INTEGRITY URGES THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL PROPOSED IN UGANDA

Integrity USA joins the groundswell of international outrage against the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 currently before the Parliament of Uganda. The Board of Directors of Integrity USA calls on all leaders in the Episcopal Church to oppose this horrendous and blatantly homophobic bill. Integrity urges Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to speak out against the bill. We urge the Presiding Bishop to contact Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and ask Clinton to work through diplomatic channels with the government of Uganda to quash this bill. We also commend the work by those in Executive Council in bringing forward a resolution speaking against the legislation and urge its passage at the special session called for December 7th.


“The Ubuntu vision the Episcopal Church shares with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and which we celebrated together in Anaheim does not allow us to stand idly by and let this bill go unchallenged,” said the Rev. David Norgard, President of Integrity USA.


"Our church has already spoken through Resolution D005 at General Convention in 2006 opposing legislation criminalizing homosexuality. This current Ugandan bill, if passed, would clearly be a direct violation of human rights, imposing draconian penalties on our LGBT brothers and sisters in Uganda. It is our moral imperative to take a stand. Integrity applauds all those who have spoken out so far, including the Anglican Church of Canada, and those who intend to do so in the future.”


Integrity has a long history of relationship with Uganda through its connections with Integrity Uganda allies but also through its Vice President of National & International Affairs, the Rev. Canon Albert Ogle’s work in Uganda on HIV-AIDS. "We cannot support laws that are internationally and locally criticized as ineffective public health policy that will only make the HIV situation worse for Ugandans in general, and to use religious values to deny human rights that run contrary to the Ugandan Constitution," said Ogle. He has written an important background paper and analysis shedding new light on the complexity in Uganda with special emphasis on the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. His paper will be released tomorrow, December 1st, World Aids Day, and posted on the Walking With Integrity blog (walkingwithintegrity.blogspot.com).


Integrity calls for prayers for all those living with HIV/AIDS and for those fighting to overcome the scourge of homophobia.