[LAF] {Disarmed} FW: [londonfeministnetwork] Prossy Kakooza must not be returned to Uganda! As a lesbian she faces vi

Mon Jun 23 12:07:25 UTC 2008

To: londonfeministnetworkFrom: nimdaDate: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:44:45 +0100Subject: [londonfeministnetwork] Prossy Kakooza must not be returned to Uganda! As a lesbian she faces violence, imprisonment or worse

(We contacted the campaign before we added this to womensgrid http://womensgrid.freecharity.org.uk/?p=147 to clarify about dates / deadlines and this is what we got in reply:" ...not sure of the actual dates. Prossy arrived in the UK at the end of July last year and was dealt with under the NAM. She was refused,appealed to a court and refused. Judge believed she was lesbian and had suffered torture but felt it was safe for her to go to anotherpart of Uganda. New solicitors from Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit have argued that the judge made an error of law in that hefailed to consider the increased risk someone is under if they have already been subject to torture or maltreatment. This is being arguedin the next couple of weeks. If this is successful - and they seem to think it will be - then Prossy will get a chance to argue her caseagain before an Immigration Judge. We are hopeful as the new solicitors seem to know their stuff, the previous set managed to gether country of origin wrong - something mentioned by the judge!! ... ")Prossy Kakooza must not be returned to Uganda!Home Office Ref: K1268314Prossy Kakooza is a 26-year-old woman seeking asylum in the UK. She fled Uganda after suffering vicious sexual, physical and verbal attacks due to her sexual orientation. Photo: http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy_kakooza/prossy1.jpgProssy had been forced into an engagement when her family discovered her relationship with the girlfriend she met at university. Both women were marched two miles naked to the police station, where they were locked up.Prossy's inmates subjected her to gross acts of humiliation. She was violently raped by police officers who taunted her with derogatory comments like ''we'll show you what you're missing'' and ''you're only this way because you haven't met a real man''. She was also scalded on her thighs with hot meat skewers.See this article in Pink News describing how the Red Pepper Uganda newspaper is continuing its outing strategy targeting lesbians and gay men in Uganda. http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-5453.htmlProssy was eventually taken out of prison after her father bribed the guards. Her family had decided they would sacrifice her instead, believing this would ''take the curse away from the family''.Whilst her family were making arrangements to slaughter her, Prossy managed to flee to the United Kingdom to seek asylum.When Prossy went for treatment to her local GP's surgery in the UK they were so shocked by the extent of her injuries they called the police.She was taken to the St. Mary's Centre in Manchester, and she is still receiving counselling there for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.Prossy's asylum application has been refused by the Home Office, who acknowledge she was brutally raped and burnt because of the medical evidence, but have dismissed these appalling attacks as ''the random actions of individuals'', and state she can be returned to a different town in Uganda.This judgement ignores the clear danger to gay people throughout the country where the penalty for homosexuality is life imprisonment.Also, in Uganda, you cannot settle in a new town without a reference from your previous village, and on the basis she is a lesbian, Prossy would be subjected to similar persecution wherever she went.We consider that if Prossy is sent back, she faces the continuing threat of incarceration, and further sickening attacks - which next time may be fatal.Prossy is a highly educated woman who can be a productive member of society.She has a right to be free with her sexuality, which is causing no harm to anyone, and she has a right not to be raped, attacked, or murdered.Please see below to discover how you can help Prossy to live a valued and productive life in safety and security.Prossy's video story at http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy.htmHow you can help1. Download the petition, print it off, get it signed by yourself, your family, friends, work colleagues, drinking buddies and anyone else you know! Please return the petition to us so we can send it off to the Home Office - our address is at the bottom of the petition. http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy_kakooza/PROSSY_MUST_STAY_PETITION.rtf2. Sign the online petition and promote this to your friends and contacts via your emails, blog or personal website. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ProssyKakooza/3. Write to Liam Byrne, the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration within the Home Office, copying the letter to us and any reply you receive. (Email address for copies: revandy at mccmanchester.co.uk Postal address for copies: MCC Manchester, PO Box 19, Manchester, M34 3XF.)You can see a sample letter here. http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy_kakooza/letter_to_liam_byrne.rtf----------------------------------------------------------Background information on Mr Byrne:Liam Byrne joined the Labour Party when he was 15 and was elected to the seat of Birmingham Hodge Hill in the by-election in July 2004. He lives in Birmingham with his wife Sarah and three children. Liam was educated at Manchester University where he graduated with first class honours and was elected leader of the Student's Union, and Harvard Business School where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He advised the Labour Party on general election organisation between 1996-7 before managing Labour's national business campaign. Liam began his career at Andersen Consulting and worked for NM Rothschilds before starting a venture-backed technology company in 2000. Liam is the author of Local Government Transformed (1996); Information Age Government (1998); New Strategies for Full Employment (2001); and Britain in 2020 (forethought, 2003). He was also co-editor of Reinventing Government Again (2004). Liam is a member of Amicus, the Christian Socialist Movement, the Fabian Society and was formerly an Associate Fellow of the Social Market Foundation.You may wish to bring in his Christian commitment and background in student politics in your own letter. His own website makes it clear that he doesn't want to be contacted about immigration issues due to "strict parliamentary protocols" but it is entirely appropriate to write to the minister to express concerns about how policy is being enacted. He has a strong record on voting for gay rights.]----------------------------------------------------------You can email the Minister at this address: Privateoffice.external at homeoffice.gsi.gov.ukPlease ensure you put FAO Liam Byrne, Minister in the subject line. You could base the content of your email message on the sample letter provided via the link above.Or fax your letter to him on 0870 336 9034,or write to him at:Mr Liam Byrne MPMinister of State for Borders and ImmigrationHome Office3rd Floor, Peel Buildings2 Marsham StLondon SW1 4DF4. You may want a poster - we have them in A5, A4 and A3 size. These could be used at Pride stalls (the larger posters) or given to people to explain Prossy's plight (the smaller ones). Additional photos in a large format can be downloaded via the thumbnails shown below.5. You can download Prossy's story as an mp3 file http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy_kakooza/prossys_story.mp3 (9 Mb), and download a copy of her video http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy_kakooza/prossy_must_stay.wmv (wmv format, 33 Mb), by right-clicking on each of the preceding underlined links and choosing 'Save target as...' You can also promote the YouTube version of her video to your friends and contacts by directing them to this link: http://www.youtube.com/v/H3doJs98PD0 Options to embed the YouTube video within your own webpage or blog are given on the YouTube page.Links to download other campaign material can also be found at http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy.htm eg:- Petition- Online petition- Sample letter to Liam Byrne, Immigration Minister- A5 poster- A4 poster- A3 poster- Additional photos - click on each thumbnail to open a larger version of each oneAdditional web links about Prossy's case- Lesbian and Gay Foundation - http://www.lgf.org.uk/news/548/75/- Gay.com - http://365gay.com/Newscon08/05/051408ug.htmContact us page. http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/contact.htm
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