U.K. admits Tanzania is dangerous for gay men
The United Kingdom has granted refugee status to gay rights activist Edson “‘Eddy” Cosmas of Tanzania, who has been fighting for asylum for a year.
In May 2011, the British Home Office had rejected his asylum request, claiming that the African country was safe for LGBT people and refusing to believe he is gay, Gay Star News reported.
The human rights group Movement for Justice organized protests against that rejection, including petitions and rallies in London and at British consulates.
Under Tanzanian law, homosexual activity is punishable by imprisonment for 30 years to life.
Gay Star News reported:
Movement for Justice claims Cosmas received death threats on Facebook from people in his home country.
Antonia Bright of the Movement for Justice called Cosmas’s case a ‘huge victory’ for immigrant rights and the LGBT movement.
She said: ‘The thousands of people who took action to prevent Eddy’s deportation, signing petitions, writing letters and articles, blogging, demonstrating and spreading the word made his case famous.
‘It’s a cause for people fighting to reverse the racism, homophobia and hypocrisy of an immigration system that is prepared to deport so many people to pain and death.’
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Well done! Nice to hear some good news for a change. My thoughts are always with the persecuted LGBT of the world.