Africa
Report: Anti-Gay Abuse Surges in Uganda After Bill Passage
Nairobi — Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say homosexuals in Uganda have faced increased discrimination since the passage of an anti-gay bill last December. In Uganda, members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, known by the acronym LGBT, say life has not been the same since the passage and signing of the… Read more »
Life on the run from homophobia
Gay and trans Africans often seek asylum in South Africa, supposedly a “safe haven” for LGBTI people. But it’s no bed of roses here either. In recent months Uganda and Nigeria attracted international attention when they decided to tighten laws criminalising homosexuality. Allies by circumstance, Muslims and Christians joined forces in the witch-hunt for gays,… Read more »
US HIV/AIDS funding to Uganda to continue
The United States has assured Uganda of continued funding for HIV/AIDS research and treatment despite the recent storm over the passing of the controversial anti-homosexuality Act. Dan Travis, the public affairs officer at the US embassy in Kampala, said Uganda has been allocated $323m (about sh805b) for this fiscal year 2014 under the US President’s… Read more »
Gambian president threatens Gambian gay asylum-seekers
Gambia’s young president Yahya Jammeh says he will “kill” any of his compatriots who seek asylum abroad claiming that their lives were in danger because they were homosexuals or lesbians. “Those who are doing that to tarnish the image of Gambia just to gain asylum, were doing so at their detriment….If I catch them, I’ll… Read more »
The LGBT Refugees Who Are Seeking Asylum In the World’s Most Notoriously Anti-Gay Country
If they’re seeking sanctuary in Uganda, just imagine what they must be running from. Kampala, Uganda — With one of the world’s most infamous anti-gay laws, Uganda seems like the last place on Earth an LGBTI person would go seeking safety. But almost 100 LGBTI refugees have sought help from an NGO in Uganda’s capital… Read more »
How One Reverend Is Defying Uganda’s ‘Kill The Gays’ Act
Uganda made international headlines when President Yoweri Museveni signed Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” Act into law, jailing people for 14 years to life for loving someone of the same sex and leading to massive spikes in hate crime violence. But one Reverend in the country is generating press for a different reason: hosting prayer sessions… Read more »
Uganda Drafts New Anti-Gay Law Targeting NGOs
Kampala (Reuters) – Uganda has drafted a new law that would bar non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from promoting homosexuality, tightening rules further after anti-gay legislation in February was widely condemned as draconian. The draft, now being studied by the cabinet before being introduced in parliament, would also ban foreign NGOs from meddling in the east African… Read more »
GALZ Wins Human Rights Award
GALZ was awarded the, 2014 AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa(ARASA) Human Rights, HIV and TB Award at a ceremony hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa on 16 April 2014. “The ARASA Human Rights, HIV and TB Award was established in 2007 to recognise and support organisations across southern Africa undertaking groundbreaking work to protect… Read more »
Surprise: Ethiopia’s Government Says ‘No’ to Anti-Gay Movement
Much to the joy of LGBT rights groups and the chagrin of the religious right, Ethiopia has pushed back against the anti-gay movement this past week. Here’s why that matters, and what it might mean. As we had previously reported, Ethiopia’s lawmakers had been considering legislation which would have enhanced the country’s existing ban on… Read more »
Cameroon: Prison sentence ends for man denounced as gay
A Cameroon man, age 29, has been released from prison, putting an end to incarceration that began when a friend reportedly claimed the man was a homosexual, attorney Michel Togué reports. The man (called Myan in this blog to protect him from homophobic attacks) was one of 10 prisoners who had all been arrested for… Read more »
Egypt’s gay community fears government crackdown
Recent series of raids and long jail terms fan fears that gay people may be new target of authoritarian government Egypt’s gay community fears it is the latest target of the country’s authoritarian government following a series of recent raids on gay people. Activists interviewed by the Guardian said they had documented up to nine… Read more »
Ethiopian government cancels anti-gay rally
Homosexuality ‘not a serious crime’ says government official, in country where gay sex punishable by 15 years in prison A planned anti-gay rally in Ethiopia has been cancelled by the government, according to officials. In addition, a plan by the legislature to add gay sex to a list of crimes ineligible for presidential pardons has… Read more »
Fear Drives African Gays to Seek Asylum in US
Homosexuality is a crime in 38 African countries and new laws in Nigeria and Uganda have increased potential punishments for engaging in gay sex. These strictures have driven some gay and transgender Ugandans to seek asylum in the United States. “I can tell you that it’s so bad in Uganda. People just don’t know what… Read more »
Egypt: 4 sentenced to 3-8 years on gay sex charges
Agence France-Presse reports via Al Arabiya News: A court in Egypt sentenced four men to up to eight years in prison on Monday for practicing homosexuality, a judicial official said. Prosecutors had accused the men of holding “deviant parties” and dressing in women’s clothes. Three were sentenced to eight years and the fourth to three… Read more »
Uganda police raid U.S. military AIDS clinic, order it shut
Activists in Uganda report that plain-clothes police raided a U.S. military-affiliated AIDS services clinic in Kampala today, accused it of promoting homosexuality, and ordered it to close. [A spokesperson for the clinic said the program decided to temporarily suspend operations to ensure the safety of its staff. — Editor] The clinic has been one of… Read more »
Church Abandons Ugandan Cleric Who Ministers To Gays
The Anglican church has severed ties with a Ugandan cleric who ministers to gays. Rev. Christopher Senyonjo, 82, told the AP that he now lives off “gifts” to support himself after the Anglican church cut off his pension. Senyonjo’s sympathetic views toward gay people got him barred from presiding over church events in 2006. He… Read more »
GALZ Statement On Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s Remarks.
Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s statements as reported in the Sunday Mail 30 March 2014 perpetuate hate and wrong perceptions about LGBTI people. It is unfortunate coming from a high-ranking church leader of his calibre. As a man of the church, one would expect Prophet Makandiwa to do his gospel duty by standing alongside the marginalised and… Read more »
Gay Nigerians stripped naked and whipped in public after sex party
A gay man from Lagos reported a group of gay Nigerians to the authorities after they refused to give him money for sex Five gay Nigerian men were detained, stripped naked and beaten in public last week after they refused to give money to a sexual partner from Lagos who was blackmailing them. According to… Read more »
LeGaBiBo raises awareness about homosexuality in Botswana
When one day, I was in a taxi bus with my gay friends, a passenger talked about things that are offensive to Botswanan culture. He stated that ‘the youth of today’ are imitating the Western lifestyle. When the driver brought up the issue of homosexuality, the bus became a podium of indirect remarks aimed at… Read more »
LGBT in Zambia: ‘How many more lives will be ruined?’
In response to the latest court case against alleged homosexuals in Zambia, the leader of the Zambian human rights organization Friends of Rainka has called for an end to persecution of LGBT people. Juliet Mphande, executive director of Friends of Rainka, said: ”The situation for LGBTI persons in Zambia becomes more urgent than ever. How… Read more »
Dar plans to introduce tougher anti-gay Bill
As Uganda battles donor backlash for passing a law that outlaws homosexuality, a Tanzanian MP is working on a private member’s Bill that seeks to tighten the law against same sex relationships. Ezekiel Wenje from the main opposition Chama cha Democrasia na Maendeleo party told The EastAfrican that he had already given parliament notice of… Read more »
Cape Teens Watch As Gay Man Beaten, Set On Fire
A young gay man has been brutally tortured and killed in a horror hate murder in the Western Cape. The Son daily Afrikaans newspaper reported that 23-year-old David Olyne from Ceres was killed over the weekend while a group of teens blithely watched on. Senior Reporter Maahir Pretorius told Mambaonline that his investigation had led… Read more »
Leading Kenyan MP says homosexuality ‘as serious as terrorism’
Homosexuality in Kenya is as bad a problem as terrorism, the ruling party’s parliamentary leader said on Wednesday, but argued against stepping up legal sanctions on the grounds that existing laws were tough enough. Aden Duale, the majority leader from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s ruling Jubilee coalition, was responding to a group of MPs demanding tougher… Read more »
New Film Explores Homophobia and Hatred Towards LGBTI Community in Cameroon
The silhouettes of two women are concealed amongst the gradients of quivering candlelight. The interviewer asks, “Can you kiss each other in public?”, one women responds “We hug each other in public. Even the hugs are discreet. But kiss on the mouth? No.” The other adds: “People would yell at us ‘Ooh lesbians. You can’t… Read more »
Gays flee Mombasa over public attacks
Hundreds of men who have sex with men at the Coast have moved away from major towns for fear of their lives. According to statistics by the Mtwapa Initiative for Positive Empowerment, an organisation working with MSMs in Mombasa and Kilifi counties, more than 200 of the men now avoid public health facilities. Mipe says… Read more »
I am a gay Ugandan about to go home. This law will tyrannise my life
A day after the anti-homosexuality act was passed, a tabloid listed me as a ‘homo’. This hatred is new to my country, and driven by US evangelicals Growing up in Uganda, homosexuality was not something we talked about much. I knew I was gay from a young age, and I came out to those close… Read more »
John Kerry To Send Homosexuality ‘Experts’ To Tackle Uganda Anti-Gay Law
Secretary of State John Kerry announced on Tuesday U.S. plans to send homosexuality “experts” to Uganda to discuss the country’s new Anti-Homosexuality Act with President Yoweri Museveni, according to Buzzfeed. “I talked personally to President Museveni just a few weeks ago, and he committed to meet with some of our experts so that we could… Read more »
Uganda anti-gay law claims first victims with arrests
According to reports, two men have been arrested under Uganda’s new anti-gay law after they were caught having sex in a hotel room The first arrests under Uganda’s new anti-gay law are thought to have been made this week after two men were heard having sex in a hotel room The first arrests are believed… Read more »
‘Anti-homosexuals apartheid’ in Cameroon says pro-gay lawyer
Alice Nkom, a Cameroonian lawyer who has defended gay men and women for the last decade, says the country is battling an ‘anti-homosexuals apartheid’, comparing the situation to slavery Alice Nkom, a pro-gay lawyer from Cameroon has spoken out about the treatment of gay people in her country, calling it an ‘anti-homosexuals apartheid’. She also… Read more »
Anglican leader James Tengatenga, free to speak, opens up on homophobia
Palm Springs, Calif. – “Hi, my name is James.” He looks like your typical tourist in the desert oasis that is Palm Springs, Calif., wearing white walking shorts and a casual shirt in a green-and-white plaid. No socks, no belt. No pretense. He flashes a friendly smile and extends his right hand, giving a warm… Read more »
Zimbabwe: Gay rights activists arrested in police raid at hotel
Two gay rights campaigners in Zimbabwe have been arrested for allegedly convening a public meeting without authorisation. Raids against activists are common in the country, which is notorious for its tough laws against same-sex sexuality activity and LGBT freedom of expression. In a statement on Thursday, Gay and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) said Natasha Dowell… Read more »
UNAIDS Is “Prepared” To Join Lawsuit Against Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, Top Official Says
“We need to change the way we are doing business,” said Luiz Loures, UNAIDS deputy executive director and assistant secretary general of the United Nations. Washington — Luiz Loures, deputy director of UNAIDS and assistant secretary general of the United Nations, said Wednesday that UNAIDS is ready to join a lawsuit filed in a Ugandan… Read more »
Ugandan anti-gay strategy: The war has barely begun
Supporters of Uganda’s harsh new Anti-Homosexuality Act are preparing their next steps, according to a strategy document from anti-gay Pastor Stephen Langa. Langa, executive director of Uganda’s Family Life Network, organized the seminar in 2009 at which American anti-gay activist Scott Lively energized Uganda’s anti-homosexuality movement shortly before the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was introduced. Langa’s letter… Read more »
Gay law: Kazibwe warns Museveni
In a statement on Monday, former Vice President, Specioza Wandira-Kazibwe belatedly criticized the signing into law of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill and urged for its repeal. She said the law would have negative public health implications and serious consequences for Uganda’s international reputation and support from donors. Kazibwe, a special envoy of the UN Secretary General… Read more »
Zimbabwe Police Again Raid LGBT Rights Meeting
Police in Zimbabwe today stormed a local hotel where human rights defenders were attending a media training workshop by Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ). They arrested two of those at the meeting and brought the meeting to an end. About 20 participants were in the session, at the Bronte Hotel in Harare, when the… Read more »
Gay Ethiopian faces uncertainty, peril if deported
19-year-old was arrested in January Federal immigration officials in Boston are seeking to deport a man — who has posted online that he is gay — to a nation where same-sex relationships are illegal, just days after President Obama criticized a harsh new antigay law in Uganda. Officials arrested the 19-year-old man from Ethiopia in… Read more »
Congolese MP pushing to outlaw homosexuals and transgender people
An MP with the Parti Travailliste Congolais wants the Democratic Republic of Congo to jail homosexuals for up to 5 years and transgender people for up to 12 years – with minimum sentences of 3 years in jail for both Parti Travailliste Congolais (PTC) MP Steve Mbikayi is moving forward with a bill to criminalize… Read more »
Nigeria: 4 men charged with breaking anti-gay laws whipped in Islamic court
A human rights group says four men convicted of breaking anti-gay laws have been whipped publicly in an Islamic court in Bauchi, northern Nigeria. The Associated Press reports the men were among dozens arrested after Nigeria strengthened laws against same-sex sexual activity in January. Dorothy Aken’Ova of the Coalition for the Defence of Sexual Rights… Read more »
Growing Up Gay In Botswana
Botswanan trans-lesbian Prisca Mogapi knew he needed to come out to her family, but couldn’t find the right words. That all changed when a local newspaper outed him, thus jump starting his career as the African nation’s leading queer activist. Now Mogapi – who prefers to be called Skipper – works underground to fight Botswana’s… Read more »
A visit to prisoners held on ‘suspicion of homosexuality’
In The Nation, journalist Andy Kopsa reports on her trip last month to Cameroon with an American and African delegation from the St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation. Some excerpts: The daily tally of prisoners in Yaoundé Central Prison, on the outskirts of Yaoundé, Cameroon, is on a chalkboard the size of a Ping-Pong table… Read more »
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