American Jewish World Service Creates Fund to Promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights in Uganda

NEW YORK, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In response to egregious human rights violations against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals in Uganda, American Jewish World Service (AJWS) has established the URGENT LGBT UGANDA FUND.The fund will support Ugandan grassroots organizations working to defend the rights of sexual minorities and to defeat a dangerous piece of proposed legislation — “The Anti-Homosexuality Bill.”

The bill seeks to broaden the criminalization of homosexuality and penalize supporters and funders of LGBT programs and rights. The passage of this bill would severely impede human rights and development groups’ efforts to ensure the safety and security of the Ugandan LGBT community. It would also make it extremely difficult for groups to implement effective prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Moreover, the bill violates the freedom of every person to live a safe and dignified life — a core value that unifies all of AJWS’s work and is central to the Jewish experience.

“AJWS’s work is propelled by a very basic value: the essential dignity of every human being,” AJWS president Ruth Messinger said. “In the spirit of b’tselem elohim — the understanding that each person is made in the divine image — we recognize that every human life is of equal value.

“We are especially reminded of this in supporting the work of LGBT communities around the globe.” Read More »