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Save Namibia's Most Endangered Species: Gay and
Lesbian Humans!

> > Namibia's homophobic President, Sam Nujoma, is
> > threatening to imprison and deport all lesbian and gay
> > people from his southern African country. Nujoma has
> > just donated 10 cheetahs to the United States, in an
> > effort to convince Americans that he is a benign
> > ruler.
> >
> > The Nujoma cheetahs are arriving this weekend (April
> > 7-8) at the Cincinnati Zoo, in Ohio, and the White Oak
> > Conservation Centre, near Jacksonville, Florida.
> >
> > Amnesty International has condemned Nujoma's
> > "vilification and persecution of people for their
> > sexuality" as a "violation of their fundamental human
> > rights." Namibia's human rights and gay rights groups
> > have also condemned Nujoma's campaign of hatred
> > against lesbian and gay people.
> >
> > Only a few hours before the U.S. Embassy in Namibia
> > announced that Nujoma's cheetahs were flying to the
> > United States in a US Air Force C17 plane, probably at
> > the expense of American taxpayers, Nujoma was inciting
> > "traditional leaders, governors [to] see to it that
> > there are no criminals, gays and lesbians, in your
> > villages and regions." He said at a public rally that
> > lesbians and gay men should be condemned by the whole
> > nation and arrested.
> >
> > Nujoma's latest hate message echoed his statement at
> > the University of Namibia on March 19. "The Republic
> > of Namibia does not allow homosexuality, lesbianism
> > here. Police are ordered to arrest you, and deport
> > you, and imprison you, too," he told his young college
> > audience.
> >
> > This week-end, the youth wing of Nujoma's ruling SWAPO
> > party took the President's anti-gay hate message to
> > the streets. About 250 demonstrators, mostly
> > school-aged children between 8 and 15, shouted "Down
> > with Gays and Lesbians" and "Long Live Nujoma" in
> > Oshakati, some 466 miles northwest of Windhoek, the
> > Namibian capital.
> >
> > Lesbian and gay Namibians are in danger. The Nujoma
> > government's escalating vilification, persecution, and
> > scapegoating of them will sooner or later trigger
> > violence. Since the governmental anti-gay rhetoric
> > began, in 1996, there have been isolated incidents of
> > violence, including beatings and possibly an arson
> > attack against the offices of a gay-friendly feminist
> > group last year.
> >
> > We can prevent bloodshed in Namibia if we act now.
> >
> > Tell Nujoma and his SWAPO government that the world is
> > watching. That the violation of the fundamental human
> > rights of lesbian and gay Namibians is unacceptable.
> >
> > Again, Don't Wait For the Body Bags! Get involved Now!
> >
> > Spread the word. Send this email to 10 people, and
> > ask them to send it to 10 more.