Ugandan LGBTI celebrate their activists

Spectrum Uganda Initiatives announces today the results of its online vote among Ugandans for outstanding individuals, events and projects in 2014.   With all the difficulties in Uganda, it is heartening that Ugandan LGBTI and their allies would take the time to participate by the hundreds in this poll by Spectrum to recall and to … Continue reading →

Bangladesh survey finds homosexuals live in fear

The Dhaka Tribune reported that in Bangladesh, a new survey reached 751 self-identified homosexuals and revealed that lesbians, gays and bisexuals live in fear.   The survey was done as part of a needs assessment by Boys of Bangladesh, a support group for the gay community in Bangladesh, and by Roopban, a magazine for the gay … Continue reading →

Living Dangerously: What It’s Like to Be Gay in Iran

The following article was originally published in Vocativ. It is reproduced  here entirely without any editing, other than to fit our format.  We acknowledge and thank Vocative as well as the author Sune Engel Rasmussen for their excellent journalism. It is possible to be gay and live under a repressive regime that is always threatening to … Continue reading →

STATUS UNKNOWN: Rejected in Kenya: Held captive, beaten, hacked. Dead.

THIS ARTICLE WAS BASED ON ACCOUNTS FROM FRED ODINGA, WHOSE REPORTING HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE UNRELIABLE AND OFTEN FRAUDULENT. Odinda (who used the pseudonym “Joseph Odero” in his reporting) was not the only witness concerned with the death of Muhadh Ishmael, so the article has been labeled “STATUS UNKNOWN.” — Colin Stewart, editor/publisher of … Continue reading →

770 LGBT killings and major assaults in the Americas

A press release issued by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on December 17, 2014 reported the pervasiveness of violence including murders and violent assaults against LGBT’s in the Americas.  This article is an edited version of that news release with added data and information from the OAS’ Registry of Violence on those nations … Continue reading →

Update: Mona Iraqi fired by shnit film festivals

shnit PLAYGROUND Cairo 2015, organizers of International short film festivals, announced today on their website: “As of its annual Council meeting on December 22th in Bern, the Board of Trustees of the shnit FOUNDATION, in accordance with Festival Director, has decided to exclute Mona Iraqi from the shnit International Shortfilmfestival immediately. shnit International Shortfilmfestival completely … Continue reading →

United States takes action against Gambia, South Sudan

BuzzFeed’s J. Lester Feder reported late today that the United States has dropped The Gambia from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a free-trade agreement launched in 2000, because of the crackdown on LGBTI rights as well as other human rights issues. This will cost The Gambia about $37 million annually in duty-free exports … Continue reading →

Three more gays arrested in Gambia

State television in Gambia reported on Monday December 22nd that three more men accused of engaging in homosexual acts were arrested by authorities.  If convicted, the men would be liable to serve up to life imprisonment given the new anti-gay law, signed this past October. The television report said that the men have “confessed” they are homosexual. … Continue reading →

Anti-gay politician undercuts Zambia’s principles

Zambian human rights defender Chalwe Charles Mwansa sees anti-gay statements by presidential candidate Edgar Lungu as straying from Zambia’s founding principles. By Chalwe Charles Mwansa In Africa, homosexuality remains largely feared, misunderstood, illegal and heavily punishable. Yet Africa is made up of thousands of ethnic groups with rich and diverse cultures and sexualities. Recently, Zambia’s … Continue reading →

35 injured in anti-gay attack in Zimbabwe

The New Zimbabwe newspaper reported today: 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 … Continue reading →