National
Obama admin. reiterates ‘opposition’ to anti-gay Uganda bill
State Dept. says measure will undermine efforts to combat HIV/AIDS
Protesters outside the Ugandan embassy in Northwest D.C. on Dec. 1, 2012. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The Obama administration late on Friday criticized the passage of a Ugandan bill earlier in the day that would impose a life sentence upon anyone found guilty of repeated same-sex sexual acts.
Statements against the measure came from both the State Department and the White House National Security Council.
Jonathan Lalley, assistant press secretary for national security at the White House, said the Obama administration is “deeply concerned” about the Uganda measure.
“We are deeply concerned by the Ugandan Parliament’s passage of anti-homosexuality legislation,” said Lalley. “As Americans, we believe that people everywhere deserve to live in freedom and equality – and that no one should face violence or discrimination for who they are or who they love. We join those in Uganda and around the world who appeal for respect for the human rights of LGBT persons and of all persons.”
Lalley added the U.S. embassy in Kampala has been and remains “in regular contact” with the Ugandan government on this bill and other human rights issues.
Aaron Jensen, spokesperson for the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor, told the Washington Blade the Obama administration opposes measures like Uganda’s so-called Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
“The United States respects the sovereignty of Uganda and the prerogatives of its Parliament to pass legislation,” said Jensen. “Nevertheless, we oppose any legislation that undermines a person’s enjoyment of his or her human rights, and for that reason we condemn legislation that criminalizes consensual sexual conduct between adults or criminalizes simply being of a particular sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Jensen said the Anti-Homosexuality Bill would not only discriminate against LGBT Ugandans but “seriously undermine” efforts to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in the African country.
“We reiterate our long-standing opposition to this bill,” he told the Blade.
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill that Parliamentarian David Bahati introduced in 2009 also seeks to ban the “promotion” of same-sex sexual relations. The measure would also require anyone with knowledge of “homosexual activity” to report it to authorities within 24 hours.
Lawmakers removed a provision of the bill that sought to impose the death penalty against anyone convicted of repeated same-sex acts.
President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other U.S. officials have repeatedly spoken out against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
Obama made his views about the measure known during his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in D.C. in 2010. A Christian evangelical group known as “The Family,” which has ties to anti-gay lawmakers in Uganda, hosts the annual event.
“We may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are — whether it’s here in the United States or, as [then-Secretary of State] Hillary [Clinton] mentioned, more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda,” said Obama.
The White House and British Prime Minister David Cameron have also suggested a country’s LGBT rights record should factor into the allocation of international aid.
“The U.K. is concerned about the potential impact of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill approved today by the Ugandan Parliament on the country’s human rights,” said U.K. Foreign Office Minister Hugh Robertson in a statement. “Whilst recognizing Uganda’s sovereignty, we believe that this bill is incompatible with the defense of minority rights and would increase persecution and discrimination of ordinary people across Uganda. We have and will continue to raise our concerns.”
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) described the measure’s passage as “a sad day for human rights around the world.”
“While most nations are moving towards compassion, tolerance and non-discrimination, Uganda is unfortunately moving backward,” said the Florida Republican in a statement. “All people deserve to live free of harassment and discrimination and should be able to express themselves without fear of persecution. All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect across every country and continent.”
Homosexuality remains criminalized in more than 70 countries with Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran and portions of northern Nigeria imposing the death penalty upon anyone found guilty of same-sex sexual activity.
The Center for Constitutional Rights in March 2012 filed a federal lawsuit against Scott Lively in Massachusetts on behalf of Sexual Minorities Uganda, an LGBT advocacy group, that accused the evangelical Christian of exploiting homophobic attitudes in the East African country and encouraging Ugandan lawmakers to approve the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. U.S. District Judge Michael A. Posner of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in August ruled SMUG’s lawsuit can move forward.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has yet to sign the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law.
Chris Johnson contributed to this report.
Federal Government
US Census Bureau testing survey on LGBTQ households
Agency proposing questions about sexual orientation and gender identity
The U.S. Census Bureau is seeking public comment on a proposed test of sexual orientation and gender identity questions on the American Community Survey. The test would begin this summer and continue into next year.
The Census Bureau published the request as a Federal Register notice. In its press release the agency noted that the ACS is an ongoing survey that collects detailed housing and socioeconomic data. It allows the Census Bureau to provide timely and relevant housing and socioeconomic statistics, even for low levels of geography.
As part of the process for adding new questions to the ACS, the Census Bureau tests potential questions to evaluate the quality of the data collected.
The Census Bureau proposes testing questions about sexual orientation and gender identity to meet the needs of other federal agencies that have expressed interest in or have identified legal uses for the information, such as enforcing civil rights and equal employment measures.
The test would follow the protocols of the actual ACS — with one person asked to respond to the survey on behalf of the entire household. These particular questions are asked about people 15 years of age or older. Households are invited to respond to the survey online, by paper questionnaire or by phone.
The current Federal Register notice gives the public a final opportunity to provide feedback before the Census Bureau submits its recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget for approval. The public may provide feedback through May 30 online.
The White House
Judy Shepard to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Nancy Pelosi is also among this year’s honorees
Beloved LGBTQ advocate Judy Shepard is among the 19 honorees who will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the U.S., the White House announced on Friday.
The mother of Matthew Shepard, who was killed in 1998 in the country’s most notorious anti-gay hate crime, she co-founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation with her husband Dennis to raise awareness about anti-LGBTQ violence.
The organization runs education, outreach, and advocacy programs, many focused on schools.
In a statement shared via the Human Rights Campaign, Shepard said, “This unexpected honor has been very humbling for me, Dennis, and our family. What makes us proud is knowing our President and our nation share our lifelong commitment to making this world a safer, more loving, more respectful, and more peaceful place for everyone.
“I am grateful to everyone whose love and support for our work through the years has sustained me.
“If I had the power to change one thing, I can only dream of the example that Matt’s life and purpose would have shown, had he lived. This honor reminds the world that his life, and every life, is precious.”
Shepard was instrumental in working with then-President Barack Obama for passage of the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009, which was led in the House by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who will also be honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom during the ceremony on Friday.
Also in 2009, Shepard published a memoir, “The Meaning of Matthew: My Son’s Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed,” and was honored with the Black Tie Dinner Elizabeth Birch Equality Award.
“Judy Shepard has been a champion for equality and President Biden’s choice to honor her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom is a testament to what she’s done to be a force of good in the world,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a statement.
“A mother who turned unspeakable grief over the loss of her son into a decades-long fight against anti-LGBTQ+ hatred and violence, Judy continues to make a lasting impact in the lives of the LGBTQ+ community,” she said.
“It is because of her advocacy that the first federal hate crimes legislation became law and that countless life-saving trainings, resources and conversations about equality and acceptance are provided each year by the Matthew Shepard Foundation,” Robinson said. “We are honored that Judy is a member of the HRC family and know that her work to create a more inclusive and just world will only continue.”
Other awardees who will be honored by the White House this year are: Actor Michelle Yeoh, entrepreneur and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Jesuit Catholic priest Gregory Boyle, Assistant House Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), former Labor and Education Secretary and former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), journalist and former daytime talkshow host Phil Donahue, World War II veteran and civil rights activist Medgar Evers (posthumous), former Vice President Al Gore, civil rights activist and lawyer Clarence B. Jones, former Secretary of State and U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), former U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) (posthumous), Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, educator and activist Opal Lee, astronaut and former director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center Ellen Ochoa, astronomer Jane Rigby, United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero, and Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe (posthumous).
National
United Methodist Church removes 40-year ban on gay clergy
Delegates also voted for other LGBTQ-inclusive measures
The United Methodist Church on Wednesday removed a ban on gay clergy that was in place for more than 40 years, voting to also allow LGBTQ weddings and end prohibitions on the use of United Methodist funds to “promote acceptance of homosexuality.”
Overturning the policy forbidding the church from ordaining “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” effectively formalized a practice that had caused an estimated quarter of U.S. congregations to leave the church.
The New York Times notes additional votes “affirming L.G.B.T.Q. inclusion in the church are expected before the meeting adjourns on Friday.” Wednesday’s measures were passed overwhelmingly and without debate. Delegates met in Charlotte, N.C.
According to the church’s General Council on Finance and Administration, there were 5,424,175 members in the U.S. in 2022 with an estimated global membership approaching 10 million.
The Times notes that other matters of business last week included a “regionalization” plan, which gave autonomy to different regions such that they can establish their own rules on matters including issues of sexuality — about which international factions are likelier to have more conservative views.
Rev. Kipp Nelson of St. Johns’s on the Lake Methodist Church in Miami shared a statement praising the new developments:
“It is a glorious day in the United Methodist Church. As a worldwide denomination, we have now publicly proclaimed the boundless love of God and finally slung open the doors of our church so that all people, no matter their identities or orientations, may pursue the calling of their hearts.
“Truly, all are loved and belong here among us. I am honored to serve as a pastor in the United Methodist Church for such a time as this, for our future is bright and filled with hope. Praise be, praise be.”
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