Africa
Tunisia: Swedish man jailed for homosexual acts
A Swedish man has been sentenced to two years behind bars in Tunisia, for committing “homosexual acts”. The Swedish Foreign Ministry has confirmed that a Swedish citizen is being held in Tunsia, after falling foul of the country’s anti-gay laws. A spokesperson said: “The man, who is in his 50s, was sentenced February 4 to… Read more »
One Dead In ‘St. Paul’s Senior High School’s’ Riot
Students of St. Paul’s Senior High School (SHS) in Denu have been asked to go home following a rampage that left a student dead and several others injured. The students were reportedly protesting against attempts by the Police to protect their colleagues whom they accused of sodomy. A teacher at the school said the students… Read more »
Angolan TV producers apologise over gays kissing
The producers of a popular television soap in Angola have apologised after an episode which showed a gay couple kissing caused outrage among viewers. State television said it had suspended broadcasts of Jikulumessu for “technical reasons”. Many viewers felt the programme went too far by showing two men kissing, although homosexuality is not illegal in… Read more »
Kutesa lashes out at pro-gay activists
Kampala – The President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Mr Sam Kutesa, yesterday directed a salvo at pro-gay activists and international rights campaigners who last year pushed a petition to block his ascension to the UN seat. Mr Kutesa, who is in the country on an official visit since his election last June… Read more »
12 men arrested in Nigeria for holding a ‘gay wedding’
Most of them were teenagers and could be possibly put to death 12 men were arrested for holding a ‘gay wedding’ in Nigeria yesterday (26 January). Fariq Maidguri, 18, and Abba Mohammed, 25, who was not caught, are accused of attempting to hold a ceremony for their relationship. The suspects, most of them teenagers, were… Read more »
Sisi Is Persecuting, Prosecuting, and Publicly Shaming Egypt’s Gays
The military government in Cairo is trying to prove it’s more ‘Islamic’ than the Islamists it ousted in 2013. So it’s hunting down easy targets: LGBT Egyptians. Cairo — Mohamed was sitting in the steam room nursing his bad back when dozens of Egypt’s black-clad police officers burst into the downtown Cairo bathhouse with a… Read more »
Egypt Reduces Sentences For 8 Men Who Appeared In Gay Wedding Video
An Egyptian appeals court on Saturday reduced sentences for eight men who appeared in a gay wedding video. The men were sentenced to three years in prison for “inciting debauchery.” The appeals court upheld the convictions but reduced their sentences to one year in prison, the AP reported. The court is expected to explain its… Read more »
Breaking: LGBTI Ugandans launch Bombastic Magazine as a Christmas present
Uganda’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) community launches Bombastic Magazine, the symbol of our ‘Reclaiming the Media’ Campaign today. Bombastic Magazine is a compilation of stories, testimonies and opinions by LGBTI Ugandans. The objective of this campaign is to end violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people countrywide. In continuing to criminalize… Read more »
35 injured as armed men attack gays
Armed men left 35 people injured after they stormed a gay party and beat up guests in Harare over the weekend, Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) organisation has claimed. GALZ said its members were attacked by a dozen of unidentified men who gate crashed the organization’s party which was held at a private venue… Read more »
LGBTI Ugandans tell their stories in their own magazine
The Ugandan LGBTI community has launched its own magazine to tell their stories to the nation. “Bombastic Magazine is a compilation of stories, testimonies and opinions by LGBTI Ugandans. The objective of this campaign is to end violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people countrywide,” the introductory press release states. Supporters of the magazine… Read more »
Arresting gay people isn’t the way to deal with AIDS
Today is the first hearing for the trial of at least 26 men alleged to be taking part in sexual activities at a bathhouse in central Cairo. Over the last two weeks, Egypt’s human rights activists have responded with furore at the sting operation and broadcasted arrest of these men. The sting operation, organised by… Read more »
Egypt: Men accused of ‘spreading AIDS’ in bathhouse to go to trial
Dozens of men who were recently arrested in a raid on a bathhouse in Cairo, Egypt went to trial this week accused of “debauchery”. The men arrested were accused of “perversions” as news reporters told police that the bathhouses were used for “group perversions”. One reporter posted pictures of the dozens of men, mainly naked,… Read more »
Gay & Lesbian Mobilization in Algeria: the Emergence of a Movement
Over the past few decades,[i] human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) have became more visible across the world, especially in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA).[ii] Eighty-one countries criminalize homosexuality, with penalties ranging from fines and imprisonment to the death penalty. Each country in the MENA region directly… Read more »
AIDS In Tunisia Is No Myth, Even If It’s Rarely Talked About
Ghalia had dressed up for the occasion. The woman, who is homeless and HIV-positive, was participating in a press conference organized by the Tunisian Organization for the Fight Against STDs and AIDS (ATLMST) on Dec. 2, World AIDS Day. On the stage, professionals were discussing the crisis using acronyms — HIV, MSM (Men who have… Read more »
Egyptian Reporter Aids in Police Crackdown on Gays
For a while after the Arab Spring, it looked like gay Egyptians were finally feeling safe enough to step out of the closet. But now, they’re being forced back underground as a result of an escalating police crackdown – one that activists say is being encouraged by pro-government media. Cairo police stormed a bath house… Read more »
Living in fear: Egypt’s gay community
Cairo (CNN) — Two men exchange rings and hug in celebration aboard a Nile boat, as ululations fill the air and a traditional engagement song plays in the background. But within days, their celebration has turned to shock and sadness: after a video of the “gay wedding” spread across Egyptian social media, the men were… Read more »
Egypt Arrests 25 Men For Homosexuality In Bath House Raid
Cairo (AP) — An Egyptian official says security forces raided a bath house and arrested 25 men for homosexuality, dragging them naked out of the building in downtown Cairo. The security official says the raid on the bath house, or hammam, took place on Sunday. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not… Read more »
Egypt: Dozens of men accused of ‘spreading AIDS’ arrested naked in bathhouse raid
Dozens of men have been arrested in a raid on a bathhouse in Cairo, Egypt at the weekend, and a programme will air this week on “the dens for spreading AIDS in Egypt”. The men arrested were accused of “perversions”, according to reports. News reporters told police that the bathhouses were used for “group perversions”.… Read more »
Living dangerously: Behind the scenes with Algeria’s first LGBT magazine
In Algeria, a country where homosexuality is criminalized, a group of young activists took the risk of launching a magazine that talks about LGBT issues in North Africa. El-Shad magazine – which means “abnormal” in Arabic – has been available online since Nov. 20. Our Observer, El-Shad’s editor-in-chief O. Harim, told us about the launch… Read more »
Uganda’s leading gay activist: We live in fear of violence, blackmail and extortion
Ugandan gay activist Frank Mugisha talks to PinkNews about the threats facing Uganda’s LGBT community – and what the rest of the world can do to help. Frank Mugisha is the Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), winner of the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. He is one… Read more »
African Commission to promote LGBTI interests
The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights recently adopted a historic multilateral agreement, along with 25 nations, the EU, UNAIDS and the UNDP. Owing to its importance for Africa in particular, we are publishing the entire communique. This could well serve African and other LGBTI advocates well and be one more instrument to persuade… Read more »
Cameroon: Accuser relents, but police won’t free alleged gay man
The author of this article is an activist for LGBT rights in Cameroon who writes under a pseudonym. A 22-year-old Cameroonian man, identified here as A.H., was held in police custody from Nov. 17 to Nov. 20 after a Facebook correspondent entrapped him and denounced him to police as a homosexual. The accuser, Serge, turned… Read more »
My gay life in Nigeria – Isolation, danger & fear
Ethan Regal* tells his personal story of living in Nigeria as a gay man: When I was a young boy in Lagos, Nigeria, I had a mysterious, unexplainable tingling sensation whenever I saw an attractive guy. The stories I heard regarding romance involved a boy and girl. So I thought to myself: maybe I’m a… Read more »
Botswana gay rights group wins right to exist after court battle
A court in Botswana has ruled that the government acted illegally when it banned a gay rights group. The Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Botswana group (Legabibo) took a case to the country’s High Court, after it was blocked from registering as an organisation by the Department of Labour and Home Affairs. However, today a judge… Read more »
LGBTI Organizations
The Botswana High Court allows registration of an LGBTI rights organization, finding denial violates Constitutional rights of equal protection, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association. On November 14, 2014 the Botswana High Court ruled that the government cannot deny registration of the organization LEGABIBO, an acronym for Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana.… Read more »
Uganda drafts new anti-gay laws
Politicians want seven-year prison term for ‘promotion’ of homosexuality, according to leaked copy The Ugandan government could introduce new wide-reaching anti-gay laws before the end of the year, which could see people jailed for up to seven years for “promoting homosexuality”, activists warned on Saturday. The move comes nearly a year after Ugandan politicians passed… Read more »
South Africa: Pretoria introduces healthcare centre for gay and bisexual men
The city of Pretoria in South Africa has introduced a healthcare practice for gay and bisexual men as an alternative to “abusive” general facilities. The Times Live reports the Ten81 Medical Practice features a HIV and STD specialist nurse as well as a doctor who is an expert in sexual health. Director Dawie Nel said… Read more »
Egypt: Eight men sentenced to three years in prison for ‘gay wedding’ video
Cairo court hands down jail sentence amid uproar from defendants’ families A court in Egypt has sentenced eight men to three years in prison for appearing in a video that purported to show a gay wedding. The video, which became an online hit after it was posted on YouTube in September, shows two men kissing,… Read more »
Rally condemns Egypt anti-gay witch-hunt
Forty people rallied outside the Egyptian Embassy in London on Saturday 18 October to protest against the witch-hunting of LGBTI people in Egypt. It was part of an International Day of Action in solidarity with persecuted Egyptian LGBTIs. Similar protests took place in Berlin, New York, Mexico City, Ottawa and Barcelona. The London protest was… Read more »
How Morocco became a haven for gay Westerners in the 1950s
A British man flew home from Marrakech last week after being jailed for “homosexual acts”. There was a time though when Morocco was renowned as a haven for gay Americans and Britons, who fled restrictions in their own countries to take advantage of its relaxed atmosphere. Take a walk down one of the main streets… Read more »
Nigerian Archbishop tells government: Stop punishing gays
A Catholic Archbishop in Nigeria says the country’s government is “wrong” to be “punishing” gay Nigerians. The Archbishop of Jos, Ignatius Kaigama, has condemned Nigeria’s draconian anti-gay legislation, saying the Catholic Church is against “the criminalisation of people with different sexual orientations”. Speaking to Catholic publication The Tablet at The Vatican on Monday, Archbishop Kaigama… Read more »
Kenya trans woman wins right to change name on school certificate
The male gender marker will also be removed A Kenyan transgender activist yesterday won a landmark case to change the name on her high school exam certificate. The high court gave the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) 45 days to change the name from Andrew Mbugua to Audrey Mbugua on her Kenya Certificate of Secondary… Read more »
A Win In Kenya For The Transgender Community
While the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community struggles to achieve basic human rights throughout Africa, transgender Kenyans have seen a powerful victory. Transgender activist Audrey Mbugua won a seminal case against the Kenya National Examination Council on Tuesday, granting her legal recognition as a woman on her academic certificates. “We won. It’s a… Read more »
Vietnamese man in Burundi escapes jail sentence for gay sex
International: A Vietnamese telecommunications worker in Burundi was arrested and released after paying only a fine for same sex relations in the southeast African nation that has strict anti-gay laws and jail time punishments. The Burundian human rights organization MOLI (Movement for Individual Liberties) said the Vietnamese man was let of lightly due to several… Read more »
Watch: Kenya criticised for branding LGBT rights groups ‘unacceptable’
Human rights groups have urged Kenya to allow LGBT groups to carry out their work there uninterrupted. he Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a new video in which it notes that the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) was denied its application to register, and that such NGOs were often deemed “unacceptable”.… Read more »
Uganda Report of Violations Based on Sex Determination, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation
Produced by: Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law (CSCHRCL) Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) Rainbow Health Foundation (RHF) Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) Support Initiative for Persons with Congenital Disorders (SIPD) Introduction The impetus behind the Uganda Report on Violations Based on Sex Determination, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation is the… Read more »
Uganda: Judge receiving death threats for striking down anti-gay law
A Ugandan judge responsible for striking down an “illegally passed” anti-gay Ugandan law has revealed she has received death threats. In August, the country’s Constitutional Court struck down the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill which called for repeat offenders to be sentenced to 14 years in prison and made it a criminal offence not to report someone… Read more »
Chad becomes 37th African state to seek ban on homosexuality
Draft law condemned for making same-sex relations punishable by 20-year sentence, though abolition of death penalty is praised Chad looks set to become the 37th country in Africa to outlaw homosexuality after government ministers voted to make same-sex relations a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The decision, yet to be ratified… Read more »
Egypt: Men arrested over same-sex wedding ‘test negative’ for homosexuality
Men arrested for taking part in a mock same-sex wedding in Egypt have ‘tested negative’ for homosexuality. Seven men were arrested over the weekend, over a video showing an unofficial same-sex wedding ceremony on a riverboat in the Nile. The video was posted in April, but had gone viral in Egypt this month, with many… Read more »
Gambia: President must reject homophobic law with life sentence for ‘aggravated homosexuality’
President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia should not sign a new Criminal Code amendment that would increase the punishment for “aggravated homosexuality” to life in prison, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today. Several provisions of the law violate international human rights law and amount to persecution on the basis of real or perceived sexual… Read more »
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