Rep. Pocan slams Fellowship Foundation's refusal to condemn Ugandan "Kill the Gays" bill.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, released the following statement after receiving a written response from the Fellowship Foundation in which they were unwilling to denounce Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act:


“When you’re given the opportunity to publicly oppose a law that permits the government to execute LGBTQI+ people just because of who they are, why wouldn’t you take it?” said Congressman Mark Pocan, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. “The Fellowship Foundation’s four-sentence response to my letter—where they refuse to explicitly condemn Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act or discuss their connections to the National Prayer Breakfast Foundation—begs the question: what else are they trying to hide? The anti-LGBTQI+ activities of the Family and their associates directly threatens the safety of LGBTQI+ people around the world.”


BACKGROUND
On January 31st, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, sent a letter to Ms. Katherine Crane, President of The Fellowship Foundation (also known as The Family or the International Foundation) regarding their potential involvement in legislation abroad that imposes the death penalty for LGBTQI+ people, including the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Acts (AHA), and their involvement with both international and domestic anti-LGBTQI+ causes. Among other questions, the letter specifically asks the Family if they support or oppose the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023, and about their connection with the National Prayer Breakfast Foundation. Ms. Crane’s response was delivered on February 28th, 2024—it was four sentences long and did not answer any of the questions she was asked.


Read the full text of Rep. Pocan’s January 31st letter here.
Read the Equality Caucus’s January 31st Press Release here.
Read the full text of Ms. Crane’s February 28th letter here.

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Founded in 2008, the Congressional Equality Caucus is dedicated to promoting equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics, including intersex traits. The Caucus is strongly committed to achieving the full enjoyment of human rights for LGBTQI+ people in the U.S. and around the world.