Pineapples grown in Uganda may be sweeter than pineapples from Hawaii, but when it comes to civil rights, Hawaii and Uganda are not at all seeing eye to eye.
The US Hawaii Democratic party, through its GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender) Caucus, submitted a resolution denouncing Ugandaโs civil rights abuse against homosexuality in that country to the Oahu County Caucasus to be held on May 6 and 7 in Honolulu.
The proposed resolution reads:
Whereas, the State of Hawaii has long tradition and practice of protecting the civil rights of its people based on race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and other legally protected characteristics; and
Whereas, the State of Hawaii believes these core civil rights are universal in application and address the essence of our humanity; and
Whereas Hawaii is the most religiously diverse state in the United States of America; and
Whereas, Uganda proposes to enact legislation criminalizing homosexuality, and to imprison and execute persons based solely upon their sexual orientation; and
Whereas criminalizing an individualโs sexual orientation is reminiscent of World War II Germanyโs program against homosexuals, Serbiaโs program against the Muslim community, and South Africa’s apartheid policy against its native African citizens; and
Whereas, nations, states, and citizens throughout the world recognize that criminalizing homosexuals and homosexual relationships is reprehensible and inhumane; and
Whereas, people and nations have not stood idle and must not stand idle while another country attempts to criminalize persons and execute its citizens because of sexual orientation; and
Whereas, Hawaii has a long and rich history of advancing and protecting civil rights, promoting essential human values, and addressing international wrongs that criminalize immutable characteristics, including resolutions condemning apartheid; and now, therefore,
Be it Resolved by the Oahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii it calls upon the Governor of Hawaii to send a letter of protest to the Uganda legislature requesting that it not enact discriminatory legislation which is contrary to the public policies and practices of civilized governments; and
Be it further resolved, that the Oahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii calls upon the Governor, the state legislators, and the Hawaii Congressional Delegation to send a letter requesting President Barrack Obama to issue a letter of protest to the Uganda Legislature denouncing any attempt to enact or codify discriminatory legislation seeking to criminalize homosexuality.