Today, worldwide: Close Guantánamo monthly vigils 

Locations of vigils
New York, NY, 5-6 p.m. ET: Steps of the New York Public Library, 5th Ave & 42nd Street
Washington, DC, 12-1 p.m. ET: Corner of Independence Ave & New Jersey Ave SE 
Minneapolis, MN, 5-6 p.m. CT: Handshake Bridge between the Sculpture Garden and Loring Park 
Cobleskill, NY, 5-6 p.m. ET: 514 West Main Street
London, UK, 1-3 p.m. GMT: Parliament Square, opposite the Houses of Parliament, London SW1 
Mexico City, Mexico, Location TBD. 

Check our website for contacts of local vigils and a full list of co-sponsors.

ICYMI: We co-hosted a side event on reparations at the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent 

Staff members participated in events at the second session of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, which took place between May 30 and June 2 in New York. The themes of the forum included: Global Reparatory Justice; Pan Africanism & Transnational Migration; Data & Evidence (Recognizing Systemic Racism); and Health, Well-being and Intergenerational Trauma. 

We also co-hosted a closed side event entitled Reparations: A Global Dialogue on Lessons Learned with the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) and the National Birth Equity Collaborative. Responding to the need for Black leaders to gather and exchange strategies on achieving reparations for the legacies of colonization, slavery, and apartheid, this event brought participants together around the framework of reparatory justice. The dialogue’s specific goals included: building relationships between Black advocates and organizers for reparations; sharing strategies and using case studies to provide insight into campaigns; and offering an intimate and communal space for conversations on the stakes and conditions Black people face in the struggle for global reparatory justice.

WATCH: Powerful interview on Democracy Now! with our client and ally, Pepe Onziema, speaking about the new extreme anti-LGBTQIA+ law in Uganda 

We are sharing this powerful interview with our client and ally Pepe Onziema, a Ugandan human rights activist and program director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), discussing the impact of one of the most extreme anti-LGBTQIA+ laws in the world, which was signed by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni last week. The new law makes same-sex relationships punishable by life in prison, and some LGBTQIA+ people could receive the death sentence. Because U.S. anti-gay extremists are “exporters of hate” and homophobia to Uganda, Pepe calls for ongoing global solidarity, especially from people located in the United States. You can watch the full video or read the transcript of the interview on Democracy Now!’s website!

“...I think there needs to be a lot of work done back home within the United States to make sure that these, you know, exporters of hate into a country like Uganda [who] test everything negative that they want to test in our country. So, that needs to be stopped from the backyard in the United States before it comes this side. So, now that we are in this quagmire and in this danger, we call on the global partners, global citizens to keep condemning this law, to keep putting pressure on our leaders to make sure that they honor the international covenants that they’ve been signatories to, and domesticate them, and treat their citizens as human beings, not as collateral damage, the way our country is doing with the LGBTIQ community.”
– Pepe Onziema, Ugandan human rights activist and program director of SMUG

Pepe also discussed our groundbreaking case with SMUG against U.S. anti-LGBTQIA+ extremist Scott Lively –  you can read more about that case on our website. As we enter into Pride Month, which connects its revolutionary roots to the Stonewall riots, we are committed to supporting our friends and family in Uganda.

Executive Director Vince Warren releases song about one of our clients, who was separated from his 2-year-old child at the border 

In his *endless* spare time, our Executive Director Vince Warren recorded and released a song about one of our clients and his 2-year-old child who were separated at the border. The song, “Dividing Line (Mr. C’s Love Song),” can be streamed for free on Soundcloud or Spotify. The song tells the story of our case, D.J.C.V. v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a habeas corpus case on behalf of D.J.C.V., a 2-year-old child, and his father, Mr. C., who are asylum seekers from Honduras. They were unlawfully detained and separated for nearly six months without any contact before they were reunited. They filed this case anonymously using their initials because of D.J.C.V.'s young age and because they face serious harm or death at the hands of gang members. It’s a beautiful song.

We’re hiring! The search for our next Communications Director is now open 

We are looking for a communications leader who will oversee communications strategy and implementation in alignment with our priorities. The ideal candidate will help lead us and continue to share important stories, shifting narratives and supporting our political thought leadership. The new Communications Director will work with a deeply committed and talented staff working with communities under threat to fight for justice and liberation through litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. You can view the full job description on our website.