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Uganda's Frank Mugisha wins international rights prize as Canadian PM opens the door for gays.
Uganda human rights activist, Dr Frank Mugisha poses with the award on June 9, 2023.
Uganda has come into the global limelight, containing dangers of boycotts by the United States and its partners, following the legislation of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, of 2023, which imposes brutal penalties on the culprits.
Uganda human rights activist and peace advocate, Dr. Frank Mugishawon the 2023 sovereignty prize from the Rainbow Railroad at an event where Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised more support and opened doors for LGBTQ people around the world including Uganda.
"We're partnering with the rainbow railroad to protect LGBTQIA+ refugees and help them find a safe home here in Canada -because everyone should be able to live free from discrimination, persecution, and violence," the Canadian PM, Mr. Justin Trudeau tweeted on Friday.
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Through the alliance with the non-profit organization, they will work to recognize LGBTQIA+ people and their families who are fleeing brutality and persecution and refer them to the government of Canada for resettlement under the Government-Assisted Refugees (GAR) program.
Uganda has come into the global limelight, comprising dangers of sanctions by the United States and its allies, following the enactment of the Anti- Homosexuality Act, of 2023 which assesses severe punishments on lawbreakers.
This week, President Museveni told the outgoing us Ambassador Natalie Brown that the West's backlash against Uganda over the Anti-Homosexuality Law is unjustified and based on contortion and misrepresentation of realities.
New Initiative in their new roles as LGBTQIA+ referral partners under the GAR program, the Rainbow Railroad will create the trust and expertise they have already verified with LGBTQIA+ communities around the world to help more LGBTQIA+ people and their homes find safety in Canada. the partnership will also deliver an example for other resettlement countries who are seeking to provide extra safety for members of LGBTQIA+ communities.
"In many parts of the world, LGBTQ people face brutal discrimination and are outlawed just for being who they are. This is why Canada continues to step up and do more to protect the rights and freedoms of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersexual, people. This new partnership with Rainbow Railroad-making us one of the first countries to have such an arrangement with an LGBTQ organization-helps Canada continues to be a haven for LGBTQ people at risk around the world it will also better equip us to react to arising situations anywhere in the world," Mr. Sean Fraser, minister of immigration, refugees, and citizenship.
After receiving the Award, Mr. Mugisha, a Nobel peace prize nominee and coordinator of sexual minorities in Uganda, said; "it's an honor to be a recipient of the 2023 Freedom Award from the RainbRailroadoad."
Dr. Mugisha is one of the activists who have petitioned the Constitutional Court in Kampala striving to nullify the recently signed anti-gay bill.
Anglican Church
His Award overlapped with a statement from the head of the worldwide Anglican communion Justin Welby who on Friday said he had conveyed his "grief and dismay" to the Uganda church over its support for countries' Anti-gay laws.
President Museveni last month signed into law the controversial Anti-Gay bill, introducing draconian criteria against homosexuality that have been defined as among the world's harshest.
Under the law, identifying as gay would not be criminalized, but "engaging in acts of homosexuality" would be a violation punishable by life imprisonment.
"I have recently written to my brother in Christ, the primate of Uganda, Archbishop Stephen Kazziimba, the express my grief and dismay at the church of Uganda's support for the Anti-homosexuality Act," Archbishop of Canterbury Welby said in a statement.
"I make this public statement with sorrow, and with continuing prayers for reconciliation between our churches and across the Anglican Communion," he summed up.
Kaziimba expressed support for the bill, saying that "homosexuality is currently a challenge in Uganda because it is being forced on us by outside, foreign actors against our will, against our religious beliefs"
"The African way" is a "lifelong, heterosexual, monogamous marriage", he put in.
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Welby rejected Kaziimbas's comment, saying "This is not about imposing Western values on our Ugandan Anglican sisters and brothers.
"I have reminded archbishop Kaziimba that Anglicans around the world have long been united in opposition to the criminalization of homo and LGBT people.
"supporting such legislation is a fundamental departure from our commitment to upload the freedom and dignity of all people," he added.
The Uganda church was one of 10 that in February said it no longer recognized the church of England and Welby as leaders of the global Anglican communion due to its decision to allow blessings of same-sex unions.
The case looks set to further deepen the divide between the headquarters of the Anglican church in Canterbury and its global members, which make up the bulk of its 85 million worshipers.
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