BY CANDY PARKER

What did you miss this week in the world of LGBT news? Check out our Lesbian.com round-up and you’ll be ready to gather ’round the rainbow-colored water cooler to talk about five of the biggest, best and most interesting stories for June 8-14.

Clinton spars with NPR host

The internet was abuzz after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s appearance on NPR Thursday during which “Fresh Air” host Terry Gross either badgered or persistently questioned (depending on your personal view of the exchange) regarding her evolving stance on marriage equality.

Gross appeared to imply that Clinton’s current support for same-sex marriage was a matter of political expediency. During Clinton’s 2008 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, she endorsed domestic partnerships, but stated her opposition for same-sex marriage. In March 2013, Clinton issued a statement announcing, “I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples. I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law.”

Listen to Clinton’s exchange with Gross below and let us know what you think — was Clinton being dodgy or was Gross’ question asked and answered? Weigh in below in the “Leave a reply” block.

Vocativ lists 35 most LGBT-friendly cities

On Wednesday, global media giant Vocativ published its first Queer Index, ranking the most livable cities American cities for LGBT people.

Utilizing information obtained from open databases, public sites and social networks, including Craigslist, Facebook, Yelp, Rentboy, the U.S. census and the FBI crimes database, Vocativ determined which cities were the best places for LGBT people to live, work and socialize.

Perhaps surprisingly, San Francisco did not top the list of LGBT-friendly places, instead placing third behind New York City (No. 2) and Los Angeles (No.1).

To see how your city fared in Vocativ’s analysis, visit the Queer Index.

Michael Sam signs with St. Louis Rams

Last month, the St. Louis Rams made history when they selected Michael Sam in the NFL draft. Thursday, the team advanced that history a bit further as Sam inked a four-year, $2.65 million deal, making the former Missouri standout and SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year the first openly gay player to be hired into a one of the four major professional sports leagues.

The deal guarantees Sam, 24, a minimum of $46,000.

After the announcement, the clearly elated Sam tweeted, “Grateful, humbled, and motivated after officially signing with all my Rams rookie brothers. Let’s do this!! #RamUp”

Anti-gay foreign minister named president of U.N. General Assembly

On Wednesday, Ugandan foreign minister Sam Kutesa was unanimously elected president of the U.N. General Assembly, sparking criticism from LGBT rights activists and their allies.

Kutesa supports Uganda’s controversial Anti-Homosexual Bill which criminalizes homosexuality and imposes a life sentence upon anyone found guilty of repeated same-sex sexual acts. The AP reported that the foreign minister has also faced corruption and bribery allegations.

The AP said that the position is “largely ceremonial but prestigious” and critics voiced concern that by bestowing the honor on Kutesa, and, by extension, Uganda, the U.N. was sending the wrong message regarding the country’s anit-gay legislation.

Same-sex marriages halted in Wisconsin

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb put at least a temporary halt to same-sex marriages in Wisconsin — just one week after she struck down the state’s ban.

It was clear from the judge’s remarks that she felt constrained by the Supreme Court: “”After seeing the expressions of joy on the faces of so many newly wedded couples featured in media reports, I find it difficult to impose a stay on the event that is responsible for eliciting that emotion, even if the stay is only temporary. Same-sex couples have waited many years to receive equal treatment under the law, so it is understandable that they do not want to wait any longer,” wrote Crabb in her decision, adding, “A federal district court is required to follow the guidance provided by the Supreme Court. Because I see no way to distinguish this case from Herbert, I conclude that I must stay any injunctive relief pending appeal.”

Herbert is a Supreme Court case in which same-sex marriages in Utah were put on hold.

The post LGBT week in review: Clinton spars, Sam signs, Wisconsin marriages stop first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY CINDY ZELMAN

If you’d asked me twenty years ago about LGBTI people in Uganda, I would have said, “Where is Uganda?” Today, I count some Ugandans as good friends, and my friends are in big trouble.

On a recent Sunday, I texted with Bryan, a 32-year old gay man from Uganda, who said, “I feel great today, not stressed at all. I ate a good meal.”

Bryan does not always feel so good. Often he cannot fall asleep and is up in the middle of the night worrying about what will become of his life. He does not get to eat a good meal every day. Some days he has no food at all. He said, “I’m embarrassed to admit to people that I don’t eat because I don’t have money to buy food.”

Where once he had a home, Bryan now lives in this slum of Uganda, in a one-room shack.

Bryan was chased out of his job when his co-workers discovered he was gay. He now lives in the slums of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Often Bryan is starving and scared because being gay in Uganda is dangerous, especially with the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that punishes gays with up to a life-sentence in prison. The bill also punishes anyone who knowingly rents apartments to them or hires them for a job, so the LBGTI population is essentially left poor and homeless.

Many gays are now in hiding in Uganda, or trying to escape the country altogether, since passage of the bill late in 2013.

Bryan once held a solid job as a secretary for an organization in Uganda that helped people in need. He played soccer. He had a home and a lover and a regular life. Today, the best he can hope for is a good meal. “It’s because of you, Sis,” he said to me, about his full belly because I am the one who wired him money so he could afford food.

Although the money helps him to eat, it isn’t yet giving Bryan a better life, and it is not a long-term solution.

I have come to know several gay and lesbian Ugandans via Facebook (Facebook has to be good for something) and I have grown very fond of them. I got to know them well before the Anti Homosexuality Bill was passed, and for a long time, they tried to fight for their rights in an extremely homophobic society.

Gay Ugandans supporting gay rights for Russians. But who is supporting the gay Ugandans?

Harold, the other man I am trying to help, was once a gay activist in Uganda. He took part in pride parades and various events to improve the lives of the LGBTI people of his land. I have heard from his peers that he tried to do everything he could to help gay people in his country. He was jailed and beaten more than once for his efforts. The last time I was in touch with Harold, he was borrowing someone’s phone so he could email me. He was homeless, near-starved, and wandering the streets of a small city in Uganda. “It’s 3 a.m. here,” he wrote. “It’s freezing in the streets. I will get pneumonia.”

He had no shelter. “I don’t know where to go. I’m not asking for money, just asking if I can share food with Bryan.”

I wired Harold money to get him to Kampala where he has a friend to stay with, to buy some food, and to get healthy. The plan is for Bryan and Harold to meet up and escape Uganda for South Africa once funds are raised. There are other Ugandans waiting for them in South Africa, offering their new home as a place to stay. Although the Ugandans who fled to South Africa are refugees, they have successfully found work and apartments. The only country in Africa I know of that is offering asylum and refugee status to the LBGTI people of Uganda is South Africa, a country that protects gays by law, thanks in large part to the legacy of human rights activist Nelson Mandela.

Uganda is among the worst of the worst countries in which to be queer. How did things get so out of control? As is usually the case, white colonialism in the past, and current misguided American religious fundamentalist missionaries, have had a hand in making life miserable for these people.

At the prompting of such American missionaries, the Uganda Parliament had been trying for several years to pass a “Kill the Gays,” bill. They toned down the punishment due to international pressure, but the Ugandan Parliament passed the Anti Homosexuality Law instead, calling for severe prison sentences (up to life in prison) for being gay.

The speaker of the Parliament, a woman named Rebecca Kadaga, said passage of the bill was a “Christmas gift” to the people of Uganda. The President, after failing to get scientific “proof” that homosexuality is a defect at birth, signed the bill. The national tabloids in Uganda published photos of the “Top 200” suspected gay and lesbians in Uganda (which included Harold and Bryan) so they could be identified, punished, arrested, beaten etc. At the end of March this year Uganda had a “pride” celebration, which meant they had a parade to celebrate the passing of this heinous law.

Bryan said the atmosphere during the parade was terrifying, as the media and the authorities encouraged a mentality of animosity and hatred, and encouraged the beating and torture of the gay population, even of those just suspected of being gay.

Recently, I had a chapbook published, “What’s in a Butch’s Purse and Other Humorous Essays.” For the most part, this is a book about my special talent for having dysfunctional romantic relationships, told in a wry and light tone. It didn’t occur to me as I was writing the essays, or when the book was accepted, that someday, I would connect it to the atrocities being thrust upon the LGBTI population of Uganda. But I am using the book as a “perk” to raise money for Harold and Bryan – and others after I can get these two friends safely out of the country. There are two ways to give – on the Indigogo Campaign where I am looking for just $5-$10 contributions from numerous people to raise enough money to get these men to South Africa. Or for a $12 contribution, you can get a copy of my chapbook as a perk.

Although it is a slower way to raise funds, I am also donating all the proceeds from “What’s in a Butch’s Purse and Other Humorous Essays” to help the persecuted LBGTI population of Uganda by feeding those left in poverty until they can find a way out or until I can raise Indigogo funds to get them out. You can pre-order a print book or download the eBook by ordering here.

Either way you decide to help will be deeply appreciated more than you know. The gay Ugandans I have met are some of the kindest and most grateful people on earth.

Note: Bryan and Harold are real people, as I’ve described them, although I have changed their first names to protect their identity while they are still in hiding in Uganda.

The post Helping to save my troubled gay Ugandan friends first appeared on Lesbian.com.

In the wake of Uganda making law its “Jail the Gays” legislation, it’d be easy to be alarmist about the situation. That said, there really is reason to believe that Uganda’s attack on the LGBT rights is turning deadly. Just hours after President Yoweri Museveni signed Uganda’s Jail the Gays bill into law, Ugandan tabloid the Red Pepper published a front page completed by the headline:

“EXPOSED! Uganda’s 200 Top Homos Named”

This headline appeared alongside head shots of some of the “homos” the paper aimed to out, including two well known LGBT rights activists.  Reports say that since Museveni signed the bill into law, there have been at least two confirmed arrests, with several more remaining unconfirmed but highly likely. In tragic addition to that, there are stories that people have in fact taken their own lives rather than risk being mercilessly oppressed under Uganda’s new anti-gay law.

Read more at Care2.com

Care2 is the largest online community of people passionate about making a difference.

The post High stakes: Gay Ugandans suffer tabloid fall-out first appeared on Lesbian.com.

HRC recently released a video of Whoopi Goldberg sharing a message for the leaders of Nigeria and Uganda, and a call to action for the LGBT community.

The post Whoopi Goldberg has something to say about anti-gay laws in Uganda and Nigeria first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Kenyan supporters of LGBT rights protest Uganda’s anti-gay laws in Nairobi, Kenya (Photo: Dai Kurokawa / EPA)

BY CATHERINE MORPETH
dot429

On Monday, February 24, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the country’s Anti-Homosexual Bill, also known as the “Jail All the Gays” bill, into law on live television.

The bill, which previously included the death penalty for those convicted of “aggravated” homosexuality, was passed in an attempt to toughen up on current anti-LGBT legislation. The new law includes jail time for first time offenders, those who “promote” homosexuality and those who fail to report homosexuals to the police; repeat offenders can be sentenced to life imprisonment.

According to South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Museveni had previously promised him he would not sign the bill into effect. “I was […] very disheartened to hear.”

Read more at dot429.com

The post Ugandan President signs ‘Jail All the Gays’ bill into law first appeared on Lesbian.com.

U.S. President Barack Obama made an official statement on Sunday, Feb. 16, following the passage of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill. It is below in its entirety.

“As a country and a people, the United States has consistently stood for the protection of fundamental freedoms and universal human rights. We believe that people everywhere should be treated equally, with dignity and respect, and that they should have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential, no matter who they are or whom they love.

Read the rest of President Obama’s statement at TheSeattleLesbian.com

The Seattle Lesbian online magazine reaches more than 188,000 readers per week globally.

The post Obama issues statement in response to Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY STEVE WILLIAMS

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has refused to sign Uganda’s infamous Anti-Homosexuality bill, returning it to parliament. Museveni had previously told parliament he would not sign the bill until the government had been given an appropriate length of time to study the issue. This was widely interpreted to mean the bill would not be allowed to pass until international attention had died down.

In an eight page letter to MPs that was released this week, Museveni again rejected the bill. He challenged  that the chamber passed the bill without quorum, or the minimum representative number of lawmakers in attendance. Museveni, terming homosexual citizens as “abnormal” hasn’t changed his opinion of gay people, but: “The question at the core of the debate of homosexuality is; what do we do with an abnormal person? Do we kill him/her?” At the same time, he rallies against gay rights, saying, “You cannot call an abnormality an alternative orientation. It could be that the Western societies, on account of random breeding, have generated many abnormal people.” Museveni also made it known he believes women may become lesbians due to “sexual starvation.”

Read more at Care2.com

Care2 is the largest online community of people passionate about making a difference

The post Ugandan president rejects anti-gay bill first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY ERIN HIGGINS

The Prime Minister of Uganda, Amama Mbabazi, has said that gay citizens should not be imprisoned under the country’s anti-homosexuality bill. Why? Because being gay is an “abnormality.” While his words defend LGBT Ugandans from possible life in imprisonment and death, I wouldn’t be too quick to label Mbabazi as an advocate. Not only does he believe homosexuality to be abnormal, he compares it to “mongolism”—a derogatory term for Down syndrome.

“I think in our tradition, homosexuality is treated as an abnormality,” said Mbabazi. “Given that as a fact, the question is how do we treat abnormalities in our society. Do we kill them? […] If you identify an abnormality and you say, ‘Let’s kill homos,’ then my conclusion is that you are the one that is abnormal. They need help. How do you treat your children who are born as mongols? Do you execute them, imprison them for life?”

Read more at dot429.com

The post Ugandan Prime Minister: Gays ‘abnormal’ but don’t punish them first appeared on Lesbian.com.

On December 27, the United Nations human rights office called on the President of Uganda to refrain from signing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law, and urged the country to ensure the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people from violence and discrimination.

“LGBT individuals in Uganda are a vulnerable and marginalized minority, already facing violence and discrimination. If signed by the President, this new law would reinforce stigma and prejudice, and institutionalize discrimination,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Read more at TheSeattleLesbian.com

The Seattle Lesbian online magazine reaches more than 188,000 readers per week globally.

The post UN Human Rights Office calls on Ugandan President to protect LGBT citizens first appeared on Lesbian.com.

The Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association (GLISA) announced it is distraught to learn of the vote in favor of a law against homosexuality by the Ugandan Parliament.

The law foresees a penalty of life imprisonment for homosexual acts. Its introduction has been the subject of much discussion both in Uganda and the rest of the world.

At the LGBT Human Rights conference of worldOutgames III, held this July/August in Antwerp, Belgium, the opening speaker was Alice N’Kom, famous human rights lawyer and “straight ally” activist from Cameroon. She spoke of progress in her country and her optimistic, uplifting speech stands in stark contrast to today’s news from elsewhere on the African continent.

Bernard Landry, former Prime Minister of Quebec, who was another keynote speaker at the conference, said “Such a denial of rights is not deserving of a state run by the rule of law. It is just a few days since the death of Nelson Mandela, the first African leader to reject all forms of sexual orientation discrimination, that we now see this extreme injustice in Uganda. I call on the Canadian Foreign Minister to ask Uganda, as a member of the Commonwealth, to reconsider this law urgently.

Bart De Wever, Mayor of Antwerp expressed his disappointment and said “As the host for the 2013worldOutGames, I am staggered to learn that Uganda has decided to criminalize homosexuality. To me, the idea of sending people to jail for life, just because of their sexual identity, is obscene.”

Philip Heylen, vice-mayor of Antwerp, said “After the fantastic conference we had here this summer we felt that things were moving in the right direction in Africa at last. The world has been focusing on LGBT rights in Russia recently due to the Olympics, but this atrocious news from Uganda shows us, regrettably, that we cannot afford to be complacent and must all continue to fight for human rights everywhere in the world,” he said. “LGBT Rights are Human Rights.”

Chairman of the Board of worldOutgames III Bart Abeel said how distressing it was to hear the news from Uganda. “After all the hard work of the delegates, staff and volunteers and everyone else involved in the conference, this news is awful. Our thoughts are with all LGBT people in Uganda right now”.

Bart Abeel also recalled the words of the Belgian Prime Minister, Elio Di Rupo, a year ago in Brussels when he announced his patronage of worldOutgames III: “People are not born homophobic but they are born homosexual”.

The post GLISA, others speak out against Ugandan anti-gay ruling first appeared on Lesbian.com.