Jan Logie and Louisa Wall Lesbian MPs Jan Logie and Louisa Wall have congratulated Ugandan activists who have been given the US State Department Human Rights Defender Award, the highest human rights award next to the Nobel Prize. The Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law was given the honour by Us Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in recognition for their work using draft anti-homosexuality legislation to spark public dialogue on LGBT rights and challenge the prejudices of officials. "This spirit demonstrates their fearlessness and also the growing support within Uganda and internationally, and shows that we can all play a role in advancing human rights and creating societal change in a universal commitment to eradicating discrimination against members of our families and communities," says Labour MP Louisa Wall. "When we met with these activists in Uganda earlier this year both Louisa and I were incredibly impressed by the effectiveness of their lobbying as well as their casual bravery," adds Green Party rainbow issues spokesperson Jan Logie. "The United Nations just this week expressed concern over similar legislation being sought to be introduced in Liberia. We hope all our communities in New Zealand will continue to follow and support their work as they lead the fight against this international epidemic of regressive legislation," Logie says. "As we fight for marriage equality in New Zealand we must remember and continue our support for family offshore who have even further to go to achieve full equality regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity," Wall adds.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 9th August 2012 - 11:10am