Execute gay scouts, says Uganda chief scout

Scout children to be hanged under proposed law

World scout movement urged to expel Uganda

Call for UK Scout Association to sever links with Uganda scout movement

London, UK – 16 February 2010

“The leader of the scout movement in Uganda is demanding the execution
of all scouts and scout leaders who commit repeated homosexual acts,”
reports human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell of OutRage!.

“Chief of the Scout Board of Uganda, David Bahati, is proposing that
all serial homosexual offenders, including scouts and scout leaders,
should be hanged – even children.

“Mr Bahati is a Ugandan MP. His Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which is
currently before the Ugandan Parliament, stipulates the death penalty
for repeat same-sex relations and life imprisonment for all other
homosexual acts, even for mere kissing, touching or caressing.

“Scout leaders who fail to report gay scouts to the police will face
three years in jail. Any scout leader who provides supportive advice
to a gay scout will be jailed for five to seven years.

“This Bill is an expression of prejudice, intolerance, discrimination
and violence, contrary to scout principles,” said Mr Tatchell.

See a summary and link to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill here:
http://www.petertatchell.net/international/uganda-anti-homosexuality-bill–a-briefing.html Tatchell has written on behalf of OutRage! to the Chief Executive
of the Scout Association UK, Derek Twine.

Mr

A copy of this letter follows below.

Mr Twine has already referred OutRage!’s concerns to the General
Secretary of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement.

“I have asked the Scout Association UK to press the world scouting
movement to disaffiliate the scout organisation of Uganda, on the
grounds that its leader has violated scouting values by proposing the
execution of gay people, including gay Ugandan scouts and scout
leaders,” added Mr Tatchell.

“My letter calls on the British scout organisation to condemn Mr
Bahati and his Anti-Homosexuality Bill, and to refuse to host him
again in the UK.

“The British and world scouting movement cannot remain silent, given
this threat to kill its members in Uganda. They must break all links
with the Ugandan scout organisation while it remains under the
leadership of David ‘kill the gays’ Bahati.

“The international scout movement has a duty to defend its values of
universal respect, equality and brotherhood,” concluded Mr Tatchell.

What you can do – see the end of this email.

Copy of Peter Tatchell’s email to the Scout Association UK:

Derek Twine
Chief Executive
The Scout Association
Gilwell Park
London E4 7QW

11 February 2010

Dear Derek Twine,

Uganda Scout leader David Bahati and the Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Your letter dated 21 January 2010 – Ref: DMT/AEB

Sincere thanks for your reply to the letter of my OutRage! colleague,
David Allison.

We are most appreciative of the efforts made by the Scout Association
UK to ensure equal opportunity and non-discrimination on the grounds
of sexual orientation.

Unfortunately, such wisdom and fairness is not replicated by the
leader of the scouting movement in Uganda, David Bahati MP. As you
know, he is head of the Scout Board of Uganda; in effect Chief Scout.

He is calling for the execution of lesbian and gay scouts, and other
lesbian and gay Ugandans.

His Anti-Homosexuality Bill, currently before the Parliament of
Uganda, proposes that repeat homosexual acts will carry a sentence of
death, and that anyone – gay or heterosexual – who advocates gay
equality or offers welfare support to homosexuals will be sentenced to
five to seven years jail. A person in authority – a parent, teacher or
scout leader - who fails to report a gay person to the police within
24 hours will be jailed for three years.

Mr Bahati’s proposals to persecute lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) people
are a complete contradiction of scouting values and of the fundamental
principles of equality and human rights, as enshrined in international
humanitarian laws, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

I am most grateful that you have referred our concerns about Mr
Bahati’s plan to execute LGBT Ugandans, including lesbian and gay
scouts, to the General Secretary of the World Organisation of the
Scout Movement (WOSM). Please advise me of the reply you have
received.

While we appreciate that every National Scout Organisation (NSO) is
independent, we also understand that the WOSM membership of each NSO
is conditional on them conforming to the WOSM’s scouting values.

David Bahati, the leader of the Uganda scout movement, is promoting
hatred, discrimination and the state-sponsored murder of LGBT Ugandans
- some of whom will be scouts and scout leaders. His stance and
actions are incompatible with scouting values.

If the leader of a NSO was advocating racism and the execution of
black people, I am sure the WOSM would take swift steps to rule that
the NSO’s membership of the WOSM could not continue while such a
person remained in a position of authority within the NSO.

FIRST: We therefore request that you ask the WOSM to disaffiliate the
Ugandan scout organisation from the WOSM, until such time as David
Bahati ceases to hold office in the Ugandan scout movement or until he
withdraws and renounces his Anti-Homosexuality Bill. This is something
that the UK Scout Association and the WOSM can do. It is within your
powers.

SECOND: We realise that the Scout Association UK is not in a position
to intervene in the internal affairs of the scouting organisation of
Uganda. However, we do believe that the British Scout Association can
and should issue a public statement deploring David Bahati’s
homophobia and his Anti-Homosexuality Bill; making clear that his
views and his Bill are incompatible with scouting values and are
likely to lead to the persecution of Ugandan LGBT scouts and scouting
officials. We respectfully ask you to do this.

THIRD: We reiterate our request that the Scout Association UK
announces publicly that it will refuse to host Mr Bahati again in
Britain (I believe that you did host him at the time of the 2007
Jamboree), as you would refuse to host an anti-Semitic scout leader
who advocated the execution of Jewish people. Again, this is a
reasonable and justifiable sanction that is within your powers.

The core of the issue is this: Mr Bahati wants to execute lesbian and
gay scouts and scout leaders, as well as other lesbian and gay people.
He is Uganda’s head scout, and while he remains head scout his actions
reflect badly on the whole international scouting movement. It is
imperative that the British and world scouting authorities speak out
against him and his bill which, if passed, will have deadly
consequences for scout members in Uganda.

The reputation of the scout movement depends on action being taken
against those in positions of leadership, like Mr Bahati, who abuse
and violate scouting values.

Please advise. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Tatchell
OutRage! – The LGBT Human Rights Campaign

What you can do

Please ask your MP to sign EDM 575 on Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill

You can email your MP direct via this website:

www.writetothem.com

Just click on the link and enter your postcode. It will tell you who
is your MP and you can email him or her direct.

All you need to do is write as follows:

Draft letter to your MP

Dear (insert your MP’s name),

As one of your constituents, I urge you to sign EDM 575, tabled by
Harry Cohen MP. It condemns Uganda’s draconian Anti-Homosexuality
Bill. This Bill proposes the death penalty for some same-sex acts and
life imprisonment for others. The Bill also proposes up to seven years
jail for anyone who advocates gay equality and three years jail for
parents who fail to report their gay sons or daughters to the police.

See a copy of the Bill here:
http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/09/Nov/Bill-No-18-Anti-Homosexuality-Bill-2009_Uganda.pdf a summary of the key points of the Bill here:
http://www.petertatchell.net/international/uganda-anti-homosexuality-bill–a-briefing.html also consider writing to the Uganda High Commissioner in London:

And

Please

Her Excellency, High Commissioner Joan Rwabyomere, Uganda High
Commission, Uganda House, 58-59 Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DX.
Phone 020-7839-5783 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              020-7839-5783      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, Fax 020-7839-8925 or E-mail:
info@ugandahighcommission.co.uk you.

Thank

Insert your name, address and email.

Further information:

Peter Tatchell – 0207 403 1790 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              0207 403 1790      end_of_the_skype_highlighting