Africa
Libyan militia to surrender homosexual captives
Twelve alleged homosexuals abducted last week from a private party in Tripoli’s Ain Zara district will be handed over to the justice ministry; Libya Herald quoted a senior member of the Nawasi Brigade as saying on Tuesday (November 27th). The so-called “Private Deterrent Force” posted images of the men on its Facebook page, saying the… Read more »
Will Jean Claude Mbede Be Released Soon?
Cameroonian lawyers confident and hope for a positive outcome at the next hearing According to his group of lawyers, the trial of Jean-Claude Roger Mbede the Cameroonian prosecuted for incitement to the practice of homosexuality could end on a positive note. The Pan-African magazine Jeune Afrique speaking to the hearing on Wednesday, November 21 in… Read more »
Libya: Islamic supremacists threaten mutilation and death for kidnapped “homosexuals”
“The Nawasi brigade…claims to be under the authority of the Ministry of Interior.” Sharia descending upon brave new democratic “Arab Spring” Libya: “Extremists threaten mutilation and death for seized ‘homosexuals,’” from Libya Herald, November 26 (thanks to The Religion of Peace): Extremists say they will execute a dozen men they allege are homosexuals, whom they… Read more »
Reasons for Withdrawing from the Kiambu Senate Race
Last evening I received a message from the most ardent of the supporters saying; “hi Senator Dave. I have done ma part which’s starting to turn sour coz of ua unavailability. Plz advice…” I just wondered how I could reply to that message. You see over the last couple of months, I have been promising… Read more »
Mr Gay Namibia suspended after domestic violence claims
Wendelinus Hamutenya claims organizers of gay pageant are trying to ‘sabotage’ his work Last year’s Mr Gay Namibia winner has been suspended over domestic violence claims, just days before he is due to hand his crown to a new lucky finalist. Wendelinus Hamutenya won the title in November 2011 in the country’s first ever gay… Read more »
Lawmakers in Uganda have voted on and passed the ‘Kill The Gays’ bill
Imagine the possibility of being jailed for being who you were born to be. Imagine being sentenced to life in prison for following your heart and demonstrating the feelings of affection towards another just because that person is of the same sex. Many LGBT people in the Uganda will now live in such a world… Read more »
Kenya political campaign puts gay taboo in spotlight
Kiambu, Kenya (Reuters) – An anti-poverty campaigner has become Kenya’s first openly gay man to run for political office, but David Kuria Mbote faces a challenging path as he tries to dispel taboos in the largely conservative Christian nation in a race for a senate seat. If elected to the Kenyan senate, Mbote, 40, would… Read more »
Tunisia Battles Over Pulpits, and Revolt’s Legacy
Kairouan, Tunisia — On the Friday after Tunisia’s president fell, Mohamed al-Khelif mounted the pulpit of this city’s historic Grand Mosque to deliver a full-throttle attack on the country’s corrupt culture, to condemn its close ties with the West and to demand that a new constitution implement Shariah, or Islamic law. “They’ve slaughtered Islam!” thundered… Read more »
Gay Nigerian, Ugandan Named Most Influential
Two African activists, one Nigerian, the other Ugandan have been named as the most influential in a yearly poll released Sunday. Nigerian gay activist, Bisi Alimi made it to the Independent on Sunday’s (IoS) Pink List 2012 of the most influential persons in Britain at number 90 while Ugandan Frank Mugisha was featured in the… Read more »
Liberia: Same Sex Marriage Debate – Can’t Liberia Be Definitive?
The debate concerning gay practice or advocacy for same sex marriage, has loomed in Liberia for the past two years, involving ordinary citizens, leaders of both Muslim and Christian communities as well as the Executive and Legislature, but without legitimization of any national stance. After Western countries announced they accept gay activities and same sex-marriage… Read more »
The Bite Behind The Bark Of Homophobia
Homosexuality is a topical issue in Botswana’s political and social discourse. While the country’s laws imply that the practice is outlawed, it is pellucid that it is a reality that the nation cannot ignore. At the centre of the debate is liberal versus conservative views with the former speaking for gay rights and the latter… Read more »
Bisi Alimi Talks To Elnathan
In the second interview of the series, Bisi Alimi, a prolific human rights campaigner talks to Elnathan about his life and work. He started his advocacy work at the height of the HIV epidemic within the Nigerian MSM community in the late 90s. He worked as Program Director for the country’s foremost MSM organization “The… Read more »
Nigeria anti-gay law within striking distance of approval
A bill to further criminalise same-sex relationships in Nigeria has reportedly passed through a second reading in the country’s House of Representatives. According to Nigeria’s Punch newspaper, the proposed legislation, which has already been endorsed by the parliament’s Senate, now awaits the approval of the Committee of the Whole House. Same-sex relations are already illegal… Read more »
South Africa: Lesbian dies after being stabbed with spear
According to the Cape Argus newspaper, Sihle Sikoji, a member of a community group that supports lesbian, bisexual and transgender women who have been sexually assaulted, was stabbed in the chest with a “mini-spear” at the start of last weekend. The attack occurred on Friday 9 November in a part of Cape Town. A friend… Read more »
Liberian Christians and Muslims campaign against gay marriage
Monrovia, Liberia — A few hundred Liberians representing the Christian and Muslim faiths and civil society organizations gathered here Saturday to launch a campaign to press the government to ban same-sex marriage. The campaign is seeking 1 million signatures supporting a resolution to ban gay and lesbian activities here. More than 25,000 signatures have already… Read more »
Churches force Malawi to backtrack on suspending anti-gay laws
Malawi has back-tracked on its decision to suspend anti-gay laws and their enforcement after being fiercely criticized by the country’s churches Malawi’s government has back-tracked today (8 November) on its decision to suspend anti-gay laws, after pressure and criticism from the country’s churches. Justice minister Ralph Kasambara was reported by GSN on monday as saying… Read more »
Malawi minister reportedly denies move to suspend anti-gay law
Johannesburg, South Africa — Malawi’s minister of justice has reportedly denied saying that the country’s law banning homosexual acts would be suspended pending a parliamentary vote on whether to decriminalize such acts. The minister, Atty. Gen. Ralph Kasambara, said this week that despite reports to the contrary, he had not issued any statements about the… Read more »
Malawi suspends anti-gay laws
Blantyre – Malawi suspended laws against same-sex relationships on Monday and ordered police not to arrest gays pending a decision on whether to repeal the legislation, a source of friction with the impoverished southern African nation’s donors. Homosexuality is banned in Malawi — as it is in 36 other African states — and carries a… Read more »
Egypt: 7 men remain detained over anti-gay charges
Seven men in Egypt, who were arrested for breaking the country’s law on sexual conduct, are reportedly still in prison. According to OutQ News, they were captured in a police raid of a Cairo apartment last month and are accused of being gay. Homosexuality is not technically illegal in Egypt, so the young men, whose… Read more »
Malawi suspends anti-gay laws
Malawi has halted the enforcement of laws that criminalise same-sex relationships after comments made by the country’s Justice Minister Ralph Kasambara. According to Reuters, Mr Kasambara, who is also the Attorney General, said he wanted to have a debate on the issue before parliament decided whether to keep the laws or not. “If we continue… Read more »
Hope For Trafficked Gay, Bisexual Men Lured Into Sex Slavery In Arab Gulf As Law Signed By Kibaki
A New law signed into law by President Kibaki promises to offer support and compensation to victims of trafficking including university gay men and bisexuals who were lured into sex slavery to Arab countries with promises of jobs. The Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act, which was signed into law by the President more than 18 months… Read more »
Uganda LGBT Activist, Kasha Jacqueline Bags Another Award
Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, the Executive Director of Freedom and Roam Uganda, has been awarded the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award (NIHRA) of 2013. Kasha is a Ugandan LGBT rights activist. She is the founder and executive director of an LGBT rights organization called Freedom & Roam Uganda (FARUG) and the 2011 recipient of the Martin… Read more »
Kenya’s Gay Community: From ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to ‘Do Ask, Do Tell’
Change is here. If you want to see how progressive Kenya is on gay rights, visit Lodwar town in the north. In Lodwar, there is a group of gay men who have come together and formed a group. That pastoralists -already a minority group and gay nonetheless – could form a group and acquire office… Read more »
Interview: Kenyan Psychologist And LGBTI Clients – Part Two
This Is the final part of the interview with psychologist Susan Gitau on LGBTI and mental health. The first part of the interview is available here and was done to commemorate this years’ World Mental Health Day Q: About the stages of sexual development of LGBT persons and identities that you have explained above, can… Read more »
“Homosexuality, I can go for it even if it’s kissing” – Nairobi Half Life’s Olwenya Maina
There’s a gay scene on Nairobi Half Life. It’s already “out” there. So, when we were interviewing to members of the film’s cast, it was impossible to let them go without asking them about it. Check out a transcript of the conversation below. Ghafla!: “The film explores themes of homosexuality. You had interesting comments about… Read more »
Cameroon: Gay rights supporting lawyer’s children receives death threats
A lawyer in Cameroon, who has made a career of defending gay rights, has been on the receiving end of death threats, along with members of his family. In November 2011, Michel Togue unsuccessfully fought to prevent three gay men from going to jail in the country, having been given sentences of five years. Mr… Read more »
What it’s like to be gay in the world’s most homophobic country
Our writer was working as an LGBTI activist in Uganda when her friend and fellow activist David Kato was murdered. Here she shares her experiences On 26 January 2011, David Kato was found bludgeoned to death in a street near his home in Mukono Town, Central Uganda. In the months and years before his death… Read more »
Ugandan parliamentary speaker blasts Canada over gay rights criticism
The Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament claims that Canada has refused to grant visas for several of the country’s politicians due to its ban on same-sex marriage. According to the Daily Trust, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga made the statement on Tuesday as an international summit took place in Quebec. She reportedly said most of her colleagues who… Read more »
Liberia: Christians Launch Anti- Homosexual Campaign
Sporadic media and community-based comments against same-sex marriage in Liberia has now grown into a full-scale national advocacy with a group of Christian organizations formally launching what it calls, “No to the legalization of homosexuality” in the country. Under the auspices of the New Citizen Movement, Inc and in collaboration with the Church in Liberia… Read more »
Tragic story of homophobic violence
For Thabiso Radebe – a proudly gay man – it wasn’t until he was at university that he fully realised how backward society is when it comes to accepting other people’s sexual orientation. In an environment where you’d expect more tolerance, Radebe and his friends found quite the opposite. “Students did not acknowledge gays and… Read more »
Mauritius launches HIV-related survey among homosexuals
Port Louis, Mauritius (PANA) – The Mauritius National AIDS Secretariat Tuesday launched an Integrated Biological and Behavioral Survey (IBBS) among men who have sex with men or homosexuals as part of its HIV surveillance plan, PANA learnt from the Prime Minister’s Office in Port Louis. Health(http://www.panapress.com/pana-2-lang2-SAN-index.html) by Panapress Source – Uganda Daily Eye
3 months in Nigerian jail for mistaken gay sex, or rape?
Little-known Nigerian actor Bestwood Chukwuemeka was sentenced today to three months in prison for homosexual sex. However, news coverage of his case by Premium Times, Igboist, Identity Kenya and others contain apparent contradictions that remain unexplained. When Chukwuemeka, 28, was arrested in August, 9jaLife and other online news outlets reported that he was accused rape.… Read more »
The Invisible Bridge: Gay Men, Their Female Wives And HIV
Local TV station, K24, aired a feature on Sunday night of men in the lakeside town of Kisumu who were married to women but are homosexual in the continued coverage of HIV dynamics in Kenya. The feature The Invisible Bridge, which is a 3 part series will air at 9pm through to Tuesday and follows… Read more »
Meet David Kuria, Kenya’s Gay Senator Candidate
GSN interviews openly gay candidate, David Kuria, who will be running for the position of Senator in 2013, at Kenya’s Kiambu County David Kuria, an openly gay man, will be facing an election on March, 2013 for the position of Senator of Kenya’s Kiambu County. Kuria was the co-founder and general manager of the Gay… Read more »
Feature On Kenyan Lesbian Raped, Gives Birth, Now Living With HIV To Be Screened
Feature On Kenyan Lesbian Raped, Gives Birth, Now Living With HIV To Be Screened A feature on a lesbian who was raped and subsequently got pregnant and was infected with HIV is set for screening this evening at Internews Kenya at I&M Building, Kenyatta Avenue. The feature, titled, ‘I am Mary’ showcases the life of… Read more »
CJ Mutunga Reiterates Supreme Court Will Rule On Gay Rights As He Hits Out At Anti-Gay Lobbyists
Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has given impetus to gay activists after saying that the Supreme Court will rule on the controversial issue of gay rights and abortion. Speaking in Washington during a visit, Mutunga said that courts would not be compromised and will ensure its independence will continue despite the Old Guard’s resistance to reform.… Read more »
Nairobi’s Unofficial ‘Official’ Gay Bar – Tacos – Closes After Boycott By Gays
Tacos bar, that was Nairobi’s unofficial ‘official’ gay bar is reported to have closed down and been sold after a boycott by gay patrons when the management barred LGBT members several months ago. The bar, that has long been a favorite for the LGBT community, is reputed to have suffered losses when the management ordered… Read more »
Ugandan Gay Rights Documentary ‘Call Me Kuchu’; The Struggle Continues
Hamptons Film Festival: Ugandan Gay Rights Doc Call Me Kuchu Proves The Struggle Continues A fair amount of international media attention was given in 2011 to what was being called the Ugandan “Kill The Gays” bill, which would make homosexual activity punishable by death. Rachel Maddow covered it on her show, Hillary Clinton called the… Read more »
Parents, Helping A Gay Child Come Out
Thursday, Oct. 11, is National Coming-Out Day, an annual celebration of living openly for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Some people approach this particular square on the calendar with pride and courage, others with trepidation. Then there’s a third group, which gazes at the day with an uncomfortable blend of longing and… Read more »
Seeking support for plea to Cameroon to stop jailing gays
Several activist groups in Cameroon are preparing an open letter to the President of Cameroon, Paul Biya, urging him to suspend enforcement of the Cameroonian law against homosexuality and to release seven people who are in prison because of it. Support is welcome from other organizations outside Cameroon that promote human rights and/or are fighting… Read more »
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