Chair Pocan Leads Letter to Oppose Efforts to Further Criminalize the LGBTQI+ Community in Kenya

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02), Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, led a letter urging United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai, to temporarily pause the U.S.-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) negotiations until Kenyan President William Ruto commits to vetoing any legislation that further criminalizes the LGBTQI+ community.

In the letter, Members of Congress state:

"The United Sates must use every tool in its disposal to ensure the human rights of LGBTQI+ people are protected. Against the backdrop of consideration of the so-called Family Protection Bill in Kenya, we urge you to pause the STIP negotiations and only resume them if President Ruto commits to vetoing any legislation that further criminalizes the LGBTQI+ community, including the hateful bill now being considered.

"The United States must make clear to both Kenya and other countries considering similar legislation that we will not stand idly by as they move to criminalize or further criminalize people for being LGBTQI+. If countries wish to strengthen their economic and trade ties to the United States, they must ensure they will protect the human rights of their residents—not further criminalize them for who they are."

The letter was signed by the following members of Congress: Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Becca Balint, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, Rep. Greg Casar, Rep. Joaquin Castro, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, Rep. Jared Huffman, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, Rep. James P. McGovern, Rep. Grace Meng, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Brad Sherman, Rep. Mark Takano, Rep. Dina Titus, and Rep. Paul D. Tonko.

Read the full text of the letter here.

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