[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 137 (Wednesday, September 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H8542-H8543]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS OF ALL PEOPLE

  (Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks and include 
extraneous material.)
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, sadly, just before we left 
for recess, the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, engaged in an 
unjustified wholly prejudicial attack on gay men and lesbian citizens 
of his country.
  The attack was in sharp contrast to the leadership of, for instance, 
Nelson Mandela, who has included in the Constitution of South Africa, 
with the support of that country, protections against discrimination.
  I am very pleased to say that at the request of myself and the 
gentlewoman from California [Ms. Waters] about 70 Members of this House 
have joined in sending a letter to Mr. Mugabe objecting strenuously to 
his bigoted attack on people who simply have a different sexual 
orientation, noting that this kind of denunciation of people who are 
decent citizens is contrary to the respect for human rights that we had 
hoped Mr. Mugabe would show.
  I am including at this point in the Record the letter and the list of 
signatures, as follows:

     His Excellency Robert Mugabe,
     President, Harare, Zimbabwe.
       Dear Mr. President: We were distressed to read your attack 
     on people who are gay and lesbian.
       As Members of Congress dedicated to protecting the human 
     rights of all people, we believe that you are gravely 
     mistaken in your denunciation of people based on their sexual 
     orientation and your assertion that they should be excluded 
     from the protection of their ``individual freedom and human 
     rights.''
       When individuals are mistreated by government because of 
     some basic characteristic of their nature, human rights are 
     violated. Attacking decent individuals who are fully 
     respectful of the rights of others, who are productive and 
     responsible citizens, but who happen to be gay or lesbian is 
     wrong. As strong supporters of the struggle of the people of 
     South Africa against the oppressive, dehumanizing apartheid 
     system, we welcomed the inclusion in the Constitution of 
     South Africa of recognition that discrimination based on an 
     individual's sexual orientation is wrong. We strongly urge 
     you to re-examine this issue and to follow the example of the 
     new government of South Africa in respecting the human rights 
     of all people.
     Barney Frank,
                                               Member of Congress,
     Maxine Waters,
                                               Member of Congress.


     cosigners of the letter to president robert mugabe of zimbabwe
         Neil Abercrombie, MC; Xavier Becerra, MC; George Brown, 
           MC; Ronald Dellums, MC; Lloyd Doggett, MC; Anna Eshoo, 
           MC; Elizabeth Furse, MC; Steven Gunderson, MC; Alcee 
           Hastings, MC; Steny Hoyer, MC; Patrick Kennedy, MC; Zoe 
           Lofgren, MC; Edward Markey, MC; Marty Meehan, MC; 
           George Miller, MC; Joseph Moakley, MC; Eleanor Holmes 
           Norton, MC; Frank Pallone, MC; Jack Reed, MC; Martin 
           Sabo, MC; Charles Schumer, MC; Gerry Studds, MC; Melvin 
           Watt, MC; Sidney Yates, MC; Gary Ackerman, MC; Howard 
           Berman, MC; William Clay, MC; Norman Dicks, MC; Richard 
           Durbin, MC; Sam Farr, MC; Sam Gejdenson, MC; Luis 
           Gutierrez, MC.
         Sheila Jackson-Lee, MC; Tom Lantos, MC; Nita Lowey, MC; 
           Jim McDermott, MC; Carrie Meek, MC; Norman Mineta, MC; 
           James Moran, MC; John Olver, MC; Nancy Pelosi, MC; 
           Lucille Roybal-Allard, MC; Bernard Sanders, MC; David 
           Skaggs, MC; Edolphus Towns, MC; Henry Waxman, MC; 
           Thomas Barrett, MC; Sherwood Boehlert, MC; Peter 
           DeFazio, MC; Julian Dixon, MC; Eliot Engel, MC; Thomas 
           Foglietta, MC; Henry Gonzalez, MC; Jane Harman, MC; 
           Maurice Hinchey, MC; Eddie 

[[Page H 8543]]
           Bernice Johnson, MC; John Lewis, MC; Carolyn Maloney, MC; Cynthia 
           McKinney, MC; Kweisi Mfume, MC; Patsy Mink, MC; Jerrold 
           Nadler, MC; Major Owens, MC; Charles Rangel, MC; Bobby 
           Rush, MC; Patricia Schroeder, MC; Louise Slaughter, MC; 
           Nydia Valazquez, MC; Lynn Woolsey, MC.
           

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