IGLHRC believes that a vital part of our mission is supporting the work of activist organizations and allies by disseminating important information on human rights issues affecting LGBT communities worldwide. To this end we are reposting the following announcement from one of our partners.

Commonwealth Secretariat,
Marlborough House, Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5HX, UK
Phone: +44 (0)20 7747 6382 / 6385
Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081
Email: info@commonwealth.int

RE: Unacceptable police brutality towards African LGBT people during CHOGM 2007 in Uganda

Your Excellency,

We are the Pan Africa ILGA, a body representing 41 movements of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and Intersexual people in Africa.

We kindly address you today to express our deep concern about the Ugandan police brutality towards LGBTI people during the CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting) 2007.

On the 23rd of November 2003, Ugandan and Kenyan Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) speakers were schedule to give their address at the CHOGM speakers Conner, the People’s Space, a space supposed to be the sanctuary of the freedom and diversity for ALL Commonwealth people. This people were forced violently by the police to leave the place and kept outside without having the opportunity to exercise their rights as Commonwealth citizens.

The discrimination and violence carried out by police at the People’s Space is an affront to basic human rights in Uganda. This behavior has been supported by the Ugandan State, disrespecting all the treaties on Human Rights they have signed.

These LGBTI people have the same rights as any other human being. We are outraged not only by police violence but also by the silence of the meeting organizers. Now we ask, where is the equality and respect of Human Rights that every Commonwealth citizen is entitled?

Commonwealth has shamed us all

Maputo, December 2007

Linda Baumann Danilo da Silva
Co-Chair of Pan Africa ILGA

Namibia Mozambique
Co-Chair of Pan Africa ILGA