MARKED
PROGRESS! Pepsi: Speak out
against the Uganda Kill the Gays bill
Background:
Ugandan legislators are considering legislation that would institute the
death penalty for gays and lesbians, and allies in Uganda felt that if
multinational companies spoke out publicly against the bill, it would sway
Members of Parliament (MPs) on the fence to vote against it. Pepsi has a history
of supporting equality and has a massive presence in Uganda.
Partners: Ugandan Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights
and Constitutional Law and Health GAP
What we want: We asked Pepsi to publicly oppose the bill and
communicate its opposition to MPs in the Ugandan Parliament.
Current status: Over 116,000 signatures were delivered to
Pepsi HQ in December, and, we took out an ad in Advertising
Age, an industry publication, to get Pepsi's attention. Just this week,
Pepsi's VP of Global Policy and Government Affairs met with Kaytee,
our Campaign Manager. He heard our concerns, and agreed to continue
watching the situation closely, and ensure Pepsi uses its voice
effectively to stop passage of the bill. To that end, we are putting
Pepsi executives in touch with LGBTI groups in Uganda so they can coordinate
opposition on the ground.
As far as the bill itself, thankfully it did not pass before the
Ugandan Parliament disbanded for Christmas. But allies in Uganda warn
that there is a good chance the bill will be considered when Parliament
reconvenes next week, so we will stay in touch with allies in Uganda and make
sure Pepsi keeps its word to help stop this horrible law.
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