1Urging legislative action by the members of the Parliament of
2Uganda and by the Government of Nigeria to repeal laws that
3discriminate against same-sex relationships and
4organizations.

5WHEREAS, On February 24, 2014, President Yoweri Kaguta
6Museveni of Uganda signed legislation providing penalties for
7consensual sexual acts between adults of the same gender; and

8WHEREAS, The penalties range from incarceration for 14 years
9for a single offense to life imprisonment for repeated offenses;
10and

11WHEREAS, The law prescribes imprisonment for failure to
12report homosexuals and homosexual behavior and for performing
13same-sex marriages; and

14WHEREAS, On January 17, 2014, President Museveni described
15lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) individuals as
16"sick people who need help"; and

17WHEREAS, On January 7, 2014, Nigeria, Africa's most populous
18and politically influential nation, enacted the "Same-Sex

1Marriage Prohibition Act," which criminalizes same-sex marriage
2and membership in or support of any LGBT organization; and

3WHEREAS, Police in the northern Nigerian state of Bauchi
4recently arrested and allegedly tortured dozens of men suspected
5of being gay; and

6WHEREAS, Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan publicly
7committed to alleviating the epidemic of human immunodeficiency
8virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),
9affecting 34 million Nigerians, while simultaneously signing
10into law the discriminatory and counterproductive legislation;
11and

12WHEREAS, HIV-AIDS programs established to assist the Nigerian
13LGBT community, 17% of which is affected by HIV-AIDS, are now
14effectively illegal; and

15WHEREAS, On February 12, 2012, a mob of approximately 50
16young men attacked people suspected of being gay in a
17neighborhood in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, dragging young
18men from their homes, beating them with nail-studded clubs and
19whips, and shouting that they were cleansing the community of
20gays; and

21WHEREAS, One victim was beaten nearly to death, according to
22a witness; and

23WHEREAS, Following the attack, the mob dragged four of the
24victims to a nearby police station, where the police further
25beat and insulted them; and

26WHEREAS, According to Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu of South
27Africa, "The history of people is littered with attempts to
28legislate against love or marriage across class, caste, and
29race. But there is no scientific basis or genetic rationale for
30love. There is no scientific justification for prejudice and

1discrimination, ever. And nor is there any moral justification.
2Nazi Germany and apartheid South Africa, among others, attest to
3these facts."; therefore be it

4RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
5Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge members of the Parliament of
6Uganda to repeal discriminatory legislation providing penalties
7for consensual sexual acts between adults of the same gender; 
8and be it further

9RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
10Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Government of Nigeria to
11repeal prohibitions on same-sex relationships and organizations; 
12and be it further

13RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
14the presiding officers of each house of Congress, to each member
15of Congress from Pennsylvania, to His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta
16Museveni, President of Uganda, to the Speaker of Parliament of
17Uganda and to His Excellency Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, President
18of Nigeria.