Tag: zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: Gay rights activists arrested in police raid at hotel

Two gay rights campaigners in Zimbabwe have been arrested for allegedly convening a public meeting without authorisation. Raids against activists are common in the country, which is notorious for its tough laws against same-sex sexuality activity and LGBT freedom of expression. In a statement on Thursday, Gay and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) said Natasha Dowell… Read more »

Zimbabwe Police Again Raid LGBT Rights Meeting

Police in Zimbabwe today stormed a local hotel where human rights defenders were attending a media training workshop by Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ). They arrested two of those at the meeting and brought the meeting to an end. About 20 participants were in the session, at the Bronte Hotel in Harare, when the… Read more »

Zimbabwe: Head of gay rights group faces court over accusations of unregistered operation

The chair of gay rights group Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, faced court on Monday as the organisation is accused of failing to register itself. Martha Tholanah, also a co-director of GALZ, was accused of operating the organisation without registering it under the Private and Voluntary Organisations Act. She appeared before magistrate Donald Ndirowei, and… Read more »

GALZ Statement On The Court Judgement Of Ricky Nathanson

We welcome the acquittal of Ricky Nathanson on a charge of “Criminal Nuisance” on Tuesday 4 February by a Bulawayo Magistrate. The unfortunatearrest of Ricky and the subsequent judgement by Magistrate AbednicoNdebele proves that the Police continue to use knee-jerk reactions to casesinvolving the LGBTI community. It would seem that the officer investigatingRicky Nathanson’s case… Read more »

GALZ Statement On The Arrest Of Transgender Activist, Ricky Nathanson.

GALZ deplores the arrest , detention and trial of Ricky Nathanson, a transgender person in Bulawayo on the 16th of January for using a ladies toilet. We are concerned that Ricky may have been treated in an inhumane and undignified manner during the arrest and subsequent detention in police custody before her court appearance. We… Read more »

Zimbabwe LGBTI rights group GALZ wins High Court victory

Zimbabwe’s High Court has ruled police must return seized property to LGBTI rights group Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), finding the group does not need to be registered with the government Zimbabwean LGBTI rights group Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) have scored a major victory, with the country’s High Court ruling that the… Read more »

Gays fear police blackmail after Zimbabwe allows all phones to be bugged

Zimbabwe LGBTs fear police will witch-hunt and blackmail them as new law allows monitoring of all private phone calls, text messages and internet use Zimbabwe has given permission to security agencies to spy on every single citizen’s phone calls, text messages and internet use – and LGBT people fear they will be the worst hit.… Read more »

Gays lament HIV treatment exclusion

The Gays and Lesbians Association of Zimbabwe (GALZ) has said its members are being discriminated against in remote parts of the country when accessing HIV and AIDS treatments. GALZ programs manager Samuel Matsikure said unless addressed, the situation is likely to derail efforts by government to reduce further the national HIV prevalence which declined to… Read more »

Gay in Zimbabwe: “Chop off their heads!”

President Robert Mugabe’s controversial victory translates to another five years of fearful living for the country’s gay community, according to lobbyists. “The past period was a torrid time. Gays were a target of politicians, particularly Mugabe and, by extension, the police. This was a strategy to win votes,” says a Zimbabwean artist now based in… Read more »

Zimbabwe: Mugabe seeks life in prison for homosexuals

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has resume his verbal attacks on LGBT people, promising that he will make the country a “hell” for gays and lesbians if his Zanu PF party wins the July 31 election. He proposed life sentences for homosexual activity, saying that the current law, which provides for up to a year… Read more »

Attack on LGBT group in Zimbabwe; police to the rescue

A group of young men, apparently acting as a youth militia for an unidentified anti-gay organization, attacked the offices of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) today, threatened staff members with hammers, ransacked the offices and locked up the staff. In contrast to last year, when police raided the group’s offices and arrested GALZ members,… Read more »

Mixed feelings among LGBTs as Zimbabwe turns 33

Zimbabwean LGBT people across the world have expressed mixed feelings on the country’s Independence Day celebrations as Zimbabwe turned 33 today. For some LGBT Zimbabweans who fled from the country because of its widespread homophobia, Independence Day was a time for grieving and for remembering what they had lost. During the day’s celebrations in Harare,… Read more »

LGBTs worry as Zimbabwe moves to restrict rights

The long-awaited Zimbabwean draft Constitution outlaws same-sex marriage, which has aroused concern in the community of Zimbabwean lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. In interviews, LGBTI people said they fear that such homophobic legislation would fuel hatred and violence against them. “I don’t have aspirations of getting married, but I fear that such laws… Read more »