Africa
Uganda: Court Upholds Anti-Homosexuality Act
Entrenches Discrimination, Enhances Risk of Anti-LGBT Violence Nairobi – Uganda’s Constitutional Court on April 3, 2024, upheld the abusive and radical provisions of the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act, Human Rights Watch said today. The ruling further entrenches discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, and makes them prone to more violence. The court did… Read more »
Queer Lives Under Threat as Ghana’s Parliament Passes Anti-LGBTQ Bill
New York, USA – Outright International strongly condemns the passing of the “Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021” in Ghana, which aims to criminalize the very existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and their allies. The bill that Ghana’s parliament passed on 28 February 2024 will have severe… Read more »
Kenya LGBTQ+ : I’m black, I’m gay, I’m a priest
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-67711323 John, a priest ordained in a mainstream church, remembers struggling all his life to reconcile his sexual orientation with his calling to be a church minister. Facing homophobia after being outed in church, he started searching for queer affirming theology and spaces within Christian communities. He shares his story on how finding a queer-affirming… Read more »
Burundi’s president says gay people should be stoned
Bujumbura – Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye has called on citizens to stone gay people, escalating a crackdown on sexual minorities in a country where LGBT people already face social ostracism and jail terms of up to two years if convicted of same-sex offences. “If you want to attract a curse to the country, accept homosexuality,”… Read more »
Uganda accuses US of pushing ‘LGBT agenda’ after pushback to anti-gay law
Uganda accused the U.S. of pushing an “LGBT agenda” in the wake of pushback to an anti-gay law. “There’s a coup at the State Department in the U.S. It is being taken over by people who are pushing the LGBT agenda in Africa,” State Minister for Foreign Affairs Okello Oryem said in a Wednesday Reuters… Read more »
Johannesburg Pride marches for LGBTQ Ugandans after anti-gay law passed
Uganda introduced one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws in May, including the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.” Johannesburg — More than 20,000 people marched through Johannesburg on Saturday to celebrate Pride, singing, dancing and making their support clear for LGBTQ communities across Africa who cannot be open safely and whose relationships are criminalized. At… Read more »
Nigeria’s paramilitary raids birthday party for gay people, 76 arrested
Maiduguri, Nigeria – Seventy-six people were arrested for attending a birthday party for gay people in northern Nigeria, the country’s paramilitary agency said on Monday, adding that the organiser had also planned to hold a same sex wedding, which is illegal. There are the latest arrests targeting LGBTQ Nigerians after police in August raided a… Read more »
LGBTQ+ community in Kenya defies anti-gay protests
Kenya has seen several anti-gay protests after the Supreme Court affirmed the LGBTQ+ community has the right to associate. The LGBTQ+ community in Kenya is fighting back against recent anti-gay protests pushing for the curtailment of their rights as they seek recognition and acceptance. Recently, anti-gay protests have taken place following a court ruling last… Read more »
Gay and targeted in Uganda: Inside the extreme crackdown on LGBTQ rights
In May, the country enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-homosexuality laws. At a small shelter in Uganda, members of the LGBTQ community seek refuge from persecution after their government enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-homosexuality laws earlier this year. Henry, whose full name is being withheld for safety reasons, runs the shelter along… Read more »
‘Everything is prohibited’: Uganda’s anti-gay law forces community into hiding
‘Wherever we have been renting, they have been chasing us.’ Kampala – When Richard Lusimbo came for the interview at an office in the suburbs of the Ugandan capital, Kampala, he looked exhausted. The bags under his eyes told the story of long sleepless nights. Throughout the interview, his phone wouldn’t stop ringing, and he… Read more »
Muslims in Kenya protest at Supreme Court over its endorsement of LGBTQ right to associate
Nairobi, Kenya (AP) — Hundreds of Muslims in Kenya’s capital rallied Friday outside the Supreme Court to protest its decision last month to reaffirm the LGBTQ community’s right of association, saying that the verdict condoned immorality and demanding that some justices step down. The protest in Nairobi took place after Friday prayers, with demonstrators holding… Read more »
Mauritius Supreme Court Decriminalizes Gay Sex in Landmark Decision
Advocates hailed the decision on the African island nation while the court disparaged the law’s British colonial era origins in its ruling. The Supreme Court of the East African country of Mauritius decriminalized same-sex sexual relations Wednesday when it declared the country’s British colonial era anti-sodomy laws relations were unconstitutional. The decision was handed down… Read more »
Johannesburg Pride marches for LGBTQ Ugandans after anti-gay law passed
Uganda introduced one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws in May, including the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.” Johannesburg — More than 20,000 people marched through Johannesburg on Saturday to celebrate Pride, singing, dancing and making their support clear for LGBTQ communities across Africa who cannot be open safely and whose relationships are criminalized. At… Read more »
Ugandan Police Arrest Four People for ‘Acts of Homosexuality’
The arrests come in a country with one of the harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the world. In Uganda, which has one of the harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the world, police arrested four people Sunday for “acts of homosexuality” at a massage parlor. The arrests occurred in Buikwe, a town about 35 miles east of the… Read more »
Uganda passed one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws. LGBTQ people describe living there as ‘hell’
In between leading Sunday services at All Saints’ Cathedral in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, Rev. Canon John Awodi declares vehemently that “homosexuality is a sin that must be repented of,” adding that it is against the “order of God.” “Homosexuality is not natural, it is unnatural. That is the stand of the church here. It… Read more »
Ugandan President Signs Anti-Gay Law That Includes Death Penalty as a Punishment
The legislation is among the most restrictive of its kind in the world and was condemned by Western leaders and the United Nations human rights body. The president of Uganda signed a punitive anti-gay bill on Monday that includes the death penalty, enshrining into law an intensifying crackdown against L.G.B.T.Q. people in the conservative East… Read more »
Uganda waters down anti-gay law
Uganda’s parliament has watered down an anti-homosexuality bill that originally criminalised people for simply identifying as LGBTQ+. When it was first approved in March, the proposed legislation outraged human rights defenders. Members of the public were going to have to report individuals in same-sex relationships to the authorities. An activist told the BBC the debate… Read more »
Ugandan lawmakers pass new version of tough anti-gay bill
The new law prescribes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” which includes cases of sexual relations involving people living with HIV. Kampala, Uganda — Ugandan lawmakers on Tuesday passed a new version of an anti-gay bill that removes a clause which appeared to criminalize identifying as LGBTQ. President Yoweri Museveni last month returned the bill… Read more »
LGBTQ+ refugees face deportation from Kenya under cruel new anti-homosexuality bill
LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya face the threat of deportation if proposed anti-homosexuality laws are passed in parliament. Homosexuality is already illegal in Kenya, but the the Family Protection Bill 2023 would expand upon these laws, meaning LGBTQ+ people would face life sentences for simply identifying as themselves. If passed, the bill would… Read more »
Furious protesters beg ‘tyrant’ Uganda president not to kill LGBTQ+ people under cruel new law
South African opposition leader Julius Malema has led a protest against Uganda’s controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill, which criminalises people for being gay. On Tuesday (4 April), Malema and members of his party, the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), gathered outside the Ugandan Embassy in Pretoria to speak out against the bill that threatens the freedom and… Read more »
Kamala Harris Promotes LGBTQ+ Rights in Ghana as Homophobic Bill Considered
The vice president voiced support for “equality among all people.” Vice President Kamala Harris has spoken out for LGBTQ+ rights while visiting Ghana, where legislation that would impose harsh punishments for LGBTQ+ identity and advocacy is pending. “I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting the freedom and supporting the fighting for equality among… Read more »
LGBTQ+ Ugandans ‘shaken, worried and scared’ after government criminalises homosexuality
LGBTQ+ activists from Uganda have blasted a draconian new bill that criminalises LGBTQ+ life and could see gay people sentenced to death, saying queer people in the country are “shaken, worried and scared.” On Tuesday (21 March), Uganda’s parliament passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, a strict piece of legislation that expands on the East African nation’s… Read more »
LGBTQ+ Ugandans ‘shaken, worried and scared’ after government criminalises homosexuality
LGBTQ+ activists from Uganda have blasted a draconian new bill that criminalises LGBTQ+ life and could see gay people sentenced to death, saying queer people in the country are “shaken, worried and scared.” On Tuesday (21 March), Uganda’s parliament passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, a strict piece of legislation that expands on the East African nation’s… Read more »
Grindr sends every user in Egypt warning about police tricking and arresting queer men
LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr has urged all users in Egypt to be vigilant following reports that police are using the app to conduct sting operations and arrest queer men. Increasing numbers of LGBTQ+ are people being arrested, beaten and abused by police officers using dating apps and digital platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram.… Read more »
Grindr sends every user in Egypt warning about police tricking and arresting queer men
LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr has urged all users in Egypt to be vigilant following reports that police are using the app to conduct sting operations and arrest queer men. Increasing numbers of LGBTQ+ are people being arrested, beaten and abused by police officers using dating apps and digital platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram.… Read more »
Egyptian Police Said to Track LGBTQ+ On Dating Apps
Source – Peter Tatchell Foundation
LGBTQIA+ LIFE CHALLENGES IN Ivory Coast
Legal ChallengesSame-gender sexual activities for both men and women are legal in private and have never been criminalized in Ivory Coast. However, public same-gender sexual acts will be punished with imprisonment for 3 months to 2 years and a fine of 50,000 to 500,000 francs (75–450€). Same-gender couples are not legally recognized and are not… Read more »
Eswatini: murder of pro-democracy activist prompts outrage
Fears security agencies may have been involved in shooting of Thulani Maseko in his home on Saturday Authorities in Eswatini have promised a full investigation of the murder of a leading pro-democracy activist amid widespread fears that state security agencies may have been involved. Thulani Maseko, chairperson of a coalition of pro-democracy groups, was shot… Read more »
Edwin Chiloba: LGBTQ activist found dead in Kenya
Police in Kenya are investigating the death of young fashion designer and LGBTQ activist Edwin Chiloba after his body was found dumped in a metal box by the roadside near the town of Eldoret. A suspect believed to be a friend of the victim has been arrested but police have not spoken about a motive.… Read more »
19 Arrested at Same-Sex Wedding in Nigeria
Marriage equality and same-sex sexual relations are illegal in the country. Members of Islamic police enforcing sharia law in the northern Nigerian state of Kano arrested 19 men and women yesterday, accusing them of attending a same-sex marriage. A spokesperson for the religious police, known locally at the hisbah, said they acted after receiving a… Read more »
Uganda Bans Prominent LGBTQ Rights Group
End Harassment, Allow Group to Operate Last week, Uganda’s National Bureau for Non-governmental Organizations banned Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a prominent lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights organization, for not having officially registered with it. Before being banned, SMUG had provided education on sexuality and advocated for health services for LGBTQ people since… Read more »
Ugandan LGBTQ+ Rights Organization Forced to Shut Down by Government
CNN — Uganda’s government shut down operations of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a non-governmental organization for LGBTQ rights, accusing it of operating illegally in the country, according to a statement from the government. Uganda’s National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO Bureau) under the Ministry of Internal Affairs said Friday the group operated without being registered… Read more »
Will Ghana introduce some of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world?
West Africa correspondent Emmanuel Akinwotu describes how a backlash against the opening of an LGBTQ+ safe space in Ghana has fuelled homophobic legislation In February 2021, a community centre for LGBTQ+ people in Ghana was closed down weeks after it had opened, following a wave of protests. As our west Africa correspondent, Emmanuel Akinwotu, explains… Read more »
Police arrest leading gay activist in crackdown on Tunisia rally
Young people join anti-Saied demonstrations amid growing anger at president’s proposed new constitution. Tunis, Tunisia – Police have arrested a leading gay rights campaigner in a violent pushback against young people during a rally against the upcoming referendum on the Tunisian president’s newly proposed constitution. Police violently shoved protesters marching on Friday in a vocal… Read more »
Sudan woman faces death by stoning for adultery in first case for a decade
Campaigners say sentence amounts to torture amid fears that country’s new regime is rolling back women’s rights A woman in Sudan has been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, the first known case in the country for almost a decade. Maryam Alsyed Tiyrab, 20, was arrested by police in Sudan’s White Nile state last… Read more »
Three men sentenced to death by stoning for being gay in Nigeria
An Islamic sharia court in Nigeria has sentenced three gay men to death by stoning – including a man who was 70 years old. A Ningi court in the northern state of Bauchi convicted the men of engaging in homosexuality, the state’s religious police force, the Hisbah Vanguard, said 1 July. According to Reuters, the… Read more »
Lesbian ‘stoned to death’ in South Africa after receiving ‘rape and death threats’
A 24-year-old Zimbabwean lesbian was found “stoned to death” in South Africa after allegedly receiving rape and death threats by local men in the area. Ruth “Nickki” Chigowe was found dead on 27 May in Katlehong, a large township in the country’s Gauteng Province, according to Mamba Online. She leaves behind a one-year-old daughter. Her… Read more »
Rwandan LGBTIQ people warn: It’s unsafe to send queer asylum seekers here
The UK intends to send asylum seekers to the east African country. Rights groups say LGBTIQ people will be particularly at risk Gerald* and his boyfriend fled Rwanda in February this year to escape persecution from their families and church. “They beat us, starved us and refused to give us shelter,” he told openDemocracy from… Read more »
Rwandan LGBTIQ people warn: It’s unsafe to send queer asylum seekers here
The UK intends to send asylum seekers to the east African country. Rights groups say LGBTIQ people will be particularly at risk Gerald* and his boyfriend fled Rwanda in February this year to escape persecution from their families and church. “They beat us, starved us and refused to give us shelter,” he told openDemocracy from… Read more »
Ghanaian chief threatens to storm parliament with 10,000 homophobes to force through anti-LGBT+ bill
A regional chief in Ghana has threatened to storm the country’s parliament with 10,000 people to force through a cruel anti-LGBT+ bill. The “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021”, leaked in July this year, would criminalise everything from sex toys, to trans medical care, to simply being an LGBT+… Read more »
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