UNAIDS’s Equal Eyes recap of the world’s LGBT news has highlighted ways people are using written and visual communication to advocate for recognition of human rights, especially LGBT people’s rights, in South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda: Continue reading
The goal: “a space in West Africa where persons from diverse faiths, cultures, class and sexual orientations can convene, work with faith leaders and communities to create a world in which everyone enjoys all human rights irrespective of class, religious belief, culture and sexual orientation.” Late last month, West Africa moved a step closer to … Continue reading
Progressive faith leaders and activists from West Africa have joined forces to work to end anti-LGBTI bias in the region and seek “a world governed by respect and dignity.” The new Interfaith Diversity Network of West Africa (IDNoWA) includes members from Nigeria, Togo, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Liberia. The network’s founder and co-chair is Anglo-Nigerian … Continue reading
Several countries in sub-Saharan Africa have made progress in recognizing the human rights of LGBTI people, but much work remains to be done in the region’s 29 countries that still have laws against same-sex intimacy. LGBTI rights in those African countries are the focus of the following excerpts from the 2015 edition of the U.S. … Continue reading
Most tolerant countries The Afrobarometer network, which conducts public opinion surveys in Africa, recently listed the continent’s most and least homophobic countries. In these four African countries, the majority of residents say they would welcome or would not be bothered having a homosexual neighbor: Cape Verde, 74%. South Africa, 69%. Mozambique, 56%. Namibia, 55%. Least … Continue reading
Now that some conservative Christians are blaming gays for the Ebola epidemic — with no rational reason, as usual — it’s a good time for a recap of other calamities that LGBTI people have been blamed for. More than a dozen natural disasters are on the list, each one interpreted as God’s violent response to … Continue reading
The issue of African countries imprisoning LGBTI people for their sexual orientation wasn’t on the agenda at this week’s United States/Africa summit in Washington, D.C. Instead, President Obama spoke about security, trade and economic development. Then, on Aug. 5, he and First Lady Michelle Obama posed for friendly photos with 32 leaders of countries with … Continue reading
“Gay Rights in Africa Move Slowly, Cautiously Forward,” states the headline of a Voice of America article. Believing that requires a leap of faith, since anti-LGBT legislation is under discussion or nearing approval in Uganda, Nigeria and Liberia, while Zimbabwe just voted for a new constitution that prohibits same-sex marriages. But the idea has some … Continue reading
Aug. 21 came and went without any sign of the large protests against homosexuality that were announced in June and widely denounced since then. That day was supposed to be “International Day Against Homosexuality,” nicknamed “Gay Hate Day” by its opponents. The anti-homosexuality protest was proposed by the Movement of Young Cameroonians, or RJC, which … Continue reading
An anti-gay group in Liberia has threatened to punish and possibly kill supporters of gay rights, AP reported. Fliers distributed over the weekend in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, listed alleged gay-rights supporters. The fliers were signed by the Movement Against Gay’s in Liberia, or MOGAL A supporter of MOGAL told AP: “We will get to … Continue reading
