Tag: gay cameroon
‘Anti-homosexuals apartheid’ in Cameroon says pro-gay lawyer
Alice Nkom, a Cameroonian lawyer who has defended gay men and women for the last decade, says the country is battling an ‘anti-homosexuals apartheid’, comparing the situation to slavery Alice Nkom, a pro-gay lawyer from Cameroon has spoken out about the treatment of gay people in her country, calling it an ‘anti-homosexuals apartheid’. She also… Read more »
A visit to prisoners held on ‘suspicion of homosexuality’
In The Nation, journalist Andy Kopsa reports on her trip last month to Cameroon with an American and African delegation from the St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation. Some excerpts: The daily tally of prisoners in Yaoundé Central Prison, on the outskirts of Yaoundé, Cameroon, is on a chalkboard the size of a Ping-Pong table… Read more »
African Conference on Sexual Health and Rights
LGBT Cameroonians cannot fully receive HIV/health services, so local and global organizations see the African Confer. on Sexual Health/Rights as an opportunity. This campaign is raising funds on behalf of Saint Pauls Foundation For International Reconciliation Inc, a verified nonprofit. The campaign does not necessarily reflect the views of the nonprofit or have any formal… Read more »
Remembering Eric Lembembe and Martin Luther King Jr.
International LGBT rights activist the Rev. Canon Albert Ogle writes about the similarities and differences between Eric Lembembe and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the causes they fought for. An excerpt from the full column: “They shared a common dream of human dignity and equality, a sense that they may not live long… Read more »
Call for probe: Family let Mbede die to exorcise gayness?
Grieving friends and allies of gay rights icon Roger Mbede are calling for an investigation into his family’s role in his death on Jan. 10. After Mbede, 34, left a hospital in Yaoundé last month, he was reportedly denied access to health care and was confined by his family to one room in their home… Read more »
Cameroon: Man sentenced to 9 years behind bars for gay sex
Reports say a man has been sentenced to nine years in jail for breaking Cameroon’s laws against homosexuality – even though the country’s penal code stipulates a maximum sentence of five years for those found guilty of same-sex sexual acts. LGBT campaign blog Erasing 76 Crimes, which charts 76 countries with anti-gay laws, said last… Read more »
Torture Of LGBT Prisoners
In a shocking development, an HIV and LGBT human rights organisation has discovered a group of 10 previously unknown people jailed for homosexuality in a Cameroon prison. In a statement, CAMFAIDS said that it identified the prisoners, who had been arbitrarily detained on the basis of their perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity,… 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Peaceful celebration in Cameroon a year after mob attack
Three associations in Cameroon’s capital city organized a week’s activities to commemorate this year’s International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). Unlike last year, the activities were not disrupted by anti-gay violence. IDAHO 2013 In Cameroon Time: around 6 p.m., May 17. Location: The Bastos Roundabout residential area of Yaounde, where most embassies are located, within walking… Read more »
Cameroon: Drop Charges Against 2 Transgender Youth
Prosecution Based Solely on Bias, Not Evidence (Yaoundé) – The Cameroonian authorities should drop the charges against two transgender youth rather than appealing their case to the Supreme Court, five human rights organizations said today. Jonas K. and Franky D. are being prosecuted on what the appeals court has already ruled were trumped-up charges of… Read more »
Gay, Trans Cameroonians Arrested… Again!
Cameroon – Two Men who had been arrested and released on charges of homosexuality in January have been rearrested again, it has been reported. Jonas Singa Kumie and Franky Djome (Franky Ndome), variously described as gay men and as transgender, went shopping last Sunday at the Essos market in Yaoundé where they were insulted by… Read more »
Report: Cameroon jails many LGBTs to settle scores
Most people charged with violating Cameroon’s law against homosexual activity are convicted based on little or no evidence, Human Rights Watch states in a report released today. The study was prepared in cooperation with Cameroonian LGBT-rights organizations Alternatives-Cameroun, the Association for the Defense of Gays and Lesbians (ADEFHO), and the Cameroonian Foundation for AIDS (CAMFAIDS).… Read more »
In Cameroon, anti-gay voices grow louder
In Cameroon, the topic of homosexuality is no longer taboo. Both in Yaoundé and Douala, on the street, in taxis, restaurants, bars, offices and markets, on the radio and on television, it is difficult to spend a day or even an hour without the conversation reverting to this topic. Opposition to homosexuality has become the… Read more »
Lawyer advocating for gay Cameroonians speaks in D.C.
Cameroonian LGBT advocate Michel Togue (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers) A lawyer who represents LGBT Cameroonians on Thursday urged his African country’s government to stop the persecution of gay men and lesbians. “Gay people are not seeking everyone to approve of their behavior,” Michel Togué said during a roundtable at the Robert F.… Read more »
Cameroon gay rights lawyer seeks US refuge
While his wife and children are requesting asylum, Togue is hoping to return soon to Cameroon, insisting “it would be cowardly to give up, it’s my duty to defend human rights and to contribute to a more tolerant Cameroon.” Washington – A Cameroonian lawyer who has received death threats for defending gays and lesbians in… Read more »
Cameroon trader stoned to death for gay sex
A trader in north Cameroon was lynched mobbed in a public market after he was caught having gay sex An angry mob in northern Cameroon stoned a man to death on 6 January after being caught having sex with a 17-year-old high school student. According to an online unconfirmed account, attributed to the Cameroonian daily… Read more »
Court overturns 5-year sentence for gay sex in Cameroon
Two young men in Cameroon were found not guilty today, overturning their previous sentence to five years in prison for homosexuality. Stephane N. Koche, project manager for PAEMH (Project for the Support and Assistance of Sexual Minorities), reports: Franky and Jonas, the two young men who were arrested, detained and sentenced to five years in… Read more »
With Uganda arrests, at least 13 in jail for being gay
In Cameroon, Jonas Singa Kumie and Franky Djome are appealing their five-year sentence for homosexual activity. Here they pose with their attorney, Alice Nkom. (Photo by Eric O. Lembembe) Arrests of two gay-rights workers this week in Uganda bring to at least 13 the number of people worldwide who are currently imprisoned on charges of… Read more »
Cameroon: Gay-love text gets sender 3 years in jail
A Cameroonian man texts another man: “I am very much in love with you.” That is enough to get him sent to prison. An appeal hearing held yesterday confirms his sentence. This story will move only those who have a heart. The remainder — well, perhaps they man the judicial system in Cameroon. Jean-Claude Roger… Read more »
Cameroon: Court refuses to release man serving 3-year sentence for ‘homosexual behaviour’
A court in Cameroon has upheld a conviction against a man found guilty of “homosexual behaviour” for sending a text message to another man saying: “I’m very much in love with you.” The Court of Appeal ruled early on Monday that Jean-Claude Roger Mbede, 32, must serve out his three-year jail term. He was provisionally… 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 »
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 »
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 »
Thousands Demand Cameroon Drop Criminal Charges for Gay Text Message
Nearly 25,000 people have signed an AllOut.org petition asking the Cameroon President and Minister of Justice to reverse the decision to jail Roger Jean-Claude Mbédé for three years and to put a moratorium on the laws that sent him to jail in the first place. Roger was arrested last year for sending another man a… Read more »
Gay Hate Day: The opposite of pride
Rights groups condemn the idea of a homophobic celebration in Cameroon. There won’t be any rainbow flags at Cameroon’s gay hate day parade, and human rights leaders have called on the president to step in and decriminalize homosexuality. A group called Rassemblement de la Jeunesse Camerounaise association (Cameroonian Youth Rally, or RJC) has declared Tuesday,… Read more »
Cameroon to celebrate national anti-gay day
Cameroon association to mark the 21 August as a national anti-gay, promising a homophobic parade through the streets of the capital The Rassemblement de la Jeunesse Camerounaise association (Cameroonian Youth Rally, or RJC) announced that it will ‘celebrate’ a gay hate day. The association doesn’t want to hear about gay pride, instead it announced on… Read more »
LGBT gathering in Cameroon attacked by anti-gay mob
A gathering held to mark the end of this year’s International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) celebrations in the Cameroonian capital of Yaoundé turned violent after a mob forced their way into the venue. Eric O. Lembembe, a journalist in Cameroon and a leader of the Cameroonian Foundation For AIDS (CAMFAIDS), filed a report about the… Read more »
Pastor becomes unlikely hero for gay Cameroon
Evangelical rector based in Cameroon Jean-Blaise Kenmogne has come out in defence of LGBT rights With Christian extremists leading the campaign against gay people in Africa a Protestant pastor in Cameroon, Jean-Blaise Kenmogne, has become an unlikely defender of lesbian and gay rights. Being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender carries huge risks in Cameroon; same-sex… Read more »
Cameroon: Authorities ‘shut down gay rights workshop’
A gay rights workshop in Cameroon’s capital city, Yaoundé, was shut down last week by authorities after it was discovered the human rights under discussion were relating to sexuality, Human Rights Watch said today. Activists had sought and secured permission to hold an event on human rights and health at the Yaoundé Hotel, but authorities… Read more »
Cameroon delays appeal of man serving three years for gay sex
Amnesty International says Jean-Claude Roger Mbede, jailed for homosexuality, is prisoner of conscience and anti-gay laws should be lifted Cameroon’s courts have again delayed an appeal hearing for a gay man sentenced to three years jail for homosexuality in April 2011. Jean-Claude Roger Mbede expected to have his case heard today but was not brought… Read more »
Ten women arrested in Cameroon for being lesbian
Face up to five years in prison if convicted Liberia looks to toughen its anti-gay laws Ten women have been arrested in Cameroon on suspicion of being lesbians. They have been detained in Ambam, some 190 miles south of the capital of Yaounde, until they go on trial, Cameroon Radio Television reported. Consensual… Read more »
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