Bishop Christopher Senyonjo honored with Clinton Global Citizen Award for Support of LGBT Rights

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bishop Christopher Senyonjo of Kampala, Uganda, will receive a Clinton Global Citizen Award at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting this evening for his outstanding work to support the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people through the St. Paul's Reconciliation and Equality Centre in Kampala.   The award recognizes Bishop Senyonjo's work in promoting the equal rights of LGBT people in Uganda and across more than 70 countries where being LGBT is illegal and often persecuted. 

"I am deeply honored to receive this award and President Clinton has moved the world one step closer to a place where it should no longer be illegal to love someone or persecute those of us who want to provide pastoral care and support."

Rev. Canon Albert Ogle, President of the St. Paul's Foundation has gathered financial support from donors like the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Ford Foundation is with the bishop today. "President Clinton is honoring a great man who has helped many of us realize the extent of homophobia in our churches and cultures and the profound economic and psychological damage it does to millions of human beings every day."

Over the past decade Bishop Senyonjo has recognized that the rights of LGBT people are tightly linked to a range of development challenges, including women's rights, gender equality, economic empowerment, HIV/AIDS prevention and employment. 

This is the first time CGI has recognized leadership on LGBT issues, and symbolizes the increasing need to mainstream LGBT rights as an important dimension of human rights and economic empowerment. 

Support for the work of the Foundation may be made here: http://stpaulsfoundation.com/Donate.html. More information about the global importance of this award can be found at: http://76crimes.com/ or contact Rev. Canon Albert Ogle at [email protected] 949 338 8830.

About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date CGI members have made more than 2,100 commitments, which are already improving the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $69.2 billion.

CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States, and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at www.facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative. 

SOURCE St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation