- Target:
- The Government of the Republic of South Africa
- Region:
- South Africa
- Website:
- www.facebook.com
It is widely known that member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) have blatantly homophobic laws. In countries such as Uganda, Zimbabwe and many others, members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) community are imprisoned, tortured and murdered because of their sexuality.
Not only does the law of these countries allow such atrocities to be committed, but the allies of these states do nothing to stop it. South Africa is a model of civil rights. Although we might not always be safe, our rights as human beings are written down and guarded by the Constitutional Court.
Our government, the most powerful and influential of SADC, and possibly Africa, has a duty to the region to uphold the rights of all people, not just South Africans. They have failed the LGBT community before when they failed to sign the United Nations Declaration to decriminalise homosexually. We cannot allow them to fail us again.
We, the undersigned, call upon the South African Government, the Department of International Relations, and Ambassadors to SADC/AU states and the UN, to openly and purposefully pursue equal rights for all of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans community across Africa. We feel the following steps will ensure a better life for all homosexual peoples, and so we ask the South African Government to:
1. Put Homophobia/Homosexuality on the South African Development Community's agenda and pressurise the member states, by whatever diplomatic means necessary, into relaxing homophobic laws and embarking on messures to give the LGBT community the freedom afforded to other citizens;
2. Put Homophobia/Homosexuality on the African Union's agenda and pressurise the member states, by whatever diplomatic means necessary, into relaxing homophobic laws and embarking on messures to give the LGBT community the freedom afforded to other citizens;
3. Initiate talks with our allies abroad in order to combat the homophobic laws that terrorise the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community worldwide; and
4. Sign the United Nations declaration decriminalizing Homosexuality.
We ask that the South African government respond to this petition timeously, and to prioritise these issues. The livelihoods of many people rest on your shoulders.
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The Put Homophobia/Homosexuality on the SADC/AU Agenda petition to The Government of the Republic of South Africa was written by Jason Barber and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.