mindspeak

The following is an article I am submitting for the Lanthorn’s editorial section. It will publish Thursday. If you read this, you’re getting a huge preview.

The issue of genocide in Uganda may seem like problem that is far away from America, far away from Michigan and even further away from Grand Valley State University. As you continue to read, I encourage you to transform the grave issue as something more personal and become an emerging activist to support humanity. I also ask you, as a student who strives to promote equality and diversity to step out of your comfort zone and not read the following in a political light but rather take heed to the agenda of life.

Last March, three American evangelical Christians visited with the Ugandan government to discuss the homosexual agenda, according to the New York Times. Scott Lively, Caleb Lee Brundidge and Don Schmierer posed as experts on homosexuality and persuaded political members and masses of conservative Africans that “gay men sodomize teenage boys.” Ugandan parliamentarian David Bahati introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, shortly thereafter as a way to eliminate a group of people he hates and to control the spread of HIV/AIDS. “I believe that this bill [if passed into law] will be state-legislated genocide against a specific community of Ugandans”, Canon Gideon Byamugisha said to The Guardian last month.

Human rights groups are calling the Anti-Homosexuality Bill a witch-hunt of homosexuals. Although “practicing” homosexuality has been illegal in Uganda, the proposed Bill has expanded the punishment and calls the crime “aggravated homosexuality” which could be punishable by death. Men and women in same sex relationships will be targeted and sentenced to death row. The death penalty is also applied in a homosexual relationship if a partner is under 18, or has a disability, or is HIV-positive. People accused under the aggravated homosexuality clause will be forced to undergo an HIV test. The bill could wipe out close to half a million lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Uganda.

If you are against homosexuality, take out “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender” and what are you left with? A half million people dead.

President Obama has already denounced the law in a written statement. Given the incredible danger that LGBT Ugandans are facing and the continuous support of the Bill from other countries, we as Americans; as citizens of a nation that strives for justice, must do more. If three men can make an impact on a country and gain enough support to send a shockwave of fear and rage against a group of people, surely we can stand united and effectively communicate our values of humanity towards the Ugandan government.

I am asking you to please write our state representatives right now and demand that America leads the international community in condemning this law. For more information on how you can help stop hate and save thousands of lives, log onto the Human Rights Campaign’s website at www.hrc.org and under “Get Involved”, choose “Take Action”.