By Maurice Tomlinson Before today’s ceremonies marking WorldPride in Toronto, Maurice Tomlinson, Jamaican-born activist and first winner of the David Kato Vision and Voice Award, wrote the following account of the contrast between the celebrations in Canada and the anti-gay protest planned in his home country. Pride celebrations were also held this weekend in Istanbul, New … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: June 2014
Sri Lanka: 10 years of work for LGBTIQ rights and health
By Rosanna Flamer-Caldera and Denis LeBlanc The Sri Lankan LGBTIQ group Equal Ground celebrated its 10th anniversary on June 10 with a special event at the Goethe Institute in Colombo. The organization works to overcome the challenges that the LGBTIQ community faces — criminalization of same-sex relationships, cultural and social stigma, discrimination, marginalization, violence, mental health … Continue reading
Ivory Coast rights defenders agree on gay rights
By Jean Marc Yao (Aussi publié en français) At the initiative of the Ivorian League for Human Rights (LIDHO), several Ivorian civil society organizations came together on June 26 at the U.S. Embassy in Ivory Coast for a breakfast debate on the theme: “Ivorian Civil Society and Gay Rights in Côte d’Ivoire.” The gathering came … Continue reading
Kyrgyzstan on the verge of adopting harsh anti-gay law
Kyrgyzstan is on the verge of aligning itself more closely with Russia by making it a crime to say anything positive about homosexuality, as well as by strengthening economic ties. The anti-gay Kyrgyz bill, approved last week by the Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, is modeled after Russia’s ban on “gay propaganda,” enacted in 2013, But … Continue reading
Commentary: Let’s face facts about Zambian corruption
Juliet Mphande, a human rights, media and peace activist from Zambia, writes: ZAMBIA IN CRISIS On June 8, 2014, Zambian deputy minister of foreign affairs Gabriel Namulambe made a well-orchestrated media performance in response to visiting United States of America state department officials. The deputy foreign affairs minister, without delving into what was discussed in … Continue reading
Zambia to West: Don’t watch when we jail LGBT people
Zambian officials took offense this week at the presence of diplomatic observers in a courtroom where two allegedly gay young men are on trial on charges of violating Zambia’s anti-homosexuality law. “US, German support for sodomy-accused disappoints State” stated the headline in the Zambian Daily Mail. “Zambia govt upset with USA, Germany envoys for supporting … Continue reading
Cameroon athlete suspended on rumors of homosexuality
By Erin Royal Brokovitch (Voir version en français) The author is an activist for LGBT rights in Cameroon who writes under a pseudonym. Thierry Essamba, an internationally competitive runner in the 110-meter hurdles, was suspended from the Cameroonian track squad on May 24 because of rumors about his alleged homosexuality. Essamba, 29, has competed in … Continue reading
Malaysian anti-gay bias ban might lose soon, win later
Malaysia’s National Harmony and Reconciliation Bill 2014, which is in a draft stage, is facing a backlash from politicians opposed to outlawing discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation, said attorney Lim Chee Wee. As a result, the bill’s drafters are considering whether to drop that language from the bill entirely. Lim, who is … Continue reading
India: Growing LGBTI openness, despite legal setback
In at least one city in India, the LGBTI community has become more open, reports the Times of India and the San Diego Gay & Lesbian News. This openness comes at a time when Indian LGBTI activists hope they can overturn the country’s anti-gay colonial law, Section 377, which was reinstated by an Indian Supreme … Continue reading
Ugandan judge OKs crackdowns on LGBTI rights groups
“A Ugandan court essentially sanctioned a crackdown on LGBTI rights organizations in a ruling issued Monday morning,” BuzzFeed reports. In the ruling, a Uganda High Court judge dismissed a lawsuit against Ethics Minister Simon Lokodo by LGBTI activists who charged that he violated their rights by shutting down a training workshop for activists in February … Continue reading
