Date: Sat, 12 Aug 1995 08:02:10 -0400 From: bs204@freenet.carleton.ca (Robert Mundie) >>"Mugabe renews attack on gays"<< It's time for action now! Write representatives of the Zimbabwean government to protest their President's actions and invective against homosexuals. (Mailing address for the Zimbabwe High Commission in Canada follows Reuter's article below.) ****** HEADLINE: Mugabe renews attack on gays WIRE SERVICE: Reuters PUBLICATION: Globe and Mail (August 12, 1995), p. A8 HARARE--Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe renewed a scathing attack on homosexuals yesterday, telling a crowd to hand over to the police any seen parading themselves. Just days after labelling homosexuals as sodomists and sexual perverts with no rights, Mr. Mugabe told thousands of people at a ceremony to commemorate Zimbabwean heroes that his government would never legalize homosexuality. "It degrades human dignity. It's unnatural and there is no question ever of allowing these people to behave worse than dogs and pigs," he said to cheers from an audience of mainly black Zimbabweans, many of whom see homosexualiy as un-African. Zimbabwean law is unclear on the status of homosexuals but under common law "unnatural sexual acts" are illegal, with penalties ranging up to 10 years of imprisonment. The Zimbabwean President made his first public attack on gays and lesbians last week after his government forced organizers of Zimbabwe's International Book Fair to bar homosexuals from taking part. -30- [reprinted without permission] ****** Protest these words and actions to: High Commissioner Lillie Chitauro High Commission of the Republic of Zimbabwe 332 Somerset Street West Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0J9 (Salutation: Dear Miss Chitauro) Copy correspondence to: The Honourable Andre~ Ouellet, P.C., M.P. Minister of Foreign Affairs House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 -- Robert J. Mundie * "We cast away priceless time in dreams, * bs204@Freenet.carleton.ca * born of imagination, fed upon illusion, * voice (613) 741-9498 * and put to death by reality" * Ottawa, Ontario CANADA **************** --Judy Garland ********** ****************************************************************************** To send a message to the entire list "queerplanet", email queerplanet@abacus.oxy.edu This list is run by the program MAJORDOMO@abacus.oxy.edu. *******************************************************************************