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To: londonfeministnetwork<BR>From: nimda<BR>Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:44:45 +0100<BR>Subject: [londonfeministnetwork] Prossy Kakooza must not be returned to Uganda! As a lesbian she faces violence, imprisonment or worse<BR><BR>
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(We contacted the campaign before we added this to womensgrid <BR><A href="http://womensgrid.freecharity.org.uk/?p=147" target=_blank>http://womensgrid.<WBR>freecharity.<WBR>org.uk/?p=<WBR>147</A> to clarify about dates / <BR>deadlines and this is what we got in reply:<BR><BR>" ...not sure of the actual dates. Prossy arrived in the UK at the end <BR>of July last year and was dealt with under the NAM. She was refused,<BR>appealed to a court and refused. Judge believed she was lesbian and had <BR>suffered torture but felt it was safe for her to go to another<BR>part of Uganda. New solicitors from Greater Manchester Immigration Aid <BR>Unit have argued that the judge made an error of law in that he<BR>failed to consider the increased risk someone is under if they have <BR>already been subject to torture or maltreatment. This is being argued<BR>in the next couple of weeks. If this is successful - and they seem to <BR>think it will be - then Prossy will get a chance to argue her case<BR>again before an Immigration Judge. We are hopeful as the new solicitors <BR>seem to know their stuff, the previous set managed to get<BR>her country of origin wrong - something mentioned by the judge!! ... ")<BR><BR>Prossy Kakooza must not be returned to Uganda!<BR>Home Office Ref: K1268314<BR><BR>Prossy Kakooza is a 26-year-old woman seeking asylum in the UK. She fled <BR>Uganda after suffering vicious sexual, physical and verbal attacks due <BR>to her sexual orientation. Photo: <BR><A href="http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy_kakooza/prossy1.jpg" target=_blank>http://www.mccmanch<WBR>ester.co.<WBR>uk/prossy_<WBR>kakooza/prossy1.<WBR>jpg</A><BR><BR>Prossy had been forced into an engagement when her family discovered her <BR>relationship with the girlfriend she met at university. Both women were <BR>marched two miles naked to the police station, where they were locked up.<BR><BR>Prossy's inmates subjected her to gross acts of humiliation. She was <BR>violently raped by police officers who taunted her with derogatory <BR>comments like ''we'll show you what you're missing'' and ''you're only <BR>this way because you haven't met a real man''. She was also scalded on <BR>her thighs with hot meat skewers.<BR><BR>See this article in Pink News describing how the Red Pepper Uganda <BR>newspaper is continuing its outing strategy targeting lesbians and gay <BR>men in Uganda. <A href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-5453.html" target=_blank>http://www.pinknews<WBR>.co.uk/news/<WBR>articles/<WBR>2005-5453.<WBR>html</A><BR><BR>Prossy was eventually taken out of prison after her father bribed the <BR>guards. Her family had decided they would sacrifice her instead, <BR>believing this would ''take the curse away from the family''.<BR><BR>Whilst her family were making arrangements to slaughter her, Prossy <BR>managed to flee to the United Kingdom to seek asylum.<BR><BR>When Prossy went for treatment to her local GP's surgery in the UK they <BR>were so shocked by the extent of her injuries they called the police.<BR><BR>She was taken to the St. Mary's Centre in Manchester, and she is still <BR>receiving counselling there for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.<BR><BR>Prossy's asylum application has been refused by the Home Office, who <BR>acknowledge she was brutally raped and burnt because of the medical <BR>evidence, but have dismissed these appalling attacks as ''the random <BR>actions of individuals'<WBR>', and state she can be returned to a different <BR>town in Uganda.<BR><BR>This judgement ignores the clear danger to gay people throughout the <BR>country where the penalty for homosexuality is life imprisonment.<BR><BR>Also, in Uganda, you cannot settle in a new town without a reference <BR>from your previous village, and on the basis she is a lesbian, Prossy <BR>would be subjected to similar persecution wherever she went.<BR><BR>We consider that if Prossy is sent back, she faces the continuing threat <BR>of incarceration, and further sickening attacks - which next time may be <BR>fatal.<BR><BR>Prossy is a highly educated woman who can be a productive member of <BR>society.<BR><BR>She has a right to be free with her sexuality, which is causing no harm <BR>to anyone, and she has a right not to be raped, attacked, or murdered.<BR><BR>Please see below to discover how you can help Prossy to live a valued <BR>and productive life in safety and security.<BR><BR>Prossy's video story at <A href="http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy.htm" target=_blank>http://www.mccmanch<WBR>ester.co.<WBR>uk/prossy.<WBR>htm</A><BR><BR>How you can help<BR><BR>1. Download the petition, print it off, get it signed by yourself, your <BR>family, friends, work colleagues, drinking buddies and anyone else you <BR>know! Please return the petition to us so we can send it off to the <BR>Home Office - our address is at the bottom of the petition. <BR><A href="http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy_kakooza/PROSSY_MUST_STAY_PETITION.rtf" target=_blank>http://www.mccmanch<WBR>ester.co.<WBR>uk/prossy_<WBR>kakooza/PROSSY_<WBR>MUST_STAY_<WBR>PETITION.<WBR>rtf</A><BR><BR>2. Sign the online petition and promote this to your friends and <BR>contacts via your emails, blog or personal website. <BR><A href="http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ProssyKakooza/" target=_blank>http://www.ipetitio<WBR>ns.com/petition/<WBR>ProssyKakooza/</A><BR><BR>3. Write to Liam Byrne, the Minister of State for Borders and <BR>Immigration within the Home Office, copying the letter to us and any <BR>reply you receive. (Email address for copies: <BR><A href="mailto:revandy@mccmanchester.co.uk">revandy@mccmanchest<WBR>er.co.uk</A> Postal address for copies: MCC Manchester, <BR>PO Box 19, Manchester, M34 3XF.)<BR><BR>You can see a sample letter here. <BR><A href="http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy_kakooza/letter_to_liam_byrne.rtf" target=_blank>http://www.mccmanch<WBR>ester.co.<WBR>uk/prossy_<WBR>kakooza/letter_<WBR>to_liam_byrne.<WBR>rtf</A><BR><BR>------------<WBR>---------<WBR>---------<WBR>---------<WBR>---------<WBR>---------<WBR>-<BR>Background information on Mr Byrne:<BR><BR>Liam Byrne joined the Labour Party when he was 15 and was elected to the <BR>seat of Birmingham Hodge Hill in the by-election in July 2004. He lives <BR>in Birmingham with his wife Sarah and three children. Liam was educated <BR>at Manchester University where he graduated with first class honours and <BR>was elected leader of the Student's Union, and Harvard Business School <BR>where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He advised the Labour Party on general <BR>election organisation between 1996-7 before managing Labour's national <BR>business campaign. Liam began his career at Andersen Consulting and <BR>worked for NM Rothschilds before starting a venture-backed technology <BR>company in 2000. Liam is the author of Local Government Transformed <BR>(1996); Information Age Government (1998); New Strategies for Full <BR>Employment (2001); and Britain in 2020 (forethought, 2003). He was also <BR>co-editor of Reinventing Government Again (2004). Liam is a member of <BR>Amicus, the Christian Socialist Movement, the Fabian Society and was <BR>formerly an Associate Fellow of the Social Market Foundation.<BR><BR>You may wish to bring in his Christian commitment and background in <BR>student politics in your own letter. His own website makes it clear <BR>that he doesn't want to be contacted about immigration issues due to <BR>"strict parliamentary protocols" but it is entirely appropriate to write <BR>to the minister to express concerns about how policy is being enacted. <BR>He has a strong record on voting for gay rights.]<BR>------------<WBR>---------<WBR>---------<WBR>---------<WBR>---------<WBR>---------<WBR>-<BR><BR>You can email the Minister at this address: <BR><A href="mailto:Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk">Privateoffice.<WBR>external@<WBR>homeoffice.<WBR>gsi.gov.uk</A><BR><BR>Please ensure you put FAO Liam Byrne, Minister in the subject line. You <BR>could base the content of your email message on the sample letter <BR>provided via the link above.<BR><BR>Or fax your letter to him on 0870 336 9034,<BR><BR>or write to him at:<BR><BR>Mr Liam Byrne MP<BR>Minister of State for Borders and Immigration<BR>Home Office<BR>3rd Floor, Peel Buildings<BR>2 Marsham St<BR>London SW1 4DF<BR><BR>4. You may want a poster - we have them in A5, A4 and A3 size. These <BR>could be used at Pride stalls (the larger posters) or given to people to <BR>explain Prossy's plight (the smaller ones). Additional photos in a <BR>large format can be downloaded via the thumbnails shown below.<BR><BR>5. You can download Prossy's story as an mp3 file <BR><A href="http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy_kakooza/prossys_story.mp3" target=_blank>http://www.mccmanch<WBR>ester.co.<WBR>uk/prossy_<WBR>kakooza/prossys_<WBR>story.mp3</A> (9 Mb), <BR>and download a copy of her video <BR><A href="http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy_kakooza/prossy_must_stay.wmv" target=_blank>http://www.mccmanch<WBR>ester.co.<WBR>uk/prossy_<WBR>kakooza/prossy_<WBR>must_stay.<WBR>wmv</A> (wmv <BR>format, 33 Mb), by right-clicking on each of the preceding underlined <BR>links and choosing 'Save target as...' You can also promote the <BR>YouTube version of her video to your friends and contacts by directing <BR>them to this link: <A href="http://www.youtube.com/v/H3doJs98PD0" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.<WBR>com/v/H3doJs98PD<WBR>0</A> Options to <BR>embed the YouTube video within your own webpage or blog are given on the <BR>YouTube page.<BR><BR>Links to download other campaign material can also be found at <BR><A href="http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy.htm" target=_blank>http://www.mccmanch<WBR>ester.co.<WBR>uk/prossy.<WBR>htm</A> eg:<BR>- Petition<BR>- Online petition<BR>- Sample letter to Liam Byrne, Immigration Minister<BR>- A5 poster<BR>- A4 poster<BR>- A3 poster<BR>- Additional photos - click on each thumbnail to open a larger version <BR>of each one<BR><BR>Additional web links about Prossy's case<BR>- Lesbian and Gay Foundation - <A href="http://www.lgf.org.uk/news/548/75/" target=_blank>http://www.lgf.<WBR>org.uk/news/<WBR>548/75/</A><BR>- Gay.com - <A href="http://365gay.com/Newscon08/05/051408ug.htm" target=_blank>http://365gay.<WBR>com/Newscon08/<WBR>05/051408ug.<WBR>htm</A><BR><BR>Contact us page. <A href="http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/contact.htm" target=_blank>http://www.mccmanch<WBR>ester.co.<WBR>uk/contact.<WBR>htm</A><BR><BR><BR></DIV></DIV>
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