By Editors LGBTQNation (Phoenix, Arizona) JAN 27 | The White House today issued the following statement by President Barack Obama regarding the murder of Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato:
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the murder of David Kato. In Uganda, David showed tremendous courage in speaking out against hate. He was a powerful advocate for fairness and freedom. The United States mourns his murder, and we recommit ourselves to David’s work.
At home and around the world, LGBT persons continue to be subjected to unconscionable bullying, discrimination, and hate. In the weeks preceding David Kato’s murder in Uganda, five members of the LGBT community in Honduras were also murdered. It is essential that the Governments of Uganda and Honduras investigate these killings and hold the perpetrators accountable.
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| David Kato via LGBTQNation |
LGBT rights are not special rights; they are human rights. My Administration will continue to strongly support human rights and assistance work on behalf of LGBT persons abroad. We do this because we recognize the threat faced by leaders like David Kato, and we share their commitment to advancing freedom, fairness, and equality for all.”
Kato was found Wednesday having been beaten in the skull with a hammer a his home. Last year, he was featured in the Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone, which featured names and photos of gay men under the headline “HANG THEM!”
Homosexulaity in Uganda is a criminal offense punishable in some cases by life imprisonment.
Lawmaker David Bahati has sponsored legislation that would introduce some of the toughest anti-gay punishments in the world, with a minimum life sentence for anyone convicted of having gay sex, and a mandatory death penalty if they were HIV-positive.
The bill, commonly referred to as the “Kill the Gays” bill, would also ban the “promotion of homosexuality,” making it a crime to advocate on behalf of gay rights.
Kato and his group, Sexual Minorities Uganda, had campaigned against the bill.
Earlier Today Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement:
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues. We urge Ugandan authorities to quickly and thoroughly investigate and prosecute those responsible for this heinous act.
We are profoundly saddened by the loss of Ugandan human rights defender David Kato, who was brutally murdered in his home near Kampala yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues.
This crime is a reminder of the heroic generosity of the people who advocate for and defend human rights on behalf of the rest of us -- and the sacrifices they make. And as we reflect on his life, it is also an occasion to reaffirm that human rights apply to everyone, no exceptions, and that the human rights of LGBT individuals cannot be separated from the human rights of all persons.
Our ambassadors and diplomats around the world will continue to advance a comprehensive human rights policy, and to stand with those who, with their courage, make the world a more just place where every person can live up to his or her God-given potential. We honor David’s legacy by continuing the important work to which he devoted his life."
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1 comments:
So they are profoundly saddened by this all, but don't seem to want to address the American initiated rhetoric that instigates so much of this.
It seems to me that this is almost the same as anti-American rhetoric in the middle east (and elsewhere) causing some people over here to do despicable things, and those countries being chastised for allowing things to develop in that direction. One never hears anyone defend free speech if they espouse hatred of the USA, do they? They don't defend free speech if that speech is incitement of violence against Americans both here and abroad. I think the term 'hypocrisy' might work here.
What is needed is a concerted effort to stamp out ALL calls and rhetoric for intolerance and violence against anyone. That, if nothing else, should be attached to the right of free speech.
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