By Melanie Nathan, April 13, 2026.
This petition and open letter call on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to move beyond limited past remarks and take sustained, meaningful action on Uganda’s escalating human rights crisis. While Mamdani previously expressed opposition to the Anti-Homosexuality Act (2023) in response to being pictured with Rebecca Kadaga, he has remained notably absent from the broader and ongoing crackdown under President Yoweri Museveni, whose government has intensified repression and called on other African nations to follow suit.
As a global political figure with Ugandan roots and citizenship, Mamdani is uniquely positioned to influence international awareness and response. At a moment when anti-LGBTQ legislation is spreading across Africa and driving a growing wave of asylum seekers to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, the need is no longer for isolated statements—but for sustained leadership.
You may ask why this is important, and why now:
1. Silence from global leaders gives permission for persecution: Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act (2023) is one of the most extreme anti-LGBTQ laws in the world, but it is also a blueprint. When leaders with global visibility stay silent, it sends a dangerous signal: that this level of brutality is tolerable. Across Africa and beyond, governments are watching. Speaking out is not symbolic, it is a line in the sand.
2. Mamdani is uniquely positioned to make a difference and demonstrate sustained leadership: As Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani holds one of the most powerful political platforms in the world. NYC is not just a city, it is a global stage. His voice reaches diplomats, policymakers, media, and international institutions. Add to that his Ugandan birth and citizenship, and his influence becomes even more significant. He has cultural, political, and moral proximity to this crisis that few others in his position possess.
He may not control U.S. immigration policy or foreign affairs, but influence does not require formal authority. It comes through:
- Public condemnation that shapes global narrative
- Pressure on policymakers and visa regimes
- Advocacy for asylum pathways and refugee protection
- Mobilizing international attention and accountability
Leaders before him have used this exact kind of platform to drive change far beyond their jurisdiction. He can too.
3. This crisis is already at the doorstep of the US and UK: This is not just about Uganda. Following the passage of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act (2023), and President Museveni’s call on African leaders to help “eradicate homosexuality” from the world, other African countries have been emboldened to replicate and escalate similar laws and crackdowns. As a result, thousands of LGBTQI+ Ugandans, and Africans from countries now following Uganda’s lead, are fleeing persecution and seeking asylum in the United States, the United Kingdom, and across Europe.
This is no longer a distant issue. It is actively reshaping immigration systems, straining asylum frameworks, and testing the human rights commitments of Western democracies. What happens there is now arriving here, and demands a response.
Failing to act now doesn’t just abandon those at risk, it increases pressure on already strained asylum systems and risks sending people back into danger. Advocacy today helps save lives tomorrow.
The time for passive concern has passed. A single statement is not enough to confront a crisis of this magnitude. What is needed now is sustained, visible leadership. By signing this petition, you are sending a clear message: global silence is not acceptable, and those with influence must use it. Add your name to stand with LGBTQI+ individuals facing persecution—and to demand action that can help save lives.
Please sign our Petition at https://action.allout.org/en/m/1be59c52/
Melanie Nathan is the Executive Director of the African Human Rights Coalition and a country conditions expert witness for LGBTQI+ asylum seekers from Uganda and other African countries. Commissionermnathan@gmail.com
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