Ethiopia: Death penalty for gays soon?

Gay Star News reports: A death penalty against homosexuality may be introduced soon in Ethiopia, according to anti-gay organizations that ran a recent workshop on the topic. The workshop, dealt with the social ‘evils’ and ‘disastrous’ effects of homosexuality in Ethiopia, and was led by United for Life Ethiopia, a Western Evangelical organization with local … Continue reading →

Campaign seeks repeal of Belize gay immigration ban

LGBT rights activist Maurice Tomlinson asks supporters to send letters to officials in Belize, urging them to repeal the law that bars LGBT people from visiting the country. His appeal is timely because Tomlinson wishes he could visit Belize to see his son compete in the national spelling bee finals, as described in the article … Continue reading →

Seeking African asylum where gays are beaten, raped

The ugly side of Capetown through the eyes of a gay asylum-seeker While many flocked into South Africa for the World Cup and job opportunities, his only reason was to seek protection from persecution by his family and the wider society back home. When he fled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2010, … Continue reading →

Will AIDS activist’s death boost HIV support services?

The Youth on Rock Foundation is working to improve its HIV education and support services in conjunction with a memorial for foundation member Abby Love (Abby Mukasa), who died April 24 of complications related to AIDS. Mukasa was an active member of the foundation, a community-based organization working on issues affecting the LGBT/sex worker communities … Continue reading →

Anti-gay law bars father from son’s spelling bee in Belize

This article first appeared on the AIDS-Free World website under the heading “Belize and the Spelling Bee.” Advocacy often takes a very heavy toll on the lives of human rights defenders. I have been spared the worst, as I am still alive, though I had to flee my homeland Jamaica because of persistent death threats … Continue reading →

Ethiopian LGBTs need help to halt abuses

Ethiopia has one of the world’s most restrictive laws governing attempts to protect the rights and health of women, children, LGBT people, the sick and the disabled. As a result, those people’s rights and health are endangered, and too little is being done to change that. A law called the Charities and Societies Proclamation (CSP) … Continue reading →

Why such silence amid Zambians’ anti-gay storm?

Sowing poisonous seeds in Zambia Human rights worker Chivuli Ukwimi has harsh words for human rights organizations that stood silently by as a “storm of homophobic bigotry and hate-speech” broke out in Zambia this month shortly after the European Union invited proposals for grants to support human rights there. He is similarly critical of religious leaders … Continue reading →

Malaysia hopes anti-gay musical will cure gay ‘poison’

The government of Malaysia shows no sign of curtailing its cultural offensive against LGBT people, which includes this year’s government-sponsored anti-gay musical that is touring the country and last year’s ludicrous list of gay “symptoms.” Muhyiddin Yassin, who is the country’s education minister, deputy prime minister and deputy chairman of the Barisan Nasional ruling party, … Continue reading →

Justice minister wants no justice for Zambian gays

He’s Zambia’s justice minister, but don’t expect justice from him if you happen to be gay or lesbian. Without citing any evidence, Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba claims that Zambia is the victim of an international conspiracy spending “colossal sums of money” to promote homosexuality. Zambia has “no room for gays, ” he said Saturday at … Continue reading →

24 days on, Tunisian politician still in jail on sodomy charge

The Tunisian political leader arrested March 30 on sodomy charges remains in jail after being subjected to a rectal examination, Tunisia Live reported. Mounir Baatour, head of the Liberal Party, denies the accusations against him. He was arrested 24 days ago at the Sheraton Hotel in Tunis along with another unidentified man. One of his … Continue reading →