Box Turtle Bulletin
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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyFebruary 16th, 2010
I didn’t like the whole “kill the gay Ugandan scouts” meme, and felt the need to set the record straight. But I have to admit that it appears to have gotten the attention of the world scouting headquarters in Geneva, according to a press release Peter Tatchell sent to BTB:
“The world scout headquarters in Geneva has written to the Chief Scout and the Chief Commissioner of the Uganda Scout Association concerning the Anti-Homosexuality Bill and the sponsorship of this Bill by the Chairman of the Uganda Scout Board, David Bahati MP,” reports LGBT human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell of OutRage!
“This swift response came just hours after protests against Mr Bahati to the Scout Association UK by the London-based LGBT human rights group OutRage!.
“OutRage! is urging the disaffiliation of the Ugandan scout organisation from the world scouting movement, as a way of adding further pressure on the Ugandan government to drop the Bill.
“Our request for disaffiliation was immediately forwarded by the Scout Association UK to the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in Geneva.
“OutRage!\’s actions are an attempt to open up a new front in the campaign against the Bill and to graphically expose the ramification\’s of the proposed legislation on youth and civic organisations in Uganda (which has received little coverage so far).
“By highlighting the particular threat to LGBT scout members, we have not intended to detract in any way from the wider issues and consequences of Mr Bahati\’s draconian legislation.
“LGBT scouts and scout leaders are, of course, only one section of the Ugandan LGBT community. All Ugandan LGBTs are at risk if this Bill becomes law. We are concerned about the danger to them all – and the threat to their straight families, friends, supporters and allies,” said Mr Tatchell.
Click here to see BTB\’s complete coverage of recent anti-gay developments in Uganda.
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gayuganda
February 16th, 2010
Ha ha ha ha!
I was sceptical, too. Tatchell is fire in the hands. Careful, it can burn, but, does he get results!!!!!
Very amusing, to me. [ahem]
And, I am amazed the response was so swift.
As you point out in the post before, it is not only scouts at risk.
And, as a Ugandan I have to note that the imposition of the death penalty would apply… There is a 17 year old who was condemned to life in prison for having sex with a 4 year old last year in Mukono, a town east of Kampala. So, it is not exactly untruth!
Mark
February 17th, 2010
As a Scout, I applaued Peter Tatchell for bringing-in the “scout” aspect to the thoroughly nasty bill in Uganda. From what I read in the media here in England it was Box Turtle Bulletin that first bought to light the connection between the sponsor of the bill, David Bahati, and his role in the Ugandan Scot Movement a couple of months back.
I do realise that Boy Scouts of America still lives in the dark ages and will not let gays anywhere near them. However, in most other countries in the world gays are as welcome as any other person is. There is no discrimination.
Therefore no complaints to this site for not exploring this “connection”.
I know for a fact that Peter Tatchell’s letter sent recently to the Scout Association in UK was taken seriously and forwarded immediately to World Organisation of the Scout Movement in Switzerland for action.
It is fair to say that when Switzerland started getting telephone calls from the English media as a result of Peter Tatchell’s press release (he is taken seriously here) the process was very much speeded up.
Peter Tatchell has done a great service to not only the inclusive world Scouting movement but also, we can all hope, to gay men and women in Uganda.
Keep up the pressure.
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