Africa
Sweden to deport gay soccer player back to Liberia, where he will be jailed, beaten and raped
The Swedish government says they know Andrew Nagbe will face hardships in Liberia, but because they don’t believe physical beatings “are sanctioned by the state,” they are fine with it. Even as the “gayest” team in the Olympics, the Sweden women’s soccer team, advanced to the gold-medal match in Rio, we’ve learned that Sweden plans… Read more »
Gay and Transgender Egyptians, Harassed and Entrapped, Are Driven Underground
Cairo — The last days of the government of Hosni Mubarak and the turbulent revolution that followed were tense, occasionally gut-wrenching times for many in Egypt. But for gay and transgender Egyptians, it was also a period of unaccustomed freedom. They socialized in bars and sidewalk cafes and met partners over cellphone dating apps with… Read more »
Uganda’s Government To ‘Rehabilitate’ Members Of LGBT Community
Uganda’s government said Monday that it has developed a program to “rehabilitate” members of the LGBT community to give them a chance to lead “normal lives.” At a press conference, Ethics Minister Simon Lokodo said that the government “will continue to suppress” the public activities of the LGBT community. Organizers behind Uganda’s annual pride celebration… Read more »
Ugandan activists released without charge after brutal police raid on Pride pageant
Dozens of activists have been released without charge after a Ugandan police raid on a Pride event – leaving one activist fighting for their life. Last night, Ugandan police raided the ‘Mr. & Miss Pride Uganda’ LGBT event inside the Venom nightclub in Kampala. More than 20 people were arrested including prominent Ugandan activist Frank… Read more »
This Country Wants To ‘Curb’ Gay Sex By Stopping NGOs From Importing Lube
Well… that’s interesting. In what’s been described as a crackdown on gays, government officials in Tanzania have approved a ban on the import and sale of sexual lubricants to local NGOs that service the LGBT community. Among those who believe that access to lube is directly correlated to how many locals engage in gay sex… Read more »
Everything you need to know about being gay in Muslim countries
The official fiction, Brian Whitaker explains, is that gay people don’t exist in the Middle East. They do – and for many of them, the attitudes of family and society are a much bigger problem than the fear of being persecuted When the US supreme court ruled in favour of same-sex marriage last year, the… Read more »
Kenya’s ‘gay tests’ ruled legal
A Kenyan High Court has dismissed a case challenging the legality of anal tests as proof of homosexuality. Two men, who say Kenyan police forced them to undergo the procedure to prove they had had gay sex, launched the case, calling for the tests to be declared unconstitutional. “There was no other way evidence could… Read more »
Namibia’s Swakopmund celebrates its first Pride march
The Namibian coastal city of Swakopmund marked its first LGBT Pride last weekend, only the second such event in the country’s history. Around 150 people turned out for the inaugural Swakop Pride, described as “a celebration of the LGBT and queer community,” on Saturday the 4th of June. The event included a festive midday procession… Read more »
Humans Into The Pride – The 11th LGBT Pride March 2016, Mauritius
Humans Into The Pride – The 11th LGBT Pride March 2016, Mauritius Filmed by Shirish Ramma Source – YouTube
Swakopmund celebrates first Gay Pride
The city of Swakopmund on the coast of Namibia celebrated their first Gay Pride on the main street of the city on June 4, 2016, Namibia. People from all over the country met for the first time for the march in Namibia. We are one of the most development and peaceful countries in Africa but… Read more »
Desmond Tutu’s daughter leaves clergy after marrying female partner
Mpho Tutu-van Furth says move was forced on her as the South African Anglican church does not recognise her marriage The daughter of one of the world’s best-known Christian leaders has given up her right to officiate as a priest in South Africa following marriage to her female partner. Mpho Tutu-van Furth – whose father,… Read more »
Seychelles repeals colonial-era law banning gay sex
Popular holiday destination the Seychelles is opening its arms to LGBT people – passing a law to legalise gay sex. Section 151 of the country’s Penal Code states that a man who has sex with a man “against the order of nature” can be jailed for up to fourteen years. The law is a hang-over… Read more »
Jozi Cats: South Africa’s first gay and inclusive rugby club
Subverting stereotypes in new campaign, players tell the Daily Maverick they’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response Africa’s first gay and inclusive rugby club has launched a provocative campaign featuring homophobic slurs in a bid undermine stereotypes. The new recruitment drive features posters of team members accompanied by words such as “queen”, “fairy” and “pansy”.… Read more »
Homosexual students under threat
Walking with a spring in her step, her left hand thrown around the waist of another woman, Ressina Chimuka, a student at Midlands State University in Gweru, walks around the campus. They draw the attention of onlookers. The lovers pretend to not notice the glaring, though it does make them uncomfortable “Belonging to a sexual… Read more »
South Africa’s first gay rugby team smash homophobic stereotypes
The Jozi Cats are South Africa’s first openly inclusive gay rugby team. After starting up in early 2016, the team began their campaign in the world of rugby with a photoshoot that was designed to challenge masculine stereotypes that surround the sport. The shoot presents the players in provocative poses in front of images that… Read more »
Tunisia: Attack targets LGBTQ activist from Shams
Physical attack against LGBTQ rights defender Bouhdid Belhedi Tunisia, 29 April 2016 — On 27 April 2016, a group of three young men brutally assaulted LGBTQ rights defender Bouhdid Belhedi in his hometown of Hammamet, after the group recognized his affiliation to Shams LGBTQ rights association. Bouhdid Belhedi is a defender of the LGBTQ community… Read more »
Pressures over homosexual rights
Donor agencies want Malawi to respect gay rights, but the Catholic Bishops and other religious leaders – including Muslim Sheikhs – have warned President Peter Mutharika against including such rights in the constitution. The Archbishop Thomas Msusa of Blantyre has told President Mutharika that this controversy is “alien to Malawi”. In his eyes, foreigners are… Read more »
Introducing Miss Woubi, Ivory Coast’s unlikely cross-dressing pageant
With a gay scene unrivalled by other west African countries, Abidjan plays host to an empowering celebration of gender fluidity On a warm Saturday night, an events space usually reserved for weddings and baptisms was overtaken by men in flowing gowns and rainbow hair extensions as Ivory Coast’s gay community celebrated the most raucous night… Read more »
Victims of homophobic attack freed from prison in Morocco
A court has released two men convicted of homosexuality after they were attacked and slashed in their own home. A Moroccan court has released two men convicted of homosexuality, after they were attacked and dragged out into the street naked. The court also jailed two men convicted of attacking the couple, in a case that… Read more »
Nigeria launch investigation into ‘gay’ Swiss Ambassador
The Nigerian Government is to investigate claims that Switzerland’s Ambassador to the country is living with his husband. Eric Mayoraz arrived in Nigeria last year and – according to local newspaper, the Daily Trust – did so with his husband, a Brazilian man known as Mr Carlos. Akinremi Bolaji, a spokesman for the Ministry of… Read more »
Mozambique’s enduring discrimination leaves gay men untreated for HIV
Despite a veneer of progressive policymaking, bias against the rising number of men with HIV remains commonplace in Mozambique, deterring many from seeking treatment In June, Mozambique dropped a colonial-era law criminalising homosexual activities. The change passed relatively quietly in the southern African country. After all, no one had ever been convicted. A few weeks… Read more »
Making sense of Homosexuality in Tanzania
Could you please begin by explaining the legal situation regarding the rights of homosexuals? In Tanzania homosexuality is punishable under the Penal Code which states that, homosexuality is considered an unnatural act punishable under the Penal Code, Cap. 16 R.E. 2002, section 154 of which provides that any person who (1) has carnal knowledge of… Read more »
Mozambique’s enduring discrimination leaves gay men untreated for HIV
Despite a veneer of progressive policymaking, bias against the rising number of men with HIV remains commonplace in Mozambique, deterring many from seeking treatment In June, Mozambique dropped a colonial-era law criminalising homosexual activities. The change passed relatively quietly in the southern African country. After all, no one had ever been convicted. A few weeks… Read more »
Malawi Catholic Church demands government resumes jailing gays
Malawi’s Catholic bishops want the government to end its moratorium on prosecuting sexually active homosexuals The Catholic Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi have publicly called on the Malawian Government to resume criminalizing members of the LGBTI community and end its moratorium on prosecuting those accused of indulging in gay sex. The government, under… Read more »
Mob trash university in hunt for ‘gay’ man
A mob in Senegal have “burned” and “ransacked” buildings at a university in search of a gay student. The crowd formed last Tuesday at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, after one student accused another of hitting on him in the showers. Amateur footage showed the group going around various buildings of the institution, shouting… Read more »
When rumours spread that a male student had hit on a classmate in the showers of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, all hell broke loose. A mob formed to track down the suspected homosexual, causing serious damage to buildings on the campus. The events took place last Tuesday on the campus of Dakar’s main… Read more »
Malawi bishops attack government over homosexual acts
Catholic bishops in Malawi have attacked the government for placing a moratorium on ‘harmful’ homosexual laws. In a letter to parishioners, the bishops condemned homosexuality and the government’s actions. They said that although the homosexual “condition is disordered but not sinful in itself”, if a person was to act on their feelings and have sex… Read more »
Tunisia’s brave LGBT community is battling homophobia and anal ‘exams’
Ian Duncan MEP writes about meeting brave LGBT activists from Tunisia – and how the country can overcome its colonial past. The democratic uprisings that we know today as the Arab Spring, began in Tunisia. In short order the protests of the Jasmine Revolution had spread through much of North Africa and the Middle East.… Read more »
Malawi Court Annuls Government Suspension of Anti-Gay Laws
Blantyre, Malawi — A high court in Malawi has ordered the annulment of a government moratorium issued in 2012 that suspended a law criminalizing homosexual acts. The government had suspended enforcement of the anti-gay laws pending parliamentary review after rights campaigners said the laws were unconstitutional. The court’s order to enforce the anti-gay laws comes… Read more »
Gay imam helps young Muslims balance religion, sexuality
Marseille, France (AP) — Growing up in Algeria, Shaira had almost everything a young man could wish for. But he also had a big secret. In a land where homosexuality is still a crime and a sin, he was forced to live a secret life, hiding that he was gay from everyone — even his… Read more »
The War on Homosexuality: A look to Botswana
The war on homosexuality has been raging for decades. With people on opposite sides of the debate often fixated on whether homosexuality is inherent or learned behaviour, whether homosexual people are fully human, whether the world should rest on the face of this “scourge” of homosexuality which supposedly causes global warming, and whether the punishment… Read more »
Two more men jailed for being gay in Morocco
The men tried to escape police after they were caught together. Two Moroccan youths have been jailed for one and a half years and fined 2,000 dirhams (£375) each on charges of homosexuality. The sentence was handed down by a court in the southern town of Tiznit on Monday (February 1). The two men –… Read more »
Forbidden Love: a student’s struggle for LGBT rights in Tunisia
Tunisia is supposedly the success story of the Arab Spring, but LGBT people still face violent oppression. One Tunisian LGBT activist speaks about his personal and political struggles. Comment “I had to leave my family for I couldn’t face the harassment, the threats any longer.” Ramy Ayari is a 22 year-old computer science student from… Read more »
11 Arrested for Being Gay in Senegal—Is President Obama to Blame?
Is a recent mass arrest evidence for a continent-wide backlash against American policies? Not so fast. Reports from the West African nation of Senegal say that the government has arrested 11 people accused of homosexual acts. If convicted, those accused—who were rounded up at a “celebration of a gay marriage”—face up to five years in… Read more »
Senegalese Police Arrest 11 Accused of Homosexual Acts
Residents in the Senegalese town of Kaolack say police have arrested 11 people accused of homosexual acts. Boukhari Ndiaye said the arrested were among 20 people attending a celebration of a gay marriage at a school in the town about 200 kilometers (125 miles) southeast of the capital, Dakar, on Friday. He said the 11… Read more »
U.S. Support of Gay Rights in Africa May Have Done More Harm Than Good
Lagos, Nigeria — Suspicious neighbors and landlords pry into their private lives. Blackmailers hunt for victims on the social media sites they use to meet others of the same sex. Police officers routinely stop them to search for incriminating images and chats on their cellphones. Since an anti-gay law went into effect last year, many… Read more »
Malawi drops gay sex charges against men after international outcry
Malawi has dropped charges against two men who were arrested under gay sex laws, after pressure from the US and UK. The country’s government, which is heavily reliant on support from NGOs and Western aid money, had confirmed last year that it would no longer arrest people for same-sex sexual acts – an agreement first… Read more »
Born This Way
About The Film Synopsis There are more arrests for homosexuality in Cameroon than any other country in the world. With intimate access to the lives of four young gay Cameroonians, Born This Way steps outside the genre of activist filmmaking and offers a vivid and poetic portrait of day-to-day life in modern Africa. Lyrical imagery,… Read more »
Six men sent to jail for three years for gay sex acts
The group of men were also banned from returning home for five years. Six young men have been sentenced to three years in prison for gay sex acts, according to an LGBT group in Tunisia. The court also ruled that the men would be banished from their native city for a further five years –… Read more »
Gambia declared Islamic republic by President Yahya Jammeh
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has declared his Muslim-majority country an Islamic republic, saying the move marks a break with the colonial past. Mr Jammeh told state TV the proclamation was in line with Gambia’s “religious identity and values”. He added that no dress code would be imposed and citizens of other faiths would be allowed… Read more »
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