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Tell African Commission: Recognize Coalition of African Lesbians
  1. Signatures
    223 out of 500
    Petitioning
    1. Dr. Mary Maboreke (+ 1 other)
      Petitioning
      close
      • Dr. Mary Maboreke
      • Chairperson (Madame Reine ALAPINI-GANSOU)
  2. Created By
    Michael Jones
    Boston, MA
About this Petition Petition Letter

The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights might want to consider a name change. Here's a possibility: "The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights ... unless you're gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender." That's because the organization, which is charged with promoting and protecting human rights on the continent, doesn't want to work with LGBT organizations.

The African Commission turned down the application of a gay rights organization, the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL), to be granted observer status with the Commission. That move set off a range of accusations that the Commission failed in its mission to advance human rights, and could even legitimize anti-gay violence in the continent by not recognizing the work of NGOs to keep LGBT people safe.

"In the face of increased homophobia, the message sent out is that members of sexual minorities are 'free game'," said the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. "The Commission should carefully consider that its decision comes in a context of increasing homophobia in many African Union member states."

That last point couldn't be stressed enough. We're all familiar with efforts in Uganda to criminalize homosexuality with the death penalty or life imprisonment. And indeed, a coalition of African nations actually led a push at the United Nations earlier this month to strike sexual orientation from a resolution condemning extrajudicial killing. For countries like Egypt, Morocco, Zimbabwe, and Mali, they essentially want the right to be able to execute people on the basis of sexual orientation, without having the UN breathing down their back. Even South Africa, which is the only African state with constitutional protections for LGBT citizens, joined with this shameful club of nations.

CAL and the Centre for Human Rights are now pressuring the African Commission to reconsider their decision. On a continent where state-sponsored violence toward LGBT people is practically the norm, the African Commission really flubbed this one. Take a moment to send the Commission a message that they should allow CAL observer status. LGBT organizations and those organizations working to promote the human rights of sexual minorities deserve a seat at the table, not a spot under the bus.

Recent Signatures

The Coalition of African Lesbians Should Be Granted Observer Status

Dear Dr. Maboreke and Madame Reine Alapini-Gansou

I am disheartened to hear that the African Commission on Human and People's Rights refused to grant the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) observer status. Your mandate is to protect and promote human rights for all people on the continent of Africa. That includes the human rights of Africans who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

By refusing to grant CAL observer status, I am worried that the Commission is giving tacit approval to anti-gay laws and anti-gay actions by governments on the continent of Africa. We have to look no further than Uganda, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Sudan, or even South Africa (where "corrective rape" toward the LGBT community is at epidemic levels) to see that violence against the LGBT community is widespread.

How could the Commission choose to give credence to this kind of violence, by turning down the application of CAL for observer status? CAL is doing important work; work that should be celebrated and honored by the Commission, and not systematically rejected. I urge you to reconsider this decision, and grant CAL observer status.

Thank you for your time.

[Your name]

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