28 January 2011 – Keith Taylor, Green MEP for Brighton and the South East, has today signed a statement that urges the Ugandan parliament to fully decriminalise homosexuality. The statement was drawn up in response to the death of Ugandan LGBT activist David Kato.

The statement also sends condolences from the EU parliament to David’s family: ‘David was a lifelong human rights defender; he will be remembered for his outstandingly brave defense of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people’s human rights in Uganda. Our condolences go to David’s family and friends.’

As Sexual Minorities Uganda’s Advocacy Officer, David went to the European Parliament on several occasions to expose the plight of LGBT people in Uganda, notably in the wake of David Bahati’s ‘Anti-Homosexuality Bill’. Following the publication of lists of presumed homosexual Ugandans by tabloid Rolling Stone, and subsequent attacks on LGBT activists, David bravely faced the Rolling Stone editors in a lawsuit, obtaining the condemnation of the paper and a strong High Court judgement on the universal right to life and dignity.

The European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights had previously expressed great alarm at the situation for LGBT people in Uganda, and strongly condemned the hateful press in late 2010. The Subcommittee had urged the EU Delegation in Kampala to ensure David’s safety upon his return from an official visit to the European Parliament.

In December 2009 and December 2010, the European Parliament adopted strong resolutions urging Uganda to reconsider hateful draft legislation, and decriminalise homosexuality entirely. It called on EU institutions and Member States to apply all possible pressure on Uganda to decriminalise homosexuality.

Keith Taylor who sits on the European parliament’s Intergroup for LGBT rights said: “David Kato courageously stood up for the rights of gay people in Uganda. Only a few months ago the European parliament adopted a resolution against the so-called ‘Bahati bill’ and discrimination against the LGBT population in Uganda. MEPs have today called for EU institutions and member states to put pressure on Uganda to decriminalize homosexuality.”

For more information see the statement:

http://www.lgbt-ep.eu/press-releases/joint-statement-death-of-david-kato-lgbt-activist-in-uganda/