Africa
Sudan has dropped the death penalty as a punishment for gay sex. Queers will instead be thrown in prison for loving who they love
The African nation of Sudan has dropped flogging and the death penalty as punishments for gay sex – but queer people can still be thrown in prison under the country’s archaic laws. The law was amended to remove the death penalty and floggings for gay sex last week, according to LGBT+ rights organisation Bedayaa. The… Read more »
Lawmakers in the Central African country of Gabon just voted to decriminalise homosexuality
Lawmakers in the Central African country of Gabon just voted to decriminalise homosexuality, after making gay sex illegal just last year. In 2019, Gabon, on the west coast of Central Africa, criminalised same-sex relations with a penalty of up to six months in prison as well as a fine of 5 million CFA francs (£6,393).… Read more »
Zambian President Pardons Two Gay Men After Ousting US Ambassador
Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has released two gay men from prison months after he booted the US ambassador to Zambia in a diplomatic spat that centered on LGBTQ rights and international aid. Zambia’s president has pardoned two gay men whose arrests and 15-year sentences on anti-LGBTQ sodomy charges triggered diplomatic friction and culminated in… Read more »
Kenya’s Judges Uphold Laws That Criminalize Gay Sex
Kenya’s High Court has chosen to uphold colonial-era laws that criminalize gay sex, dashing the hopes of activists who believed the judges would overturn sections of the penal code as unconstitutional and inspire a sea change across the continent. Three judges said Friday that the laws in question did not target the LGBTQ community. They… Read more »
Opinion: ‘You can’t be a lesbian in Tanzania’
* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation. Tanzania’s president John Magufuli has been on a morality crusade, reinforcing discrimination against women and the LGBT+ community in particular Kiara Ethan is an activist at Eagle Wings Youth Initiative in Tanzania Being a lesbian in… Read more »
Homeless queer Ugandans brutally whipped by mayor before being falsely arrested under coronavirus laws
Shivering and scared, 23 LGBT+ people sat on the forecourt of a charity-run facility near Kampala, Uganda. A municipal mayor carries a four-foot cane as he paces in front of them before beginning to brutally whip and interrogate them, tying them up and marching them through the streets, locals jeering as they walk across the… Read more »
Queer refugees subjected to daily anti-LGBT+ violence say they were ‘teargassed and brutally assaulted’ by police while protesting their plight
A protest staged by embattled and exhausted LGBT+ refugees from a camp in Kakuma, Kenya ended in violence as police officers allegedly “teargassed, beat and brutally assaulted” demonstrators. Queer refugees donned rainbow face masks for a peaceful protest outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) office in the northwestern town. The group –… Read more »
Tunisia quashes LGBT report it recognized gay marriage
Tunisia’s president Kais Saied supports the criminalization of homosexuality. He has termed gay people “deviants” and favors Sharia law. He defends capital punishment. Berlin – The Republic of Tunisia has denied a report from the Tunisian LGBTQ organization Shams that the North African country recognized same-sex marriage, dashing hopes for marriage equality among gays and… Read more »
Tunisia just became the first Arab country to recognise same-sex marriage – but there’s a catch
The Republic of Tunisia has become the first Arab state to recognise a same-sex marriage, a Tunisian LGBT+ rights organisation has announced. According to Association Shams, a marriage settlement between a Frenchman, 31, and a Tunisian man, 26, was legally recognised in Tunisia for the first time on Friday. Homosexuality is illegal in the north… Read more »
Lesbians, Gays Live in Fear of Attacks in Kenyan Refugee Camp
Nairobi — Eva Nabagala hoped she and her young son would be safe from her family when they fled Uganda for a Kenyan refugee camp – but instead, the 28-year-old says she was attacked and raped there as punishment for being a lesbian. “I have been threatened with death, I have been beaten, I have… Read more »
Gay men abused in Morocco after photos spread online
Gay men are being harassed and abused in Morocco after photos taken from gay chat apps were circulated online. Photos spread after a social media influencer told her followers to make fake accounts on apps to see how common homosexuality is. Homosexuality is illegal in the conservative Muslim country, which is in lockdown because of… Read more »
Dozens of Gay Men Are Outed in Morocco as Photos Are Spread Online
The idea was to show the hypocrisy of Moroccan society by showing how many gay men are living quietly in straight society. It backfired badly. Paris — At least 50 to 100 gay men were outed in Morocco over the last two weeks, rights activists say, after the men were identified on location-based meeting apps… Read more »
After Beating the Odds, Tunisia’s Queer Festival Postponed Due to Coronavirus
The third edition of the Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival was supposed to open this weekend in Tunis. Islamic discourse has not managed to stifle LGBTQ activity in the country, but the coronavirus may have Tunisia has done it again. It has sprung surprises in the past and continues to do so now – from toppling… Read more »
Abolition of Angola’s anti-gay laws may pave the way for regional reform
Angola has decriminalised consensual same-sex acts between adults in private. An erstwhile Portuguese colony, Angola inherited an ancient colonial statute – dating back to 1886 – that criminalised “indecent acts” and persons habitually engaging in “acts against nature”. These formulations have widely been interpreted as a ban on homosexual conduct. Punishment upon conviction included confinement… Read more »
Tanzania governor who created task force to hunt gay people banned from entering US
A high-ranking official in Tanzania who created a task force to hunt down gay people has been banned from entering the US. Paul Makonda is the governor of Tanzania’s most-populated city, Dar es Salaam, and he created the team to round up gay people in 2018. He said he aimed to make Dar es Salaam… Read more »
Mauritania Arrests 10 Gay Men After Purported Gay Wedding
Nouakchott, Mauritania — Authorities in Mauritania have arrested 10 men after a video appeared on social media of a gay couple appearing to take part in a traditional wedding ceremony, human rights groups said. Police later determined the gathering was a birthday party but the men remain in custody with no trial date set yet.… Read more »
Lesbian couple left ‘overwhelmed with anger’ as South Africa venue declines their wedding
(CNN) – A South African wedding venue is facing criticism after the Christian owners declined to host a lesbian couple’s wedding. Megan Watling, 25, and Sasha-Lee Heekes, 24, said they contacted the owners of Beloftebos, a popular event place in Cape Town, inquiring about potential dates for their wedding. However, they received an email response… Read more »
Gay refugees in Kenya report repeated attacks from locals
At Kenya’s sprawling Kakuma refugee camp, one of the world’s largest, LGBTQ refugees say they’re repeatedly beaten by locals and other refugees. For years, Ugandan refugee Mbazira Moses has been typing out emails to dozens of international humanitarian organizations and United Nations officials with a message: LGBTQ refugees at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya… Read more »
Zambia Wants U.S. Ambassador Out for Defending Gay Couple
Zambian President Edgar Lungu wants the U.S. ambassador to leave the country after the diplomat criticized the African state for sentencing a gay couple to 15 years behind bars for having a consensual relationship. “We have complained officially to the American government, and we are waiting for their response because we don’t want such people… Read more »
The central African country of Gabon just criminalised gay sex
An official has confirmed that the African country of Gabon has criminalised gay sex, making it the 70th country in the world where same-sex relations are illegal. Gabon, officially the Gabonese Republic, is on the west coast of central Africa. A government official, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Openly that the change was made… Read more »
First men go on trial under Nigeria’s anti-homosexuality laws
All 47 men deny offence of same-sex displays of affection, which carries 10-year jail term Forty-seven men went on trial in Nigeria on Wednesday for public displays of affection with members of the same sex, an offence that carries a 10-year jail term in the country. The men were among 57 arrested in a police… Read more »
Gay Couple In Zambia Gets 15-Year Prison Term; U.S. Ambassador Says He’s ‘Horrified’
A gay male couple has been sentenced to 15 years in prison under Zambia’s colonial-era law that prohibits gay sex. U.S. Ambassador Daniel Foote said in a statement that the was “horrified” by the sentence. “I was personally horrified to read yesterday about the sentencing of two men, who had a consensual relationship, which hurt… Read more »
Refile -Uganda charges 67 after raid on gay bar
Kampala (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – A Ugandan court charged 67 people with causing a nuisance on Tuesday after they were arrested in a gay-friendly bar, in a move condemned by activists as the latest “homophobic” attack. The 67 – who were among 127 arrested at Ram Bar, in the capital, Kampala, on Sunday – could face… Read more »
Sacked, shunned and suicidal: the Cameroon sports stars battling anti-gay laws
Yaounde (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Cameroonian athlete Thierry Essamba still trains every day, even though he has little hope of reviving a career cut off when he was ousted from the national squad in a scandal over homosexuality. The 38-year-old hurdling champion was training for the 2014 Commonwealth Games when a senior sports official… Read more »
Uganda Denies Plan To Reintroduce ‘Kill The Gays’ Bill
Uganda’s government has denied there is a plan to reintroduce the death penalty for gay sex. The government “does not have any plans of reintroducing the anti-homosexuality bill on the floor of Parliament,” Esther Mbayo, minister in charge of the presidency, said in a statement, the AP reported. Simon Lokodo, minister for ethics and integrity,… Read more »
Bisi Alimi Organises LGBT Event In Lagos
Nigerian gay rights activist Bisi Alimi has organised a Gay Pride event in Nigeria. The event tagged “Night of Diversity 2019” was organised by his foundation The Bisi Alimi Foundation. It held last night in Lagos, Tuesday 29th October. Alimi expressed such an event could hold in Nigeria took to his Instagram story to say:… Read more »
Uganda arrested 16 LGBTQ activists. Here’s where else gay rights are a battleground in the world.
This week Ugandan police arrested 16 LGBTQ activists on charges of gay sex — which is punishable by life imprisonment. Police arrested them at the sexual health organization where they worked and lived and cited condoms, lubricants and anti-HIV medicines found there as evidence of a crime.“Uganda is resisting doing that, despite the fact that… Read more »
Attacks on LGBT+ Ugandans seen rising after minister proposes death for gay sex
Nairobi (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Uganda has seen a rise in attacks on LGBT+ people since a minister proposed bringing back the death penalty for gay sex, campaigners said on Tuesday, warning anti-gay rhetoric was fuelling homophobia. The Ugandan government has since denied it is planning to reintroduce an old law colloquially known as “Kill… Read more »
Uganda: Brutal Killing of Gay Activist
Amid Attacks, Officials Threaten Death Penalty for LGBT People Update: On October 12, a government spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo, tweeted that the government “does not intend to introduce any new law with regards to regulation of LGBT activities in Uganda because the current provisions in the penal code are sufficient.” Before President Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality… Read more »
Uganda: Brutal Killing of Gay Activist
Amid Attacks, Officials Threaten Death Penalty for LGBT People Update: On October 12, a government spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo, tweeted that the government “does not intend to introduce any new law with regards to regulation of LGBT activities in Uganda because the current provisions in the penal code are sufficient.” Before President Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality… Read more »
Gay man in Rwanda notes ‘intense pressure’ after coming out
Kigali, Rwanda — A Rwandan gospel singer who recently came out as gay says he has quit his day job as an accountant after “intense pressure” from colleagues. Albert Nabonibo says he felt alienated and no longer a part of the beverages company that employed him in the capital, Kigali. He says that after he… Read more »
Gay men seen dying from AIDS due to Africa’s homophobic laws
Nairobi (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Thousands of gay men in Africa are likely dying from HIV-related illnesses every year due to homophobic laws that stifle their chances of being tested and treated, said researchers behind a study published on Monday in The Lancet HIV journal. A study of the data of 45,000 gay men in… Read more »
Reclaiming South Africa’s Townships Through Queer Culture
The settlements can be dangerous places for queer people. The subjects of photographer Lee-Ann Olwage’s #BlackDragMagic want to change that. Shakira Mabika moved to Cape Town, South Africa, from her native Zimbabwe to escape homophobia—the country’s late president, Robert Mugabe, considered gay people “worse than dogs and pigs”—only to encounter similar prejudice, compounded by xenophobia,… Read more »
Rwandan gospel singer comes out as gay, to country’s shock
Kigali, Rwanda — Friends of Albert Nabonibo, a well-known gospel singer in Rwanda who recently came out as a gay man, do not want their names revealed. It is too shameful, one says. Another says he is anguished because his family knows he often used to socialize with Nabonibo. Nabonibo shocked many Rwandans in August… Read more »
Progress for gay rights in Africa still isn’t inevitable
Johannesburg (CNN) – It was Pride Month no less. On June 11, high court judges in Gaborone struck down colonial-era sodomy laws from the rule books. The judgment was comprehensive, and LGBTQ activists in Botswana were overjoyed. It was a significant win in a protracted fight for equality. For a moment, progress seemed inevitable, but… Read more »
Zambia president won’t budge on gay rights even for international aid
There will be no discussion on gay rights’ The president of Zambia said he would not impose ‘gay rights’ on his citizens in exchange for international aid. Edgar Lungu made the comments during a visit to the State House by the outgoing Swedish ambassador to Zambia, Henrik Cederin. During the visit, Lungu said he could… Read more »
Egypt releases trans teen activist after four months
Police conducted a forced anal examination and put Malak al-Kashif in a male prison when they arrested her in March Egypt released a 19-year-old transgender LGBTI rights activist on Tuesday (16 July), four months after police arrested her over an anti-government demonstration. Authorities previously subjected Malak al-Kashif to a forced anal examination. They also kept… Read more »
Eden Bleu Hotel review: An LGBTI-friendly Seychelles showstopper
Gay sex was legalized in 2016. But what’s life really like for Seychelles’ LGBTIs? As a top hotel reaches out to queer tourists, GSN visits to find out Location 4/5 Think Seychelles, think huts on stilts. At least that’s the image that used to spring to my mind: little flecks of loveliness among uncomplicated sea/sand… Read more »
Malawi police arrest two leading LGBTI activists
It comes a week after they lead protests against the Malawi Electoral Commission Police in the east African state of Malawi have arrested two of its most prominent LGBTI campaigners. Authorities arrested Gift Trapence on charges of fraud. Trapence heads the LGBTI organizaton, the Center for Development of People (CEDEP). They also arrested Anglican priest… Read more »
LGBTI refugees stoned and beaten after unlawful eviction
It has been described as one of the worst situations ever seen by refugee advocates A landlord evicted a group of 76 LGBTI refugees in Kenya with no notice. Locals beat and stoned one man who tried to leave. The refugees known collectively as Great Lakes were living in the Kangemi area informal settlement in… Read more »
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