And while you're at it, this.

Anti-gay bills and zealous hatred of homosexuality is nothing new for Uganda, it's neighbour Kenya and other African nations such as Malawi.  Men and women are outted in national papers.  They are killed, in some cases by family, friends and neighbours.  It is not safe to be LGBT in many countries on the African continent.  Your life can literally hang in the balance if you are outted.

A quote from a BBC article a few months ago summed it up for me: "what I'm worried about most is not even the police coming to arrest me, it's my neighbour attacking me".  For anyone who thinks this may be an overdramatisation, in January 2011, Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato was killed in what was widely believed to be a hate crime.

In 2011, Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills filmed a documentary called "The World's Worst Place to Be Gay?"  I'd encourage everyone to watch it.  But prepare yourself first.

Earlier this year Uganda's government tried to introduce a similar bill which among other things, introduced punishments up to and including life in prison and the death penalty if you were found guilty of homosexual offences.  The bill was stopped in part due to an internet campaign that collected more than 800,000 signatures.

There is another petition currently being run by the organisation Avaaz and they are trying to collect 2,000,000 signatures this time round to try and stop this.  Please take a few seconds to support this petition. 

It is important that supporters of equality the world over spread the message and make a statement: equality for all!

I've been asked by people why we still fight for equality, why we still hold Pride marches and why we mark things like LGBT month.  But this is why.  It's to send a message that we're not finished yet, we're not entirely equal.  It's to say that there are other LGBT people in the world that are still suffering and fighting for things that we take for granted.

And it's to give the LGBT community in those countries hope. 

Things can get better, and we're in it with you.