<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1;"><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><font face="Arial, sans-serif" class=""><i style="font-size: 14px;" class="">***please forward where appropriate***</i></font></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><b class=""><span class="" style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br class=""></span></b></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><b class=""><span class="" style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">FRIDAY: Emergency Protest in Solidarity w/ Kenya LGBTQ+ Community</span></b><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><u class=""><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When</span></u><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">: Friday, October 6th at 10:00 AM</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><u class=""><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Where</span></u><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">: Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 600 17th St. NW<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><b class=""><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></b></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><b class=""><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/events/emergency-action-no-us-kenya-trade-negotiations-without-lgbtq-protections" class="" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);"><span class="">RSVP HERE</span></a></span><o:p class=""></o:p></b></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Right now, the Kenyan parliament is debating a bill that criminalizes anyone identifying as LGBTQ+, or anyone who promotes or protects LGBTQ+ human rights.</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But despite claims that it is advancing the human rights of queer people “in all corners of the world,” the Biden administration is continuing to pursue a special trade agreement with Kenya, the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP).</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><b class=""><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Yesterday, the administration announced that it would be holding a second round of in-person STIP talks with Kenyan counterparts in D.C. – in less than 24 hours. In doing so, they are ignoring calls from queer activists in Kenya, the Congressional Equality Caucus, and U.S. civil society groups to pause negotiations until this hateful bill is shelved.</span></b><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/events/emergency-action-no-us-kenya-trade-negotiations-without-lgbtq-protections/" class="" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);"><b class=""><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">In solidarity with LGBTQI+ groups across Kenya, we are holding a protest this Friday, October 6th, at 10:00 AM in front of the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. </span></b></a><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We will be demanding that the U.S. do more to ensure that LGBTQ+ rights are protected in Kenya, or pause trade talks until such assurances are made.</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Please </span><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/events/emergency-action-no-us-kenya-trade-negotiations-without-lgbtq-protections/" class="" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);"><b class=""><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">RSVP here</span></b></a><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> if you are able to join us, and I will follow up with you with more details. </span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Criminalization of the LGBTQ+ community should be a deal-breaker when it comes to doing business with the U.S. Continuing Kenya trade talks without strong human rights protections sends a message that it isn’t.</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Please join us on Friday. For more info, email Ryan Harvey <<a href="mailto:rharvey@citizen.org" class="">rharvey@citizen.org</a>>.</span></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><br class=""><div class="">
Arthur Stamoulis<br class="">Citizens Trade Campaign<br class="">(202) 494-8826<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">
</div>
<br class=""></body></html>