Africa
Gambia gay man who fled country after being outed dies
One of the 20 charged with homosexuality last year attempted to flee Gambia after losing his job and being disowned by his family and move to Senegal A Gambia gay man who fled the country after being arrested and outed died yesterday evening (2 October). The man known only as EJ was one of the… Read more »
Gays fear police blackmail after Zimbabwe allows all phones to be bugged
Zimbabwe LGBTs fear police will witch-hunt and blackmail them as new law allows monitoring of all private phone calls, text messages and internet use Zimbabwe has given permission to security agencies to spy on every single citizen’s phone calls, text messages and internet use – and LGBT people fear they will be the worst hit.… Read more »
43 anti-LGBT violations in Zambia; ‘accident waiting to happen’
In the midst of a crackdown on homosexuals, Zambia has been the scene of at least 43 LGBT-related violations of people’s rights in the past six months, according to a new report by the local LGBT activist organization Friends of Rainka. Even worse incidents could occur, the report suggests, because “the situation for LGBTI persons… Read more »
Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh Calls Homosexuality A Top Global Threat
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh on Friday called homosexuality one of the three “biggest threats to human existence.” In an address to the United Nations General Assembly, Jammeh said that homosexuality, greed and obsession with world domination “are more deadly than all natural disasters put together.” “Today, after fighting for our freedom and developing our continent… Read more »
‘A new low by Cameroon’s government’
The comments by the official state representative toward the late Eric Lembembe, who is no longer with us to defend himself against such vitriol, represent a new low by Cameroon’s government. – Neela Ghoshal, senior researcher on LGBT rights for Human Rights Watch: Human Rights Watch this week criticized the government of Cameroon for lies,… Read more »
Justice delayed, justice denied for 2 in Zambian gay trial
Supporters of two young Zambian men facing homosexuality charges say the men are being denied a fair trial. Philip Mubiana and James Mwape, who have been denied bail, have been jailed for five months while their trial is delayed again and again. In the previous attempt at continuing the trial, on Aug. 28, the scheduled… Read more »
10 clerics trained to handle gay people
Ten religious leaders yesterday graduated in a course on homosexuals. The leaders from the Muslim and Christian realm were among 35 graduates who completed a two-and-a-half-month training dubbed ‘Men who have Sex with Men sensitivity training’. The course was organised by the Kenya Medical Research Institute at Mtwapa Kemri centre in Mombasa. “The course is… Read more »
No action on homophobic violence in Cameroon
Yaounde (IRIN) – In Cameroon, one of the world’s most homophobic countries, not only is intolerance towards same-sex conduct widespread, but murder and threats against homosexuals and rights activists are met with inaction from authorities, abetting the violence, rights groups say. In July, Cameroonian gay right activist Eric Ohena Lembembe was found murdered at his… Read more »
Zambian activist must stand trial for opposing anti-gay law
The Lusaka High Court in Zambia yesterday rejected an appeal by AIDS activist Paul Kasonkomona, who is charged with “soliciting for immoral purposes” because he said on television last spring that Zambia should repeal its law against homosexual activity. Such laws in 38 African countries and 76-plus countries worldwide obstruct the fight against HIV/AIDS because… Read more »
Gays lament HIV treatment exclusion
The Gays and Lesbians Association of Zimbabwe (GALZ) has said its members are being discriminated against in remote parts of the country when accessing HIV and AIDS treatments. GALZ programs manager Samuel Matsikure said unless addressed, the situation is likely to derail efforts by government to reduce further the national HIV prevalence which declined to… Read more »
The gay taboo in Nigeria: “I don’t lose sight of the struggle”
It’s now nearly nine years since Bisi Alimi made the decision to come out as gay on national Nigerian television. He hasn’t stopped fighting since. It’s now nearly nine years since Bisi Alimi made the decision to come out as gay on national Nigerian television. He hasn’t stopped fighting since. Bisi Alimi had trouble getting… Read more »
Cops and neighbors with machetes raid gay youth safe house
Lesbian activist assaulted in Congo, house torn down, 21 LGBT young people made homeless. Householder was poisoned when she returned Police and neighbors, wielding hammers and machetes, raided the house of a Congloese lesbian who was sheltering LGBT young people, Gay Star News has learned. Once inside the property in Bukavu, in the east of… Read more »
‘There’s a Place for Gays in Islam’
In an edition of the Venice Film Festival notable for the prevalence of works grappling with global and societal woes (unemployment, terrorism, pollution, war) perhaps no film has blended the personal and the political as strikingly as Abdellah Taia’s L’Armée du salut (Salvation Army). A promising directorial debut presented in the independent “Critics’ Week” category… Read more »
Lusaka men caught having sex arrested
A Lusaka man of Barrastone Park has been arrested for sodomising another male of Chilenje South contrary to section 155 of the penal code of the laws of Zambia. Police acting spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said Harrison Jere of unknown age and house number of Barrastone Park was arrested for engaging consensual sodomy with Jackson Musonda,… Read more »
Gay in Zimbabwe: “Chop off their heads!”
President Robert Mugabe’s controversial victory translates to another five years of fearful living for the country’s gay community, according to lobbyists. “The past period was a torrid time. Gays were a target of politicians, particularly Mugabe and, by extension, the police. This was a strategy to win votes,” says a Zimbabwean artist now based in… Read more »
5 months in Zambian jail as gay trial falters; no eyewitnesses
Observers in Zambia supplied this information about the ongoing trial of Philip Mubiana and James Mwape, who could face up to 14 years in prison on charges of homosexual activity: The clock keeps ticking in the homosexuality trial of James Mwape and Philip Mubiana in Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia. They’re heading toward five months in jail… Read more »
How Cameroon locals, others paid for slain LGBT leader’s funeral
How Cameroon locals, others paid for slain LGBT leader’s funeral The church was packed for the funeral of journalist/activist Eric Ohena Lembembe. (Photo by Camfaids) Donations from around the world Many people from Cameroon and at least seven other countries helped pay for the funeral of journalist and activist Eric Lembembe, who was murdered last… Read more »
Liberia: Condoms Compatible Lubricants Campaign Launched in Liberia
Over hundred stakeholders, including representatives of the Government of Liberia (GoL), the United Nations System and Civil Society Organizations are expected to participate in a one-day national consultation launching the Global Lube Mobilization (GLAM) Project and discuss Condom Compatible Lubricants (CCL) access relative to the prevention of HIV and AIDS. The consultation meeting is being… Read more »
Ethiopia: Anti-gay forces seek action against anti-HIV agency
Ethiopia’s one gay-friendly anti-AIDS agency, Rainbow-Ethiopia HIV and Social Support Services, promotes public health, social justice and human rights in the country. In particular, it serves LGBT people as its clients, seeking health, social justice and human rights for them. That has angered powerful anti-gay forces in Ethiopia, as the affiliated Rainbow-Ethiopia HIV and Media… Read more »
Life harder for Cameroon gays since activist’s killing-lawyer
London (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Life has become even harder for gays in Cameroon and death threats more common since a prominent gay rights campaigner was brutally killed a month ago, one of the country’s leading lawyers said. Eric Ohena Lembembe, who had been fighting to legalise homosexuality in the central African country, was found… Read more »
Somalia: Gay Somali Refugees Face Death Threats
Gay, lesbian and HIV-infected refugees fear violent persecution should they return home Gay, lesbian and HIV-infected refugees from Somalia are facing persecution – and even the threat of death – should they return home. Refugees have been under pressure to leave accommodations in Kenya, where many also face racist discrimination, after claims the country is… Read more »
Ghana tops gay list in Africa Email thisShare This
(From: The Independent Newspaper) Ghana has been named as the African country with the most registered homosexual ‘hopefuls’ seeking expatriate partners. This is according to an online website that is ripe with homosexual information. A statement on accraexpats.com by a contributor, Andy S, stated that though Ghana was not an African gay paradise, there may… Read more »
In Nigeria a Mere Rumor of Being Gay Can Lead to Violence and Imprisonment
This week police in Aba state, Nigeria, had 40-year-old Benjamin Ndubuisi go on trail for having gay sex with a 23-year-old man, based on rumors. Police allege that Ndubuisi, who they say is a pastor, had sex with a younger man who worked at his Ogbor Hill church, basing their case entirely on what appears… Read more »
Why Gay Pride Celebrations In Uganda Were Discreet
Gay pride celebrations are held loudly each summer in New York, Paris and Berlin. But when Uganda held its version of the event this weekend, it was done very privately. It came as the Ugandan parliament considers a piece of extremely anti-gay legislation, and as discrimination against gays is widespread by Gregory Warner, NPR Source… Read more »
100 People Attend Uganda Gay Pride Parade
Over 100 people attended Uganda’s second annual Gay Pride Parade held on a beach in the southern city of Entebbe on Saturday. According to Voice of America, police broke up last year’s parade. But activists said they viewed the overall event as a success. “The success gave us confidence that we can do it,” gay… Read more »
Report: Cameroon mob murders gay man; police jail lover
O-blog-dee reports: Two weeks after the murder of activist Eric Lembembe, I have received word of yet another murder of a young gay man in Cameroon. The murder of Henry Mbah occurred two days ago in Muyunge, a village in the Muyuka subdivision in the South West Region of Cameroon. Mob killings is not unusual… Read more »
Murdered gay rights/HIV advocate and journalist documented deadly conditions.
Murdered gay rights/HIV advocate and journalist documented deadly conditions. At the end of a Senate briefing last week offering updates on science’s strides against HIV and AIDS worldwide, Dr. Chris Beyrer of John Hopkins University, and president-elect of the International AIDS Society offered a sobering counterpoint to the news of encouraging advances. “We’re not really… Read more »
Nigeria will allow foreign diplomats who are same-sex married to serve
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister says that if diplomats who are in same-sex marriages are sent to the West African nation they will be allowed to do their jobs despite the country’s law criminalizing same-sex marriage Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Olugbenga Ashiru has said that Nigeria will allow foreign diplomats married to people of the… Read more »
Gay Rights In Africa: Easy To Champion From Afar, Fatal To Defend From Within
Human rights activist Eric Ohena Lembembe was brutally murdered last week by unknown assailants at his home in the West African country of Cameroon, and the government’s stubborn silence since then has made the gruesome fatality even more devastating. Lembembe was a vocal defender of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, people and the… Read more »
Cameroon Government Blasts Journalists For Coverage Of Lembembe Murder; Activists Call For Proper Investigation
Government officials in Cameroon have issued a statement criticising journalists over their coverage of the murder and brutal torture of prominent gay rights activist Eric Ohena Lembembe last week. The AFP reports: In the first official response to the killing of Eric Ohena Lembembe, government spokesman Issa Tchiroma said in a statement that journalists had… Read more »
Cameroon Urged to Assure Protection Following Death of Gay Activist
The Cameroon Association for the Defense of Homosexuality and lawyers defending gay rights are calling on Cameroon’s government to assure them of their protection after a gay rights activist and journalist, Eric Ohena Lembembe, was found dead in his home. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Lembembe was tortured and killed. Many gay people said it… Read more »
The flames of homophobia burn in Nigeria
The flames of homophobia are burning in Nigeria. The latest version of the deceptively named “Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Bill” has dangerously resurfaced. This report was first published on iglhrc.org on Jun 26, 2013. On May 30, 2013 the Nigerian House of Representatives passed a bill banning same sex marriage and further criminalizing same sex relations.… Read more »
Gay men hacked with machetes and murdered in wave of hate crimes in Kenya
One man dies from attacks. Group points to fallout from discredited study on gays and blames religious extremists for whipping up hatred Gay men have been slashed with machetes and beaten with hammers in a series of hate attacks in Kenya which have already claimed at least one life. The Gay and Lesbian Coalition of… Read more »
Prominent Gay Rights Activist In Cameroon Found Dead, Tortured
Human Rights Watch reports that Eric Ohena Lembembe, a gay rights activist and journalist, was found dead at his home on July 15 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He had been brutally tortured: LembembeLembembe’s friends discovered his body on Monday evening after being unable to reach him by telephone for two days, and went to his home.… Read more »
Kenya’s gay movement seeks stamp of approval
The gay community is working day and night to transform itself from a fringe group to one that enjoys official legitimacy from the government and Kenyans in general. Today this community has found representation in legitimate government-run organisations formed to fight HIV, ostensibly to highlight the plight of homo sexual people afflicted by Aids. Experts… Read more »
LGBTs and HIV positive people fear return to Somalia
LGBT Somali refugees and people with HIV fear persecution if they return to Somalia from Kenya despite calls by the UN for refugees to return to rebuild the nation LGBT Somalis living in Kenya have expressed their fears about returning to their homelands despite calls by the United Nations for refugees to return to rebuild… Read more »
Gay Somali refugees face death threats
Gay, lesbian and HIV-infected refugees fear violent persecution should they return home. Nairobi, Kenya – Gay, lesbian and HIV-infected refugees from Somalia are facing persecution – and even the threat of death – should they return home. Refugees have been under pressure to leave accommodations in Kenya, where many also face racist discrimination, after claims… Read more »
Lesbian murder condemned
Johannesburg – The murder of lesbian Duduzile Zozo was brutal, senseless and unacceptable, Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane said on Tuesday. “We urge the community to approach police with any information that will lead to the arrest of people responsible for this barbaric act, so that they can face the full might of the law,” Mokonyane… Read more »
UN condemns Nigeria’s Parliament for passing anti-gay law
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned Nigeria’s Parliament for passing a law that further criminalises homosexuality by punishing those who try to enter same-sex marriages. Appearing on a BBC World news programme on Friday, Navi Pillay said: “I am very concerned that the rights of LGBT people… their sexual orientation rights… Read more »
UN says Nigeria’s ‘Jail All the Gays Bill’ breaks international law
President Goodluck Jonathan will be violating Nigerian law and treaties if he signs bill to jail all gays, lesbians and those who protect them UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay has condemned Nigeria’s new law, designed to round up and imprison all gay people in the country. She said the bill violates Nigeria’s own equality… Read more »
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