Sierra Leone is a small West African country. Sitting at the base of the Canary Current and the edge of Africa's boreal forests, it is home to a wide variety of wildlife. From the capital city of Freetown and its bustling market scene to the rustic villages and smaller cities found elsewhere, the people are even more vibrant and full of generosity and kindness. This country, however, has a dark secret.

     Remnants of British colonialism exist in the form of an 1861 penal code that Sierra Leone has reportedly never enforced. This law calls for consensual gay sex to be punished with lifetime penal servitude, a polite word for slavery. 

     In 2011, Sierra Leone was one of only FIVE African countries to support the UN declaration aimed at ending global violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ community. We, the undersigned, respectfully ask that, on behalf of the public opinion of Sierra Leone and in the name of human rights and practicality, the honorable president and relevant cabinet members seek to revoke this penal code and send a strong message that Africa is a continent of welcoming people that are on track to become part of an economic powerhouse.

     The repeal of this law would pave the way for a more accepting twenty-first century!