What We're Reading: Making the AIDS crisis worse

The Washington Post published an article Thursday on the public health consequences of recently enacted anti-homosexuality laws in Nigeria, Uganda, and elsewhere – specifically citing their negative impact on the fight against HIV/AIDS.

It is the job of public health officials to account for the reality of human behavior in pursuit of the public good. Anti-gay laws complicate that task in practical ways. MSM who are afraid of prosecution and violence are less likely to attend meetings where they are given education, condoms and lubricants. Less likely to be honest with their physicians about their sexual histories. Less likely to be tested for AIDS and receive treatment and care. And more likely to inadvertently infect others.

When Western governments lecture African countries about their retrograde views, it can feed a populist, anti-colonial backlash. When donors threaten to cut off aid, it can cause lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists to cringe — fearing they will be scapegoated for the punishment of their whole country.

What might be more effective is a forceful health-related message. This is an area in which civil rights — starting out with a simple zone of personal privacy — is a requirement of public health. Nations such as Nigeria and Uganda are committed to ambitious objectives in fighting AIDS. Those goals are unachievable while any group is targeted for discrimination and excluded from effective outreach. 

Senator Coons, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations African Affairs Subcommittee, spoke out against the enactment of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill in February calling the law “a setback for human rights around the world” and appeared on MSNBC earlier this month to discuss steps the U.S. can take to combat the law and stand up for Uganda’s LGBT community.

Click here to read the full article on the Washington Post’s website.

Video: Senator Coons talks foreign policy in Ukraine, Uganda on MSNBC

Senator Coons, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Africa Subcommittee, joined MSNBC's Steve Kornacki Sunday morning to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine and actions the U.S. can take to combat Uganda's unacceptable anti-LGBT law, including scaling back assistance related to police training, opening up avenues for asylum for those fleeing oppression, and considering sanctions and/or visa denials for those who incite violence against the LGBT community. “We need to make sure that our rhetoric is matched by our actions,” Chris said. Watch the full interview below.

Senator Coons chairs hearing on Joseph Kony

This morning, Senator Coons, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, held a hearing examining U.S. policy to counter the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and its leader, Joseph Kony.

In his opening statement, Chris declared “Joseph Kony epitomizes the worst of mankind and evil in the modern day.”   He showed this chart, demonstrating that in the past four months alone, the LRA has committed 132 attacks despite increased U.S. and regional efforts to kill or capture Kony and his top lieutenants.

Witnesses at today’s hearing included Principal Deputy Secretary of State for African Affairs Donald Yamamoto, Assistant Administrator for Africa at USAID Earl Gast and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs Amanda Dory.

On a second panel of witnesses, two former LRA abductees, Jolly Okot and Jacob Acaye, shared their stories. Chris personally thanked them for attending, noting they both “endured horrific experiences in Uganda, and survived to courageously tell their story.”

The hearing stressed the broad bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate for stopping Kony, and for the recent deployment of 100 U.S. military advisors, which just yesterday, President Obama announced would continue to train regional militaries. 

Chris also took time to show a video he made to respond to the millions of Americans – especially young people – who recently became involved in this issue due to the effective advocacy of NGOs such as Resolve, Invisible Children, and the Enough Project. He is also sponsoring a resolution, with 40 other bipartisan members of the Senate, condemning the LRA and supporting continued U.S. efforts to strengthen the capabilities of regional militaries, increase civilian protection, and provide assistance to populations affected by the LRA. Join Chris as a citizen cosponsor of his resolution here.

Senator Coons meets with young Delawareans about Joseph Kony, LRA

WILMINGTON — Senator Coons met today in his office with a dozen students from several local high schools and the University of Delaware, as well as young advocates from The Resolve and Invisible Children. The group was eager to discuss the pursuit of Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army, who have terrorized Uganda and much of Central Africa for more than 25 years.

“The attention Kony and the LRA have received in Delaware schools these last few weeks thanks to the work of groups like Resolve, Enough, and Invisible Children, has shown just how important the issue is, especially to our young people,” Senator Coons said. “It’s important they know that the Senate has been working on this issue and strongly backs the U.S. mission in central Africa in support of Kony’s capture. I hope parents and teachers in Delaware who want to learn more about this so that they can engage with their kids will reach out to me or to my office to learn more.”

To aid in that effort, last week Senator Coons sent a letter, video, and four-page information kit to educators throughout the state. Those resources can be found online here.

“Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army have burned a path of destruction through Uganda and its neighbors in central Africa for the last 25 years,” Senator Coons said. “Joseph Kony represents the worst of mankind, and he and his commanders must be held accountable for their war crimes.”

Senator Coons is chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs.

LGBT rights are human rights

Senator Coons, a strong advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, praised new directives from President Obama to federal agencies meant to ensure U.S. diplomatic and foreign-assistance efforts promote and protect the human rights of LGBT individuals. 

“LGBT rights are human rights, whether a person lives in the United States or abroad,” Chris said in a statement to the press on Tuesday.  “America’s foreign policy can and should be led by its values, and protecting the basic human rights of all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity is certainly one of them. President Obama has taken a strong stand today, making sure our policy matches our rhetoric. The targeting of individuals for criminal action based on sexual orientation and gender identity is unacceptable. The strategy the President laid out today confronts discrimination and human rights abuses against LGBT persons at multiple levels, strengthening the United States’ posture and making clear to nations that look to the U.S. for leadership and support that we are not going to stand for the reprehensible anti-LGBT policies emerging especially in developing nations.” 

“The United States’ diplomatic and development efforts play an important role in shaping the world. It’s not enough just to say that human rights shouldn’t be denied based on sexual orientation or identity — we must make sure our policies live up to our principles. I strongly support President Obama’s actions today, and look forward to working with the Administration to monitor their implementation.”

As chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, Chris has repeatedly called on African leaders to abandon efforts to criminalize homosexuality, including Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill in May, and the Nigerian Senate’s criminalization bill last month.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work to advance civil rights. 

Senators Coons and Kerry urge administration to expand licensing of aid providers in Somalia

Just days after chairing a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs looking into the growing famine and drought crisis in the Horn of Africa, Senator Coons joined Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry today in calling for the administration to license additional humanitarian groups to distribute aid in Somalia.

“In the Horn of Africa today, over 12 million people are in desperate need of food and water amidst the worst drought in three generations,” the two senators said in a joint statement.  “In Somalia alone, approximately 3.2 million people are in need of immediate life-saving assistance, half a million children are acutely malnourished, and more than 29,000 children under the age of 5 have tragically died.  The drought has blasted an already hostile landscape, but the actions of the terrorist group al-Shabaab and the shortcomings of the Somali government have turned a natural disaster into a human catastrophe.”

Hundreds of thousands of Somalis, displaced by years of civil war, already live in difficult conditions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, Uganda, and Eritrea, and they have been hard hit by the famine and drought.  For Somalis still living in areas controlled by al-Shabaab, limited access by international aid organization has made it extremely difficult both to measure the famine’s effects and provide assistance.  For years the United States has maintained tight restrictions on American organizations operating in areas under al-Shabaab control, due to the groups designation as a terrorist organization.  While praising the administration’s efforts, both senators believe more can be done to ease suffering while preventing aid from ending up in the hands of the al-Shabaab. 

“We encourage the administration to consider additional ways to ease and expedite the provision of aid. Specifically, it should explore expanding the pool of those licensed to provide assistance in southern Somalia to include U.S. humanitarian groups funded by private donors or other countries. While it is absolutely imperative to restrict the flow of resources to al-Shabaab, we must draw on all available resources as we balance security concerns with pressing humanitarian needs.”