Etter vedtak på årsmøtet har styret i Venner av Uganda sendt følgende brev til Ugandas regjering via ambassaden i Danmark:
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The Government of the Republic of Uganda
Through
The Embassy of Uganda
Sofievej 15, 2900 Hellerup
DANMARK
Dear Sirs,
RE: THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL
Norwegian Friends of Uganda (NoFU) is an association of dedicated people in Norway; most of whom have spent years working in Uganda. They love Uganda and its people. For the time being we are co-operating with VEDCO (Voluntary Efforts for Development Concerns), a Ugandan NGO which helps farmers improve their lives by developing their agricultural methods and move from subsistence farming to surplus production for the market. The present project targets 1714 families in Kalagala and Kakooge; Luweero and Nakasongola District respectively.
We do hope that people in Uganda will become prosperous and happy. This includes being free to live the life that you want to live, within your abilities.
Our AGM 22nd March this year raised concerns in this respect and instructed the Board to bring this concern to the attention of the Government of Uganda. The Republic of Uganda is party to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the subsequent covenants and treaties that constitute International Law in this field. Discrimination based on race, sex, language or religion contravenes these conventions. To us it is evident that “sex” includes sexual orientation, meaning that homosexuals have the same right as everybody else to pursue happiness and make their own free choices as to what kind of life they will lead as long as they do not infringe on the liberties of other people. We acknowledge the following fact: You can never force yourself to become a heterosexual if you are born a homosexual. A true heterosexual can never be persuaded or forced into becoming a homosexual. Tales of homosexuals that have been “cured” into heterosexuals have invariably turned out to be fictitious when they have been subjected to scientific scrutiny.
We appreciate the explicit objective of the Bill proposed by the Honourable MP David Bahati to protect young people and the institution of the family. The young are however already protected through the laws on defilement and the family will be protected through enactment of the Domestic Relations Bill.
NoFU hopes that the suggested Anti-homosexuality Bill will never be enacted. We trust that Uganda will give its entire population equal rights. NoFU will continue to support the people of Uganda. But we anticipate that we will be able to be proud of Uganda’s ability to give all subjects the rights they are promised through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.
Yours Sincerely,
Norwegian Friends of Uganda, NoFU
Frøydis Guldahl
Chair person of the Board
