Appeal – Friends Ugandan Safe Transport Fund

15 Jul

July 15, 2014 Emergency Appeal! We are raising funds NOW to support the escape of 25 LGBT Ugandan individuals at great risk!

We are now raising funds for the planned escape of 25 LGBT individuals who were thrown out of two Ugandan “safe” houses by their landlords.

We want to do that immediately, as they are currently harbored close to a location where a large anti-gay rally – led by evangelical preachers – is being held in the next several days.

Our conductor fears that any revelation will result in a large mob action and/or attack.

It will cost us $55 per individual (plus a little bit for fund transfer fees) to get them to a safe place in another country, where they will be provided with food, housing, medical, psychosocial, legal, and visa support services.

So we need to raise the $1375.00 USD + to assist these people. Please donate!

UPDATE Wednesday 07/16/14: We are close! We need about $600 more today, and if we get it, the 25 will be able to leave. Please help if you can. And please share this. Thanks, Gabi Clayton

To make a donation with PayPal, click here:

Or send a check. See how to do that on this page.

Contributions to Friends New Underground Railroad/Safe Passage Fund through Olympia Friends Meeting are tax-deductible.

Please share this appeal with your friends, colleagues, and any people or groups you know of who can help with donations. If people want more information, please direct them to the FAQs page on our website: http://friendsnewundergroundrailroad.org/faqs/ and let us know if you need other information.

Thank you,
Gabi Clayton
Friends New Underground Railroad Co-Manager
and Co-Clerk of Olympia Monthly Meeting‘s Peace and Social Justice Committee

10 Jul

We Have An Emergency Situation in Uganda – Please Donate!

This is a message from one of the Friends New Underground Railroad ‘conductors’ in Uganda:

“… having endless pressure of a group of some people understand unbearable situation. They have been thrown out of the [place] where they have been camping for weeks, all their possessions. The [place] owner has even threatened to call on the police for them. These are people who are now camping in a bush in [town name]. If the villagers finds out that these are gays they will be lynched. … This is the group of 25 (formerly 26) – one of whom was the one burned to death.”

Please donate! We need 25 x $55 = $1,375.00 plus the PayPal fees in order to assist in transporting these 25 people to safety outside of Uganda.

Donate through PayPal here:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=MLJJ9UY5Z2NRS

If you are going to send a check, the information needed to do that is here:
http://friendsugandansafetransport.org/donate/
Please use the contact form on that page to let us know how much you are sending so we can plan.

Thank you!

Please share this with others!

29 Jun

Emergency medical funds needed!

One of the FNUR “conductors” was assaulted the other day in a severe bashing based on his perceived sexual orientation and because he was in the process of doing this work he has undertaken to assist other LGBTQ people out of Uganda. This is such dangerous work. This is the second time one of the “conductors” has been assaulted like this. We are doing what we can to support them, and yes, we have vetted this and it is legitimate.

He needs to be moved to safety so he can receive medical treatment, and we are asking for people to donate to assist us in doing this.

To do this we need to raise $924.00. Please help with a donation by clicking here:
http://friendsugandansafetransport.org/donate/
and please share this with others who may also do so.

Thank you!
Gabi Clayton
Co-Clerk, Peace and Social Justice Committee, Olympia Friends Meeting; Manager, Friends New Underground Railroad

09 Jun

Help Us Aid 17 LGB People in Hiding in a Ugandan Garage

All 7 of the transwomen we were assisting have arrived safely in Nairobi. The escape was apparently quite harrowing for some, and one got sick along the way and is now being treated.

On the way back, Conductor #2 visited the 17 LGB people hiding in a garage and wrote:

“… in the name of all the gods the 17 people in the garage are living like animals, they don’t even have a latrine in there, they just use a bucket, they are felling sick and i have been so touched.”

Those 17 are going to jump the line as soon as we have $950 needed we will be able to aid them out of Uganda. Please donate!

06 Jun

Please Help Us Aid Transwomen in Uganda

Friends New Underground Railroad’s conductor #2 is coming to the aid of 5-7 (we are unclear on the exact number) transwomen in extreme risk. They have been hunted in at least four Ugandan cities and towns.

We have to get them across the border now. The cost is under $500 and we need to raise funds quickly.

If you can, please donate so we can help them! And please share this with others.

Note: our conductors names and identifying information is not public as they do this very wonderful work which is also very dangerous. They are putting their own lives at risk to aid others. And we cannot do this work without them!

Thank you.