Ethiopia
Homophobic disruption of AMSHER event in Addis Ababa(update)

Anti-Gay sentiment Flares in Ethiopia..

Revelation of gay life in Ethiopia(part1)
Revelation of gay life in Ethiopia(part2)

Secretive lives for gays in conservative ethiopia

Ethiopian clerics seek constitutional ban on homosexuality

Journalists barred from airing issues on gay & lesbians

Ethiopia's christians, muslims and spirit

Uganda one step forward,ethiopia two steps backward

Ethiopian government is torturing & excuting gays

Behind the mask

The Ethiopian Eunuch Was
A Born Eunuch And A Gay Man

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UN issues first report on human rights of
gay and lesbian people 
15 Dec. 2011

The first ever United Nations report on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people details how around the world people are killed or endure hate-motivated violence, torture, detention, criminalization and discrimination in jobs, health care and education because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

The report, released today by the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, outlines “a pattern of human rights violations… that demands a response,” and says governments have too often overlooked violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Homophobic and transphobic violence has been recorded in every region of the world, the report finds, and ranges from murder, kidnappings, assaults and rapes to psychological threats and arbitrary deprivations of liberty.

LGBT people are often targets of organized abuse from religious extremists, paramilitary groups, neo-Nazis, extreme nationalists and others, as well as family and community violence, with lesbians and transgender women at particular risk.

“Violence against LGBT persons tends to be especially vicious compared to other bias-motivated crimes,” the report notes, citing data indicating that homophobic hate crimes often include “a high degree of cruelty and brutality.”

Violent incidents or acts of discrimination frequently go unreported because victims do not trust police, are afraid of reprisals or are unwilling to identify themselves as LGBT.

The report – prepared in response to a request from the UN Human Rights Council earlier this year – draws from information included in past UN reporting, official statistics on hate crimes where there are available, and reporting by regional organizations and some non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

In the report, Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, calls on countries to repeal laws that criminalize homosexuality, abolish the death penalty for offences involving consensual sexual relations, harmonize the age of consent for heterosexual and homosexual conduct, and enact comprehensive anti-discrimination laws.

In 76 countries it remains illegal to engage in same-sex conduct and in at least five countries – Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen – the death penalty prevails.

Ms. Pillay recommends that Member States also promptly investigate all killings or serious violent incidents perpetrated because of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, and to establish systems to record such incidents.

The High Commissioner also calls on countries to ensure that no one fleeing persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity is returned to a territory where their life or freedom is at threat, and that asylum laws recognize that sexual orientation or gender identity is a valid basis for claiming persecution.

Public information campaigns should be introduced, especially in schools, to counter homophobia, and police and law enforcement officials should also receive training to ensure LGBT people are treated appropriately and fairly.

Charles Radcliffe, the chief of OHCHR’s global issues section, told UN Radio that “one of the things we found is if the law essentially reflects homophobic sentiment, then it legitimizes homophobia in society at large. If the State treats people as second class or second rate or, worse, as criminals, then it’s inviting people to do the same thing.”

He stressed that all UN Member States have an obligation under international human rights law to decriminalize homosexuality, adding it was important to persuade rather than lecture States to change their laws.

“I think we have seen the balance of opinion amongst States really shifting significantly in recent years. Some 30 countries have decriminalized homosexuality in the last two decades or so.”

Mr. Radcliffe said that while all people have freedom of religion, “no religious belief or prevailing cultural values can justify stripping people of their basic rights.”

The report, which will be discussed by Council members at a meeting in March next year, has been released as top UN officials have increasingly raised concerns about human rights violations against LGBT people.

Last year, in a speech marking Human Rights Day, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that “as men and women of conscience, we reject discrimination in general, and in particular discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Ms. Pillay, during a public conversation last week on social media, also called for an end to bullying and other forms of persecution of LGBT people.
Here is the full report:

Homophobic disruption of MSM & HIV event in Addis Ababa

(Updates from a participant)

Dec7,2011 

The December 3rd "Claim, Scale-up, and Sustain" event was planned as a "pre-conference" ahead of the 16th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa that began the following day, also in Addis Ababa.

Around 80 MSM activists from across the continent, including countries such as Togo, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania and Nigeria, gathered to engage on common issues.

The event was hosted by African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHER), a network of African MSM/LGBT led organisations, and was set to take place at the Jupiter International Hotel.

It was, however, marred by a number of incidents that reflected the homophobic environment facing many LGBT and MSM activists in Africa.

According to Dawie Nel, director of the Pretoria-based LGBT health and well-being organisation OUT, who attended the pre-conference, the day before the event was set to begin "AMSHER was notified that they could no longer proceed in the planned venue as ‘there was a rumour that it was about homosexuality’".

He said that the hotel refused to refund the already paid monies, leaving organisers in a predicament to secure a new venue.

"AMSHER delegates felt unsure about their own safety and had to secure new venues and make needed logistical changes within one day," explained Nel.

While the pre-conference was moved into the United Nations compound, Nel said that threats against the delegates and the event continued.

"The interpreters’ booth was stormed and recordings of conversations confiscated. There was also a police presence outside the AMSHeR delegates’ hotel and protests by Christians outside of the venue," he revealed.

There were reports that a press conference planned by religious groups to condemn the pre-conference and possibly call for action against the event was cancelled after the Ethiopian government intervened to avoid international embarrassment.

Nel reported that, despite the difficulties, the pre-conference was a "huge success".

"What stands out was the presence of young activists who are also open about their HIV status," he said. "Issues on the agenda included funding of local work where there was a strong feeling that community efforts are being side-lined by the bigger funders, the stigma and discrimination experienced in the vast amount of African countries and how this makes work difficult, and how to mainstream MSM work in the individual countries."

He added that a highlight was the support from senior decision makers from the Global Fund, UNAIDS and CDC who "pledged their on-going support to AMSHER and the work of its members".

A 2007 global survey found Ethiopians to have the second highest anti-gay sentiment in the world, with 97% saying that homosexuality should be rejected by society.

60,000 petition Nigerian President not to sign anti-gay law

 Dec 6, 2011

Activists have delivered a copy of a 60,000-strong global petition addressed to the Nigerian President, urging him not to sign in new laws that target gays.

Representatives from the Nigerian LGBTQI in Diaspora, and campaigners from AllOut.org, who are running the petition on their website, rallied outside the Nigerian Mission to the United Nations, New York yesterday.

At the end of last month, the Nigerian Senate voted through a bill criminalising gay relationships, with prison sentences of up to 14 years for those couples who try to enter into an unofficial union and ten years for witnesses.

All-Out.org says the text of the bill includes any public relationship between two people of the same gender under its definition of same-sex marriage.


In three days, more than 8,000 people had added their names to the letter by Nigerian activist Ifeanyi Orazulike, asking President Goodluck Johnson not to sign the bill into law.

Ifeanyi Orazulike said the government needed to stop turning gays into “refugees”.

She said: “Instead of passing anti-gay laws, Nigeria needs to focus on repealing its sodomy laws, laws that were originally imposed by British colonialism.”

AllOut.org co-founder Andre Banks, said: “The measure of every great democracy is how it treats its minority citizens. ALL Nigerians deserve the same rights and privileges guaranteed by the constitution.

“AllOut.org stands with our friends in Nigeria, and everywhere around the world, where opportunistic politicians seek to take away fundamental rights from LGBT people.”

Nigerian LGBTIs in the Diaspora Against Anti-Same-Sex Laws held a kiss-in outside the Nigerian embassy on London’s Northumberland Avenue last month to protest the bill.

The petition, which is asking people around the world to add their support to the letter, can be found on the All-Out.org website, at www.allout.org/nigeria. The full text of Ms Orazulike’s letter is reproduced below.

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Anti-Gay Sentiment Flares in Ethiopia as Addis Ababa Preps for AIDS Conference
29 Nov 2011

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After decades in power, a brutal dictator in a Muslim country is dramatically deposed by a massive popular uprising. Sound familiar? Of course: that’s what happened in Egypt and Libya this year, as part of what’s known as the Arab Spring. But it’s also what happened in Iran in 1979 — and that should make us pause for a moment.

It’s easy to cheer for democratic change and celebrate the downfall of tyrants like Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi. But what if the end of one kind of oppression brings about the rise of another? As history has shown us time and again, revolutions are often turns for the worse.

Gay people should be especially wary when the forces of religious fundamentalism are involved. And nowhere are those forces stronger today than in the Muslim world. The power behind the Arab Spring came in large part from the coiled energy of Islamic groups that had been suppressed by secular dictatorships; as the old regimes crumble, hard-core Islamists are eager to take their place.

If the past is any guide, that’s bad news for gays in the Muslim world. Consider Iran. Under the Shah, Tehran had room for gay nightclubs and artists. That tolerance ended when the ayatollahs took over in the Islamic revolution of 1979 and instituted a fundamentalist form of Quranic law, or Shariah, under which gay sex is punishable by death. (Three Iranian men were hanged for sodomy in September, and hundreds of others have reportedly been executed for gay-related offenses.)

Or consider the explosion of anti-gay violence that followed the end of Saddam Hussein’s secular regime in Iraq. The powerful cleric Ali al-Sistani, who had been kept in check by Saddam, issued a 2005 fatwa calling for gay men and lesbians to be killed “in the worst, most severe way of killing.” In recent years, according to human-rights groups, scores of Iraqi gays have been abducted and murdered — often through gruesome torture and mutilation — by sectarian death squads and even by members of their own families (in so-called “honor killings”).

Iraqi authorities have mostly turned a blind eye to this “sexual cleansing.” Should we be surprised? After all, Shariah is now officially the law of the land. The 2005 Iraqi constitution includes talk about equal rights for all citizens, but its Article 2 calls Islam “the official religion of the State” and says that “no law that contradicts the established provisions of Islam may be established.”

Whether by law (in Iran) or by acceptance of lawlessness (in Iraq), the increased power of Islam in daily life has been a disaster for Muslim gays. Will things be different in the Arab Spring countries?

We have reason to worry. Egypt’s constitution also has an Article 2, which says the same thing as Iraq’s, that “Islam is the religion of the state,” and that “the principal source of legislation is Shariah.” Egyptian voters had the chance to change that language in a March referendum, but they chose to keep it.

Mubarak was no friend to gay Egyptians, and in the past decade his government stepped up its persecution. But as the Egyptian-born LGBT scholar Hassan El Menyawi has pointed out, this policy was largely motivated by Mubarek’s desire to “shore up [his] Islamic credentials” with a radicalized Egyptian population that was happy to see gays targeted.

A Pew Research Center poll last year found that 82 percent of Egyptian Muslims support stoning people who commit adultery, and 84 percent support the death penalty for Muslims who leave the religion. It’s not hard to imagine the same group’s attitudes toward homosexuality. Any government that results from Egypt’s planned 2012 elections is sure to reflect the country’s widespread religious conservatism.

In Libya, as well, the future will almost certainly be less rosy than we’d like. Last month, the world’s jubilation at the death of Gaddafi turned sour when graphic evidence emerged of the mob’s savagery toward the captured leader. (One video shows Gaddafi being sodomized with a stick.) Libyan liberals, and Western ones, were further disturbed a week later when the head of the transitional government suggested that polygamy should be legalized, in line with Shariah.

Optimists say that the practical concerns of democracy — getting elected, building coalitions — will keep radical Islam in check. I think they’re being deeply naïve. The expectations raised by the Arab Spring will be hard to live up to; soon, the new governments will start looking for scapegoats and distractions. Gays have always played those roles too well.

By supporting the revolutions in Egypt and Libya, the West has meddled where it didn’t belong and unleashed the beast of fundamentalism in those countries, just as it did in Iraq. It’s only a matter of time until that beast starts to bite. And when the tyranny of the religious majority starts trampling on sexual minorities — not to mention women and non-Muslims — the world’s pride in the Arab Spring will turn out to have gone before a very long, very hard fall.

Documentary by gay Israeli TV host Assi Azar screened Tuesday in San Francisco

The Ryan Seacrest of Israel, Assi Azar, warmly received at his San Francisco documentary screening on Tuesday, November 15.

Like many who come to San Francisco, Assi Azar was a little shocked by something he witnessed here. Azar, 32, is well-known in Israel as the host of the country’s Big Brother show. He was in town to promote his documentary, “Mom, Dad; I Have Something to Tell You.” The 45-minute doc looks at young people in Israel coming out to their parents, including Azar, who disclosed his sexuality when he was 24. The documentary looks at the coming out process through the eyes of the parents.

What surprised Azar here in San Francisco?

He was not only invited to speak before a high-school in San Francisco, it was a Catholic school. In his film tour, he also met a 14-year-old boy who was out since he was 12. Azar said he has never been asked to speak before a school in Israel, let alone a religious school and he was astounded that someone could be out at the age of 14. Azar said he would tell Rabbis in Israel of the religious acceptance of gays he observed in the US. Azar was also gratified that so many students would stay late after school voluntarily to watch a documentary about gay youth coming out.

Gays have more rights in Israel than the US and not surprisingly, more rights than any place else in the Muslim-dominated Middle East. Gay marriages are recognized in Israel, gays have the right to adopt, and gays have long been allowed to openly serve in the Israeli military.

Despite the legal protections and rights for gays, including the national recognition of gay marriage, the societal acceptance of gays in many sectors still has a way to go. The doc includes interviews with Azar’s parents. He notes that when he told his mother he was gay, that he saw her”age 30 years before my eyes. Her face just fell.” By contrast, his father, whom Azar thought wouldn’t take the news well, reacted with overwhelming support and love. Azar told the audience before the screening began that his mother at first said she would not participate in the documentary but later changed her mind when his father was interviewed for the film. Azar dutifully relayed the message that his mother wanted everyone to know that because she didn’t plan to participate in the film, she didn’t have time to fix her hair or apply makeup.

“My mother is better looking than my father,” Azar quipped.Azar interviewed a gay teenager whose parents found out he was gay after the tragic 2009 shooting at a gay youth club in Tel Aviv that killed two people and injured more 15. The teen was among those hurt. His parents disowned him after the shooting. But Azar noted in a question and answer period after the film screening at the Opera Plaza Cinema, that the boy has since reconciled with his parents.In some respects, the film resembled a documentary of gays coming out that would have been made in the US in the 1970s. One woman spoke anonymously in silhouette about the trauma and shock of having a lesbian daughter.

But in other respects, the doc brought home the family ties that are so important to the people of Israel, whose young people are required to serve in the military. Faced with the death of a son or daughter in the army, being gay doesn’t seem so bad.“Be what ever you want to be. Just keep breathing,” Azar explained is the philosophy of many parents.

The film was broadcast on Israeli television. Azar said he was surprised and pleased there was so much interest in the film outside of Israel. He didn’t expect that it would resonate with as many people as it has.Azar hopes to make another documentary about AIDS and HIV, noting that some in Israel have become complacent about the disease.

Azar also had high praise for a new documentary produced by filmmakers he knew entitled “The Invisible Man” about the struggles that gay Palestinians face. Some live illegally in Israel and live in fear of being found out and sent back to the West Bank or Gaza.
16 Nov 2011

"It gives me more courage to continue doing the work I'm doing," Mugisha told The Associated Press ahead of the award. "It sends out a message, not only to my country but to other countries that criminalize homosexuality."The 29-year-old Mugisha leads the underground group called Sexual Minorities Uganda, whose members routinely shift locations in Uganda for their safety. Uganda, a conservative East African nation, is one of more than 70 nations that have imposed laws against being gay.

Mugisha blames U.S. evangelical activists in particular for stoking fears and promoting homophobia with a 2009 visit and conference on "rehabilitation" for gays in Uganda. Since then, violence against gays has increased, he said.After the visit, debate began over a Ugandan bill that would punish gay people with prison or death and would threaten jail time for those who don't report suspected gays to authorities. The bill was recently revived in Uganda's parliament.

"I think they are responsible for the bill," Mugisha said of the evangelical activists. "They held a seminar and openly told Ugandans that they needed to tighten their laws on homosexuality and told Ugandans that homosexuals can be healed."Scott Lively, a preacher who leads a group called Abiding Truth Ministries now based in Springfield, Mass., introduced ideas from the "ex-gay" movement to Ugandans and the idea that gays are "recruited," Mugisha said.

In a telephone interview Wednesday, Lively did not oppose criminalization of gays but said he thinks imprisonment and the death penalty are too harsh. He said many criminal sanctions in African countries are harsh but aren't enforced."I advised the Ugandan parliament to focus on rehabilitation and not punishment, which they went the other way on that," Lively said. "But the law that they did draft is consistent with existing law on their books dealing with heterosexual sex crimes, and no one made a peep about that."

Ty Cobb, legislative counsel for the largest U.S. gay rights group, the Human Rights Campaign, said Mugisha is a role model for gays and lesbians in Africa and the world. The group has connected Mugisha with officials at the U.S. State Department."It's important to recognize that Frank has put his life on the line to represent this community that's silenced by a government that wants to put you to death for being gay," Cobb said.
Uganda's anti-gay bill – and its connection to U.S. evangelicals – prompted international headlines, editorials and attention from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. Its award comes with a $30,000 stipend and a six-year partnership to support Mugisha's work with advocacy and fundraising.

Kerry Kennedy, president of the center bearing her father's name, said Mugisha's work shows a rare kind of courage. She said the award is meant for someone who is "the Martin Luther King of their country, somebody who has stood up to government oppression at great personal risk."She said progressive churches, human rights groups, the U.S. government and the United Nations should take a stronger stand to counter the impact of "right-wing evangelicals" in Uganda.

"What we see here in Uganda is the U.S. exporting our so-called family values," she told the AP. "We bear responsibility for that as a country. We need to set the record straight about what true U.S. values are."Kennedy said the pursuit of gay rights is consistent with everything her father, the brother of President John F. Kennedy, had stood for."I grew up in a family where we believed the United States should stand for something and that it was important to export the U.S. vision of a more just and peaceful world," she said. "That's why Robert Kennedy traveled to South Africa in 1966 when most Americans had never heard of apartheid."Mugisha said he hopes to persuade other human rights groups to join the struggle for gay rights.

As a young gay activist, Mugisha said he has been beaten and harassed for speaking out. He added that he's not afraid of his government, but rather of the people on the street who want to eliminate gays.In January, his colleague David Kato was bludgeoned to death. That killing came shortly after a tabloid newspaper published names and photos of men it alleged were gay. The cover included the words, "Hang Them." Authorities had said Kato's sexual orientation had nothing to do with the killing.

On Thursday, Kato's convicted killer was sentenced by a Ugandan court to 30 years in prison. The man said he was provoked by sexual advances he said Kato had made toward him.Mugisha, reflecting on the Kennedy award, said it may afford some protection by raising his profile.The biggest motivation to continue his work, despite death threats, is his daily interactions with Ugandan gays and lesbians, he added."They just look at you when you talk to them, and they feel there's hope," he said. "They feel there's a voice out there speaking for them."

Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights and Justice: http://http://www.rfkcenter.org/

 Brett Zongker can be reached at https://twitter.com/DCArtBeat
Source;  Huffington post

Kenya;The gay community demands recognition
Nov 2, 2011

The group, which recently launched its official website to break the barrier and silence witnessed in the past, called on the public to warm up to the realisation that they form part of the society, and they must be accorded due respect as they engage themselves in the day to day running of their affairs as Kenyans.

The general manager of Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya Eric Gitau said the community is part of Kenya and should be involved in its development. “The composition of our community has changed dramatically. Kenya’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexuals, Transgender and Intersex persons are now more than ever before concerned with their welfare and national development issues,” says Gitau. He reiterated the need for conducive environment, aimed at enhancing freedom of speech through the provision of a platform to engage in vital debates about LGBTI’s contribution to larger topical issues.He is calling on the public to respect and uphold everyone’s right to express themselves, refrain from being judgmental, strive to give room to different perspectives in order to avoid the danger of misrepresentation of any information and eventual sensational validation of how morally right or wrong gay people are.Gitau is hailing the new constitutional order, which, he says, has numerous provisions that if properly implemented will correct the many wrongs that have been committed in the past, subjecting the group to public ridicule, and further appeals to people to engage the group in dialogue aimed at fostering mutual understanding and respect. “Let us create avenues for people to talk through the adoption of a multiple approach which really works well, by availing a chance to interviews, documentaries, features and all forms of communication,” he says.

Gitau is calling upon the media to seize the momentous period in the country, now that great strides have been realised through activism efforts by the LGBTI community, and expand outlets to disseminate positive information aimed at enhancing harmony. This, he says, will further embrace and appreciate diversity, draft anti-discrimination policies, and desist from painting a negative light to sexual orientation and gender identity.The gay community has constantly been at warpath with the larger community, which is mostly deemed conservative, and less flexible towards accommodation of divergent sexual orientations, mainly due to the religious beliefs and cultural practices. However, Gitau is already visualising a bright future for the minority community through the formation of its official website, www.gaykenya.com, which he affirms will ensure that the public is well informed.

“Today, with the launch of this platform, freedom of speech, all truthful, factual and creative stories, views, interviews, and reviews will find light of day,” he says. He adds that there are lots of stories from sexual and gender minorities in Kenya that have not been aired, but which are crucial in enhancing knowledge and awareness to the public.Acknowledging the challenges of covering gender and sexual stories in a multifaceted environment, Gitau is calling upon the media to dedicate more resources and efforts towards providing a voice to the group, and report soberly in order to present a balanced and non-opinionated look at the community.

“Go beyond rhetoric and live with the reality that the LGBTI community is now a core and integral population of Kenya that needs to be included in positive light, invite action by letting people get involved and take ownership,” he says, adding that the in-depths of psycho-spiritual, sociocultural, para-legal, economic, sustainable developmental and all other issues that touch on the LGBTIs must be addressed, devoid of myths.The chairman of Gay Kenya Elphas Njeru says the group is keen on getting involved in the country’s efforts towards sustainable development, Vision 2030 and attainment of MDGs. He is upbeat about the progress realized in the country thus far, which he affirms will go a long way in creating an environment where all forms of discrimination will be a thing of the past, paving way for the enjoyment of freedom of expression. “We are particularly happy with the realization of the new constitution, and can confirm to you that my group is committed towards abiding by the rule of law,” he says.

Among provisions that the group will be relying on to champion for their rights include the right to have opinions without interference, the right to freedom of expression, privacy laws, National Cohesion and Reconciliation Act among others; all at domestic level, while international laws such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the African Charter on Human People’s Rights (1986) will be vital in preserving the group’s identity.

Kate Kamunde from Afra Kenya is lesbian and proud about it. She is appealing to the public to abide by the constitution and co-exist with the community, which she says forms a minority group, but with equal human rights that cut across. She regrets that members from her community continue to be discriminated and stigmatised while attempting to access basic services, which in the end contribute to them retreating to their closets and then resort to drug and substance abuse to cope with the situation.She says they are denied access to health services, especially during the processes involving voluntary counseling and testing services and pap smears, which normally bring up questions about their sex lives. "The attitude by the medical practitioners is enough to keep us away from accessing medical care. We instead prefer to visit pharmacies instead of hospitals." Kate says that due to societal obligations, lesbians engage in sexual relationships with bisexual women who also engage sexually with men, and as a result, they put themselves at risks of contracting sexually transmitted infections.

She says the fact that a large population from the group engages in drugs and substance abuse exposes them to risks such as breast, uterine as well as cervical cancers. "We are punished for not conforming to cultural, social and religious norms, however we have a number of women that have managed to ‘come out’ and walked out of their marriages, even where kids are involved. They are denied access to their children upbringing and constantly tortured by their in-laws over their decisions to pursue happiness," she says.

“We are human beings and should be given an opportunity to enjoy life like any other people,” Kate says, adding that lesbians suffer depressions for lack of people to share their feelings with, while others are unable to disclose their identities for fear of discrimination and being termed abnormal. “We need to turn against the forces of discrimination; gay rights are human rights.”Kate is calling upon the public to respect her group members. "At the end of the day, who I go to bed with is a non-issue. I am a human being, capable and brave, a career woman and a loyal Kenyan. What matters is that I am human. There are no gay rights; the lesbian woman is entitled to the basic human rights accorded to every other Kenyan citizen regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity."

Kate is challenging the public to accommodate its members and stop stereotyping them. “Your attitude is costing a woman her precious life. If you ask me how I realised I was gay, I would answer you by asking you when you realized you were heterosexual.”

Government to cut aid to anti-gay countries

The  UK government will cut aid to poor countries which persecute gay people,international development secretary Andrew Mitchell has warned.

Aid ‘fines’ may be imposed on countries such as Uganda and Ghana for hardline anti-gay laws, the Mail on Sunday reported.

Malawi, which sentenced a couple to 14 years’ hard labour for contravening anti-gay laws, has already had its aid cut by £19 million.

A spokesman for Mr Mitchell told the newspaper that the government now regularly reviews aid-receiving countries on their commitments to human rights.He said: “The government is committed to combating violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in all circumstances, in this country and abroad. We take action where we have concerns.

 “We now allocate funds every three months, rather than every year, so that we can review a country’s performance, for example on human rights, and take swift action when governments fall short. We only provide aid directly to governments when we are satisfied that they share our commitments to reduce poverty and respect human rights.”

Prime minister David Cameron has defended Britain’s spending on foreign aid, saying that increasing the budget from £7.5 billion last year to £11.4 billion in 2013 is a sign of “moral strength”.

 In Ghana, a government minister recently called for the arrest of all gay people in the country’s western region. This followed president John Evans Atta Mills’ pledge to curb the “menace” of homosexuality.

Mr Mitchell’s deputy Stephen O’Brien told the president earlier this year that Ghana would lose its £36 million a year from Britain unless he stops persecuting gay people. Uganda, which expects to receive £70 million this year from Britain, has been considering legislation to strengthen current laws against gay people.

The harshest provisions call for the death penalty in “aggravated” cases of homosexuality, although parliament appears to have shelved the bill.

Source; Pink News

In Uganda, LGBT rights case being heard today

05 Oct,2011

Uganda’s Constitutional Court will resume hearing a petition against the law that bars homosexuals from employment and accessing equal opportunities in Uganda today 4 October.

LGBTI activist Adrian Jjuko who is also the Executive Director of Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) petitioned the court to nullify section 15(6) d of the Equal Opportunities Commission Act 2007.

The precedent setting petition is being heard by five judges of the Constitutional Court led by deputy chief justice Alice Mpagi Bahigeine. The other judges are Steven Kavuma, Arach Amoko, Remmy Kasule and Constance Byamugisha. The last time the case came up was on July 18, 2011.

Ladislus Rwakafuzi, a Kampala gay friendly lawyer representing Mr Jjuko said on Tuesday in Kampala that the court would proceed on the set date.

The law establishing the Equal Opportunities Commission, a body with tribunal powers is disputed by gay rights activists in Uganda. Amongst other things, the Commission is tasked with ensuring that all Ugandans have access to equal opportunities, irrespective of tribe, religion, political opinion, race or any other such impediments.

However, the section states that the “commission shall not investigate any matter involving behaviour which is considered to be immoral and socially harmful; or unacceptable by the majority of the cultural and social communities in Uganda.”

Homosexuals are not mentioned by name as one of the groups in the act, however during the debate to pass the law, the Parliamentary Hansard of December 12, 2006, records Ms Syda Bbumba, the former Finance Minister saying homosexuals should be targeted using the disputed clause. She was supported by other legislators. Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government.

“It is very important that we include that clause. This is because the homosexuals and the like have managed to forge their way through in other countries by identifying with minorities,” reads the Hansard entry for the debate, quoting Ms Bbumba.

Minorities are not defined in the Constitution of Uganda. However, vulnerable groups have been defined in the National Equal Opportunities Policy of 2006 as categories of people who lack security and susceptible to risk.

Mr Jjuko maintains that that such a law was not good for human rights in Uganda, and called on all activists to stand and defend the rights of minority groups in Uganda.

Rwakafuzi said his client wants the section of the law declared unconstitutional.

Uganda’s judiciary has shown some level of independence when handling matters brought by groups advocating for homosexuals in the past. One of the judges handling this petition also faulted government in another case in which local village officials and the police intruded the privacy of LGBTI activist, Victor Mukasa and searched his home allegedly to find evidence of homosexuality.

The workshop’s theme was, “Dialogue on Human Sexuality and Faith: Unlocking the Truth.”Among the participants were five United Methodist ministers from the Naivasha area. Behind The Mask learnt that the Methodist’s national leader was in the vicinity of the workshop venue but avoided the function. 

During the meeting, Rev Michael Kimindu, the President of Other Sheep Africa facilitated discussions around human sexuality and the Bible.Rev Kimindu said, “The biggest problem is the way we as religious leaders misinterpret the Bible especially the traditions of the Biblical times which have no relevance in modern times. We should avoid literary interpretation of the Bible since this may cause spiritual violence and suffering of LGBTI in Kenya and the whole world. Let us instead follow the wonderful example of our Lord Jesus Christ who never condemned, rejected or hated.”

The meeting also discussed passages from the Bible, DVD clips and stories of gay Christians. The purpose of this part of the discussion was to provide an opportunity for the religious leaders to see and hear moving stories from the perspective of homosexuals and their families and to see how the church constantly misunderstood and persecuted them.

During the meeting participants were taken through the scientific aspect of sexual orientation. This session was facilitated by Akinyi Ocholla, the Chair of MWA, (Minority Women in Action) and a Trustee of OSA-K.The religious leaders really struggled to reconcile the scientific aspect of sexual orientation against their age old belief of homosexuality being an ‘abomination.’ Also during the meeting, educational materials that dealt with discussions around human sexuality and Bible passages related to this issue were distributed. It was suggested at the meeting, that the organizers initiate a resource centre available for clergy to research and study deeper on issues of human sexuality, faith and science.
Source; Behind the  mask

European Parliament welcomes recent UN developments on sexual orientation and gender identity

UGANDAN LGBTI RIGHTS ACTIVIST FRANK MUGISHA TO RECEIVE 2011 ROBERT F. KENNEDY HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD

19 sept 2011

 has been chosen to receive the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award.

Mr Mugisha is the Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a leading organization of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) movement in the East African country.

In Uganda, LGBTI organizations operate in a dangerously hostile climate, and Mugisha is one of the few openly gay LGBTI activists. As a spokesperson for the movement, he amplifies the voice of one of the most vulnerable groups in the country.

“Frank Mugisha’s unbending advocacy for gay rights in Uganda in the face of deep-rooted homophobia is a testament to the indomitability of the human spirit,” said RFK Human Rights Award Judge Dean Makau Mutua, Professor of Law and Dean of the University at Buffalo Law School (SUNY).

Homosexuality is a criminal offence in Uganda, and the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill would make homosexual activities punishable by life in prison, and, in certain cases, by death. Currently, 80 per cent of Ugandans support the bill.

Mr Mugisha courageously pursues his work at great personal risk, and has received numerous death threats. In January 2011, Mugisha’s colleague David Kato, a former advocacy and litigation officer for SMUG, was murdered. It is believed that Kato was targeted for his role in the Ugandan LGBTI movement.

“Frank Mugisha has fought courageously in support of the rights of sexual minorities in Uganda, despite death threats and even exile,” said Kerry Kennedy, president of the Robert F. Kennedy Centre for Justice and Human Rights. “He has become a leading advocate for sexual minorities in a country where they are persecuted, jailed, and their lives destroyed. We are proud at the RFK Centre to begin our partnership with Mr Mugisha to advance his invaluable work within this movement.”

Mrs Robert F. Kennedy and Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will present Mr Mugisha with the 2011 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in Washington, D.C., in a ceremony on November 10th at the Kennedy Caucus Room of the Russell Senate Office Building. Mr Mugisha joins 42 RFK Human Rights Award Laureates from 25 countries as the recipient of the 28th annual prize, initiating a multi-year partnership with the RFK Centre.

“For me, it is about standing out and speaking in an environment where you are not sure if you will survive the next day; it is this fear that makes me strong, to work hard and fight on to see a better life for LGBTI persons in Uganda,” said Mr Mugisha. “The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award gives me courage and hope that my work, which may not be accepted and recognized in my own country, is making a change with this international visibility.”

Mr Mugisha, 29, began advocating for LGBTI rights and HIV/Aids awareness as a university student in 2004. He spearheaded the support group Icebreakers Uganda, which provides resources and support to those who are openly gay or are coming out of the closet.

After being targeted for arrest, Mr Mugisha was smuggled out of the country to seek safety in exile, later returning to Uganda to resume his work. As a result of his vocal advocacy, Mr Mugisha has lost jobs and friends and become estranged from family. Still, Mr Mugisha is held in the highest esteem by the LGBTI community, and activists and supporters chose him to lead SMUG on the basis of his effectiveness, credibility, and integrity.

SMUG, a network of Ugandan organizations advocating on behalf of the LGBTI communities, was founded in 2004 as a coalition of LGBTI human rights organizations to unify and strengthen sexual minority groups and communities in Uganda. SMUG’s objectives are to advocate and lobby for equality for all, to bolster LGBTI visibility through media and literature, and to empower activists through leadership and social entrepreneurship trainings. The organization also fights against HIV/AIDS in LGBTI communities and speaks out against sexual orientation-based violence.

About the RFK Human Rights Award

The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award was established in 1984 to honour courageous and innovative individuals striving for social justice throughout the world. Each year, the RFK Centre awards an individual whose courageous activism is at the heart of the human rights movement and in the spirit of Robert Kennedy. The Human Rights Award Laureates have made significant contributions to their countries through years of dedicated work. Laureates are chosen through an exhaustive annual nomination and selection process with nominations submitted from all over the world. The RFK Centre offers not only a monetary contribution to their cause, but a six-year partnership in the fight for justice. Recent RFK Human Rights Award Laureates include Abel Barrera Hernández (Mexico, 2010), Magodonga Mahlangu and Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Zimbabwe, 2009), and Aminatou Haidar (Western Sahara, 2008).

About The Robert F. Kennedy Centre for Justice and Human Rights

The Robert F. Kennedy Centre for Justice & Human Rights (www.rfkcenter.org) was founded in 1968 by Robert Kennedy’s family and friends as a living memorial to carry forward his vision of a more just and peaceful world. Through long-term partnerships and cutting-edge methods at the Centre for Human Rights, we engage in long-term partnerships with human rights activists who have won the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award to initiate and support sustainable social justice movements. We support authors and investigative journalists who bring light to injustice through the RFK Book and Journalism Awards. Our Speak Truth to Power program educates the public and provides students with a toolkit for action to create change in the classroom, the community, nationally, and internationally. The RFK Compass Program works with institutional investors to advance a discussion of the connections among investment performance, fiduciary duty, and public interest issues to optimize risk-adjusted rates of returns and address current and future global challenges. Partnering with RFK Europe, we provide human rights education advocacy programs to schools and communities across the continent. With RFK Children’s Action Corps, we urge legislative reform of juvenile justice systems.

Source; Behind the mask

Kaleidoscope is a major new initiative in the global campaign for diversity, launched in London in 13 September 2011.

 "Many of us are fortunate to live in countries where there has been significant progress towards ending discrimination against people on grounds of their sexuality. Homophobia hasn’t disappeared but attitudes have changed for the better.

 "Around the world there are signs of progress. But in many countries laws and cultural attitudes still make it impossible for gay men and women to live full and productive lives free from fear.

Monday night saw the launch of Kaleidoscope Diversity Trust, at the house of current Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP.

Kaleidoscope is a new global initiative created to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights, focussing on preventing the persecution of homosexuals across the world, with particular focus on Africa and the Middle East.

The leaders of the UK’s three main political parties have pledged their support for the initiative and Mr Bercow is the honorary president.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “In some countries, it’s simply appalling how people can be treated – how their rights are trampled on and the prejudices, and even violence, they suffer. So I want Britain to be a global beacon for reform. That’s why I am delighted to send my best wishes to Kaleidoscope, and wish them well in their work.”

Deputy PM Nick Clegg added: “I have no doubt that Kaleidoscope’s innovative and unique approach will prove hugely important in the fight for LGB&T rights, both here and across the world.”

Figures given by Kaleidoscope suggest that more than a third of all countries still have laws against consensual homosexual acts and 38 of the 54 members of the Commonwealth criminalise homosexuality.Some of these countries, such as Belarus and Lithuania, have been targeted for their discriminatory treatment of the LGBT community by Amnesty International in past campaigns.
  The launch follows a series of violent persecutions of sexual minorities in Commonwealth countries such as Uganda, where homosexuality is condemned.
 Bisi Alimi, another founder of Kaleidoscope, was attacked by authorities in Nigeria after campaigning for gay rights. He said: “I was forced to leave my home country, Nigeria, because of my sexuality. My dream is that others like me will be free to stay and be happy surrounded by the love of their friends and families.”

Kaleidoscope’s founders have pointed out that LGBT rights needed an organisation that could tackle international problems from a united base. It aims to “apply pressure for change” on governments, international organisations and influential business leaders.

Kaleidoscope is directed by Lance Price, a prominent human rights activist and former political advisor. He said:
  “So many people have given up their time and energy to make Kaleidoscope possible. They know who they are it’s now our responsibility to translate their hopes and efforts into something that can really make a difference. I am especially grateful to those women and men born and brought up in countries where just to be gay is to be in danger. Their experiences and their views have helped shaped everything we plan to do at Kaleidoscope.”

 

VOICE FROM THE KENYAN SEX WORKER MOVEMENT – LIVING POSITIVELY IN ALL WAYS
7 Sept,2011

Behind the Mask Correspondent Melissa Wainaina spoke to Kenyan male sex worker John Mathenge (pictured) about his work raising awareness amongst fellow sex workers and those living positively with HIV or Aids.

John Mathenge; founder of HOYMAS

Please tell us about yourself and what you do?

 I am John Mathenge Mukaburu, a sex worker and founder of Hoymas, a male sex worker support group. I am also the country coordinator of Kenya Sex Workers Alliance (KESWA). I am also a member of Gay Kenya and my work entails advocating for sex workers right to health care and social wellbeing as well as pushing for access to health care for People Living with HIV or Aids – PLWHAs. I am also living positively for close to 10 years now.

Tell us about Hoymas. How did you get into setting it up and why?
Hoymas stand for “Health Options for Young Men on Aids and STIs”. It’s a group of male sex workers and PLWHA’s. It began in 2009 when we noticed the lack support towards male sex workers and especially those who were living positively. Most groups, even LGBT ones, often side-lined sex workers and this would be further complicated if they had HIV. Many of our members did not fit in the other existing groups and were therefore were left without social support. In my interactions with male sex workers, I felt the best way to help them was to form a group that was ready to accept and support them as well as address specific issues the group might have, health being the major one.So far, we have over 200 registered members who are living positively from Nairobi alone, though others are registered but live in other towns like Mombasa and Kisumu. Of these, more than 150 are living positively and many are sex workers. Hoymas advocates for safer sex among sex workers as well as access to ARV drugs for those living with HIV; we also provide social support through meetings and outreaches. Our core mandate is prevention and this we do via distribution of condoms, lubes and safer sex brochures to our members, their clients and other potentials. To this end, we visit hot spots and brothels frequented by male sex workers. In addition, we do referrals for people who need them as well as providing legal assistance through contracting lawyers and legal aid in case of any eventuality such as arrests and so on.

You are also the country coordinator for the Africa Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA). Give us some insight on your mission and your core mandate there?
The mission of ASWA is to empower sex workers to access their human rights, social justice and health care. This means we undertake programs that ensure this is achieved. In addition, we mobilize and capacitate sex workers to advocate for their health and human rights. We do this through training, community education and other skill-empowering avenues.

You have had a special focus on those who work and live in the streets and those living with HIV/Aids. Tell us a little about that. What is the situation on the ground? What are the gains and what are the challenges?
There is a lot of stigma associated with HIV and Aids. There is also stigma towards sex workers and more so persons who identify as gay or are MSMs. This has led people being afraid of coming out and accessing health care.
There is also a gap in HIV treatment reaching PLWHAs. However, some gains have been made considering sex workers and MSMs are now included in HIV interventions by the Kenyan government.Another gain is that sex work and MSM groups operate with relative openness and are registered which means they can reach out to these communities that other players in the healthcare sector (such as the government or health providers) may not reach.
One challenge is adherence to the medicine. Many MSMs who are PLWHA’s do not follow ARV regimes consistently due to one factor or another. Issues like constant arrests, alcoholism or drug dependence interfere with the regular intake necessary to benefit from ARV medication.

What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on UNFPA on a programme dealing with people aged under 18 years selling sex. The purpose is to implement a life skills program for these young persons through outreach and education workshops.
Please tell us what you see is the future of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, SOGI, rights work in Kenya?
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity are still grounds for discrimination in Kenya. Persons who identify as gay, lesbian or transgender often face harsh realities and challenges. There is still no respect or legal recognition of rights to persons who do not necessarily identify as ‘heterosexual.’
However, there is a live and active SOGI movement in Kenya, led by groups such as Gay Kenya that seek to push SOGI rights and recognition of such in public sphere and this respect there is remarkable progress made in the movement. Gays and lesbians advocacy is more open and public now which is a far cry from past years. Challenges will not miss but these can be overcome through dialogue, openness and change in people’s attitude to homosexuals.
The new Constitution in Kenya is very broad and I think the gay and lesbian community has much to celebrate in that there are opportunities that can be looked into to push for non discrimination and equality. As I said, this will take time and for people to change. This is where the real work is.

 

  Source;Behind the Mask

US State Dept. Opposes “Kill the Gays” Uganda Bill

6 Sept,2011

 Central Voice correspondent Michael Petrelis, San Fransisco, receved a reply from US State Dept. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Johnnie Carson on the proposed Sept. 7 vote in the Ugandan legislature regarding that country’s latest “Kill the Gays” measure.

From Petrelis: On behalf of the Gays Without Borders activist group, I wish to acknowledge with much gratitude and pleasure that it took less than 24-hours to receive this substantive reply from Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson (pictured), whose portfolio for the U.S. State Department is African Affairs.

We initiated a drive to send letters, emails or faxes to Secretary Carson requesting comments opposing an effort in the Ugandan parliament on September 7 to push forward a draconian and deadly bill targeting LGBT persons, HIV positive people and their supporters. Many thanks to all who contacted him. He wasted little time sending back this powerful and frank statement, and we will maintain communications with him and his colleagues.

We at Gays Without Borders feel our activism that produced this US State Department affirmation for gay citizens of Uganda is one piece of a larger global network of non-governmental organizations, philanthropic foundations, LGBT and HIV/AIDS groups, grassroots activists and diplomats working to advance respect for the human rights of gay and HIV positive Ugandans.

Like many others, we remain very worried about the September 7 parliamentary hearing and will be monitoring the situation closely, and we stand ready to again activate on Ugandan matters.

Please share this US State Department statement far and wide:

September 4, 2011

Dear Mr. Petrelis:

Thank you for your email expressing your concern about an anti-homosexual bill that may be introduced shortly in the Ugandan parliament. We too are concerned about the passage of any legislation in Uganda (or anywhere else in Sub- Saharan Africa) that would criminalize or punish homosexual activities between consenting adults.

We believe that gay and lesbian citizens should enjoy the same rights and individual freedoms as other citizens. The Department of State has spoken out clearly and repeatedly against this type of discriminatory legislation in Uganda, and we will continue to do so.

In this regard, I have spoken to the most senior officials in the Ugandan government about this issue, and stand ready to add my voice as required in the future. Our ambassador and embassy in Kampala will continue to monitor any anti-gay and lesbian legislation and we will speak out forcefully to prevent its passage.

I will pass your letter to our ambassador in Kampala, who may provide you with more information on this specific bill. Thank you again for your interest and your concern about this issue.

Johnnie Carson
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Source;Central Voice

Ghana: Government will not decriminalize Homosexuality
29 Aug,2011

The President said the Government would not encourage anything that goes against the culture of the country and cautioned homosexuals and lesbians to stop the practice.

President Mills made the statement in a speech read for him by Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensah, Minister for Culture and Chieftaincy Affairs at a durbar to mark the celebration of the Odambea Festival of the people of Nkusukum Traditional Area at Saltpond at the weekend.

The theme for the festival was, “Promoting Our Cultural Heritage to Eradicate Social Vices”.

President Mills said the theme was very appropriate considering the prevailing moral decline in the Ghanaian society today.

He said it was often said that when people lost their culture they had lost their identity.

“Our moral values are greatly threatened by our desperate pursuit of materialism as a measure of progress in society; as caution is thrown to the wind as we go to great length to do anything to achieve and satisfy these wanton desires”, he said.

He said drug abuse, armed robbery, child prostitution, homosexuality, lesbianism as well as rape, defilement and other sex-related crimes were on the increase to day, attesting to the high rate of immorality prevalent in the society.

President Mills called on Nananom, as custodians of the nation’s rich cultural values to work closely with other opinion leaders in their traditional areas and partner the State institutions responsible for youth development to evolve strategies to address those social vices in the society.

He urged them to discard any form of obsolete and dehumanizing customary practices which were inimical to the fundamental human rights and self development of the people.

The President Mills urged the people to use the festival to forge unity and to ensure the peace and development of the area.

Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, Central Regional Minister appealed to the Regional House of Chiefs to expedite action on chieftaincy cases pending before the House to ensure peace and rapid development.

Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Member of Parliament for Mfantseman West and Deputy Minister for Local government and rural Development urged the people to bury their political differences and unite to develop the area.

He said plans were afoot to construct a modern mortuary for the Saltpond Municipal Hospital and the reconstruction of the Victoria Park, a durbar ground at Saltpond.

Mr Henry Kweku Hayfron, Mfantseman Municipal Chief Executive noted that one cultural heritage which was fading out gradually in the area was environmental cleanliness.

He said keeping one’s surroundings clean prevented contracting diseases which could drain scarce resources and appealed to the people to be serious with sanitation.

Mr Emmanuel Eshun, Secretary to Saltpond Federation of Youth Associations, urged the youth to desist from engaging in unproductive demonstrations but to channel their exuberances into productive activities which could benefit the nation and themselves.

He appealed to the traditional council to establish an Education Endowment Fund to support brilliant but needy children to further their education.

Nana Kwesi Brebo III, Acting President of the Traditional Council in a welcoming address, appealed to the Government to complete the abandoned Police headquarters and barracks at Saltpond and Mankessim to accommodate more police personnel to protect the people.

He appealed for the expansion of the Municipal Hospital and provision for nurses’ quarters.

President Mills presented assorted drinks and a cash of GH₵ 2,000.00 to the festival planning committee to meet their expenses.

 Source;GNA

Ugandan gay rights activists start campaign for respect
23 Aug.2011

Gay rights activists in Uganda have begun a campaign against homophobic abuse in the country after handing out a series of leaflets and posters with the aim of creating more respect and recognition for gays.

As reported by News 24, posters with the slogans “Uganda is for all of us” and “My body is not a battle field” were distributed throughout the country by gay rights campaigners on Friday.

Activists hope the posters will attempt to quell anti-

gay sentiment in Uganda that was exposed to the international community last October when local newspaper Rolling Stone published names, images and addresses of known gays, including prominent gay rights activist David Kato who was brutally murdered in January.

The head of Sexual Minorities Uganda Julian Pepe explained the reasons for the campaign. He told German press agency DPA: “We are aiming at that person who has never seen a gay or who hates gays so that they know that we are humans and that we are also parents, teachers, lawyers and doctors.

“We want them to know that besides what we do in the bedroom, we are also humans and need respect.”

The controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill, also known as the “Kill the Gays Bill”, which sought to impose the death penalty for a second conviction for engaging in gay sex, was dropped in May after worldwide condemnation. But the US-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) warned in July an amended bill could be introduced without a direct reference to the death penalty.

“A new version of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill will appear to have removed the death penalty in order to avoid international outcry,” CCR said.

“In reality, it appears that provisions of the bill will link to other laws that will trigger the death penalty.

Source:Pink Paper

Lesotho is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa, a constitutional monarchy with a population of 1.88 million people.

“The government wants to get a clear picture about homosexuality and what we want them to do as human rights unit so we can get support in sensitizing the general community.”

Like many African countries Lesotho does not recognize homosexuals and has over the years appeared to cling to the myth that homosexuality is UnAfrican under cover of adherence to Basotho traditions and culture.

As a result, the voice of Lesotho’s gays and lesbians has been silenced for many years.

“We just need to have an open debate with the society that is with key speakers such as traditionalists, clergies all aspects and some professors from University,” said Mothopeng.
 Source;Behind the mask

FREEDOM IN SUDAN: AN LBGT MOVEMENT AGAINST ALL ODDS
16 august,2011

Gay rights group fight back in Ghana
8 Aug 2011

A coalition of gay rights activists, known as the Coalition Against Homophobia in Ghana (CAHG), has

been formed to tackle ongoing anti-gay sentiment throughout the country.

The coalition was formed last Thursday and consists of several gay rights organisations and activists from within the nation.

The coalition comments: “Recently, the President, John Evans Atta Mills, denounced homosexuality and promised to take steps, although unspecified, to combat it. Thus, it is no surprise that in this context, the Western Region Minister, Paul Evans Aidoo, made an order for the ‘immediate arrest of all homosexuals in the (Western) region’.”

“CAHG vehemently denounces these types of sensationalist, unfounded, and bigoted attacks against LGBT Ghanaians, who are brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, daughters and sons of Ghanaian families just like any other Ghanaians.”

Pink Paper previously reported that Ghanaian politicians, religious figures and press organizations had been involved in the homophobic wave sweeping across the nation.

The group also comment: “Contrary to unsubstantiated and speculative remarks that homosexuals are ‘evil’, ‘filthy’, and ‘ungodly’, LGBT people are our family members, co-workers, worshippers, taxpayers, voters, media people, pastors and lovers who deserve the same rights and protection under the Ghanaian Constitution as anyone else.”
Source; pinkpaper

"Kill the Gays" Bill Is Back and Moving Faster Than Before

International Gay and Lesbian Association finally wins UN accreditation

 26 July 2011

The International Gay and Lesbian Association (ILGA) has f  inally won United Nations  

Accreditation.

The group, which is one of the oldest international organisations fighting for gay rights, has been trying to gain recognition at the UN for years.

Yesterday, countries voted 30-16 to grant the group consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

ILGA gained consultative status in 1993 but lost it a year later.

Co-secretary general Renato Sabbadini said: “This is a historic day for our organisation, which heals a 17-year-old wound and we want to thank all, really all UN Members who voted in our favour.”

Countries which voted in favour: India, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Norway, Peru, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary.

Countries which voted against: Iraq, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Bangladesh, Cameroon, China, Egypt, Ghana.

Video: Sudanese LGBT produce first video

19 July 2011

Freedom Sudan, the Sudanese LGBT Association, has produced its first video. They describe it as "something to start putting LGBT Sudanese issues out there".

Freedom Sudan is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) organisation in Sudan. The organisation was formed in December 2006. Their status is illegal. Homosexual behavior is illegal in Sudan and homosexuals face the death penalty.

They say: 

"That's why our organization was formed in secret and all our activities are carried out secretly, hoping that one day we will get accepted in our communities and even in our families, and hope that we can be FREE to be the way we are. Freedom Sudan is an organization run by volunteers only."

Source; madikazemi.blogspot.com

Kenyan judge rules woman to woman marriage valid 

7 July 2011

In the precedent-setting judgment, Judge Jackton Ojwang, who is currently waiting to join the Kenyan Supreme Court, gave the right of inheritance to Ms Monica Katam, 38, the petitioner. The judgement was in respect to a succession case filed by Ms Katam, who was seeking a grant of letters of administration intestate for her husband’s estate.

   The judge discharged an application by Jackson Chepkwony and Selina Jemaiyo Tirop, who had moved to court to object the issuance of letters of administration to Katam for the estate of Cherotich Kimong’ony Kibserea.In her suit, Katam said she was the ‘widow’ of Cherotich who died in Kwa Hola, Magongo area in Mombasa on June 7, 2008. She was survived by two sons aged 16 and 12.Chepkwony and Tirop claimed to be stepson and niece to the deceased. They were demanding a share of cash in several bank accounts, household goods and a 11-roomed Swahili house, all valued at Sh2 million.

   Chepkwony had written to the court seeking caveats over the estate, claiming that the deceased had left a will dated December 5, 2007.He told the court that Katam was not a wife to the deceased but a servant who had worked for her for three years and left before she died of diabetes.But Katam informed the court that she had the original death certificate issued to her on July 8, 2008, and that the objectors were not her dependants and had no relationship with her but only wanted to benefit from the estate left by the deceased.

 In his ruling, Justice Ojwang’ made reference to Eugene Cotran’s The law of Marriage and Divorce (1968), which states that “woman to woman marriage is a recognised family institution in the Nandi customary law” and thus approved Monica Jesang Katam and her children to take over the estate of her ‘husband’. Justice Ojwang’ noted that the law placed her and her children first in line to the inherit her husband’s estate.The judge said in his ruling, “Since the petitioner is not the ‘wife’ in the conventional sense, nor are her sons ‘children’ of the deceased in the ordinary manner, it is necessary to consider how the law treats them, in relation to dependency under the deceased’s estate,” He concluded that woman to woman marriage is a recognized family institution in Nandi customary law.

   In traditional Kalenjin culture, a barren woman could ‘marry’ another woman who would proceed to accept their children by men who would have no commitment towards them or their children. The children would belong to the barren woman or ‘husband’ as she had paid bride price. The practice also spread to neighbouring Kisii but has now largely died out. The name Chepkwony, meaning ‘of a woman’, traditionally signified that someone was a child of a marriage between two women.

Woman-woman marriage was found among Nandi, Kipsigis, and, since about the mid-twentieth century, among Keiyo. It is however not customary among other Kalenjin sub tribes.A female husband is a woman that has taken some of the traditional male role on behalf of the family. The Kalenjin culture gives her the ability to let her family name to live on, in a culturally acknowledged way. She provides a home and inheritance for the children in the family.Her other female God given gift that women have naturally like cherishing care and love with female conscience and intuition serve as strength and her family can enjoy them.

 Source;Behind the Mask

24 June 2011

With the new law, which takes effect after 30 days, the number of Americans in same-sex marriage states more than doubles? New York's population of 19 million surpasses the combined total of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Iowa, plus the District of Columbia.

The outcome — a product of intensive lobbying by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo— will have nationwide repercussions. Activists hope the New York vote will help convince judges and politicians across the country, including a hesitant President Obama, that support of same-sex marriage is now a mainstream viewpoint and a winning political stance.

  Wolfson, president of the advocacy group Freedom to Marry, said the goal is attainable by 2020, or sooner, "if we do the work and keep making the case."

The work — as envisioned by leading activists — is a three-pronged strategy unfolding at the state level, in dealings with Congress and the Obama administration, and in the courts where several challenges to the federal ban on gay marriage are pending.

"This will be a big boost to our efforts nationally," said Richard Socarides, a former Clinton White House adviser on gay rights. "It will help in the pending court cases to show that more states are adopting same-sex marriage, and it will help in the court of public opinion."

The New York bill cleared the Republican-controlled Senate by a 33-29 margin, thanks to crucial support from four GOP senators who joined all but one Democrat in voting yes. The Democratic-led Assembly, which previously approved the bill, passed the Senate's stronger religious exemptions in the measure, and Cuomo swiftly signed it into law.

Gay rights activists have been heaping praise on Cuomo for leading the push for the bill, seizing on an issue that many politicians of both parties have skirted. Yet the Senate vote marked the first time a Republican-controlled legislative chamber in any state has supported same-sex marriage, and several prominent Republican donors contributed to the lobbying campaign on behalf of the bill.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York signed a same-sex marriage bill into law late Friday in his office at the State Capitol.

For those engaged in the marriage debate nationally, recent months have been a political rollercoaster.

Bills to legalize same-sex marriage failed in Maryland and Rhode Island despite gay rights activists' high hopes. However, Illinois, Hawaii and Delaware approved civil unions, joining five other states — California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington — that provide gay couples with extensive marriage-like rights.

Adding those eight states to the six that allow gay marriage, more than 35% of Americans now live in states where gay couples can effectively attain the rights and responsibilities of marriage. Just 11 years ago, no states offered such rights.

For now, gay couples cannot get married in 44 states, and 30 of them have taken the extra step of passing constitutional amendments banning gay marriage. Minnesota's Republican-controlled Legislature has placed such an amendment on the 2012 ballot.

Brian Brown, president of the conservative National Organization for Marriage, vowed to seek defeat of the New York Republicans who helped the marriage bill pass. He also predicted victory for the amendment to ban gay marriage next year in Minnesota, and said this would belie the claims that the same-sex marriage campaign would inevitably prevail nationwide.

U.N. rights forum proclaims equal gay rights, Muslims states object
18 june2011
 

 
The top U.N. human rights body declared Friday there should be no discrimination or violence against people based on their sexual orientation, vote Western countries called historic but Islamic states firmly rejected.

The controversial resolution marked the first time that the Human Rights Council recognized the equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, diplomats said.

The text, presented by South Africa, was adopted by 23 countries in favour, 19 against with 3 abstentions and one delegation absent during voting. Libya's membership in the 47-member Geneva forum was suspended in March.

"All over the world, people face human rights abuses and violations because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, including torture, rape, criminal sanctions, and killing," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement issued in Washington."Today's landmark resolution affirms that human rights are universal," she said, calling it a "historic moment."Britain, France joined the United States in voting in favour, while Russia voted against and China abstained, results showed.South African Ambassador Jerry Matthews Matjila said the aim was for a dialogue on discrimination and violence meted out to those "whose only crime seems to be their choice in life."

But delegations from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Bangladesh took the floor to reject the text in a heated debate held on the last day of the council's three-week session.Mauritania's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Cheikh Ahmed Ould Zahaf, said that the issue did not fall within the scope of any international human rights treaty.

"This issue has nothing to do with human rights," he said, speaking before the vote. "What we find here is an attempt to change the natural right of a human being with an unnatural right. That is why calls on all members to vote against it."

Homosexuality is generally taboo in Islamic states as it is seen as a violation of religious and cultural values. Homosexual men in the Gulf are regularly arrested and sentenced to prison terms.

Mexican Ambassador Juan Jose Gomez Camacho said the issue had nothing to do with imposing Western or other values, but with non-discrimination. People are already protected under international treaties against discrimination on grounds of race, religion, and gender, he said.

"Non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation is exactly the same," Camacho said, winning applause.

The resolution calls on the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay to draw up the first U.N. report on challenges faced by gay people worldwide.

Her report, due by December, should document discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.
  Source ;Reuters 

10 June 2011

  Kate Kamunde (r) said she would write a story about coming out for the site
    It would also create a forum to challenge homophobic politicians and religious leaders, they said. Homosexual acts are illegal in deeply conservative Kenya. David Wambua, a writer for the site, said it would contain "heart-wrenching stories" of the lives of gay Kenyans. “I guess it will be personal stories of growing up - of conflicts with one's sexuality - of living in a family which is not accepting of who you are," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. He said the rights of gay people should be respected in Kenya.

 "If the human rights of gays are affected, we speak out," Mr Wambua said.

Kate Kamunde said she intended to use the site to encourage other gay people to disclose their sexual orientation. “We have very many people who are still struggling to come out, so I'll first do a 'coming out' story," she said.

  Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga stirred controversy last year when he said homosexuality would not be tolerated in the country. Gay and lesbian people risk a jail-term of up to 10 years if they are convicted of homosexual acts. Homosexuality is a criminal offence in many African states. In Uganda, the government considered passing a law that would have imposed the death sentence on gay people, sparking an international outcry. In Malawi, a gay couple were jailed last year. President Bingu wa Mutharika pardoned them after strong protests from donor countries, including the US and UK. He had previously denounced homosexuality as alien to African culture. Most religious groups in Africa are also strongly opposed to homosexuality, equating it to Satanism.

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9 million Americans estimated to be gay or bisexual, but solid figures elusive

Thursday, 7April 2011 

  In an attempt to encourage more research into the health and well-being of gay people, a California demographer has estimated that more than 9 million Americans are gay or bisexual, a number equivalent to the population of New Jersey.

  Gary Gates, who studies the demographics of the gay community for the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, said in a report released Thursday that about 3.5 percent of Americans identify themselves in surveys as being gay or bisexual.

But those who said they have had same-sex encounters are almost evenly divided between gay people and bisexuals, leaving just 1.7 percent who say they are gay. The percentage more than doubles, however, if it includes people who say they have engaged in same-sex sexual behavior at some point.

Gates arrived at the estimates by averaging the results of five surveys conducted in the United States between 2004 and 2009. In the survey results, the range of people who say they are gay or bisexual varied widely, from a low of 1.7 percent to a high of 5.6 percent. In contrast, studies conducted in other countries have made much smaller estimates — as low as 1.2 percent in a 2010 survey in Norway.

In a telephone interview, Gates said that only recently have researchers doing surveys on health and social characteristics started asking respondents for their sexual orientation. Gates has argued that people should be asked their sexual orientation on many surveys that have nothing to do with sexual behavior, such as those involving crime, for example. He says only then will it be possible to more accurately gauge the size of the gay community.

“The number matters,” he said. “An unfortunate part of our political system is that you don’t really count unless you’re counted. LGBT Americans still are not routinely counted. That allows legislators and policymakers to say they really don’t matter much, because if they did, we’d have this data.”

In Maryland, the Gates numbers were seized upon by advocates and opponents of efforts to legalize same-sex marriage.

Del. Donald H. Dwyer Jr. (R-Anne Arundel) noted that the number was considerably smaller than estimates made by advocates of same-sex marriage.

“Delegates in Maryland heard from their constituents,” he said. “That’s why same-sex marriage failed this year. Until there’s a wide acceptance of it across the state of Maryland, I don’t think those bills are going to be successful.”

Officials with Equality Maryland, which has lobbied hard for same-sex marriage to be legalized in the state, cited previous studies estimating that Maryland’s gay community has 178,000 people, including 15,000 couples.

“Because folks are self-identified, the number is probably always a little lower than expected,” said Linsey Pecikonis, a spokeswoman for the group. “But I think having 9 million Americans be members of the LGBT community, that’s a fairly significant community.”

Estimates of the size of the gay community remain elusive four decades after the gay-activist movement was born in the wake of the Stonewall riots in New York City during the summer of 1969.

Gates said many people have heard of estimates as high as 10 percent of the population, a figure that stems from a 1948 study of male prisoners done by Alfred Kinsey. He wrote, in carefully parsed prose, that one in 10 men was “more or less, exclusively homosexual for at least three years between the ages of 16 and 55.”

“The number stuck,” Gates said. “Here we are, decades later, and it’s still the most predominant number cited.”
 Source;washington post

First Irish public civil partnerships take place 
Tues, 5April 2011

  In an attempt to encourage more research into the health and well-being of gay people, a California demographer has estimated that more than 9 million Americans are gay or bisexual, a number equivalent to the population
  Ireland’s first public civil partnership ceremonies were due to take place this afternoon.The law came into force on January 1st, although the vast majority of couples were required to give three months’ notice of their intent to tie the knot.Six couples who obtained a special court exemption have had civil partnerships since February 7th. The couples, who all requested privacy, will have been granted exemptions on compassionate grounds, for example, when one partner is terminally ill.Today, Dublin couple Hugh Walsh and Barry Dignam will be the first to have a civil partnership without a court exemption. Another couple is expected to follow them.
  Kieran Rose, of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network said: “The first public civil partnership ceremonies in Ireland mark another great milestone for Ireland and for lesbian and gay people.“It is a great day for the two couples, their families and friends, and we wish them much luck and happiness.”He added: “Lesbian and gay couples have been waiting for years to have their relationships recognised and protected by the State. For the two couples today and all those who will enter civil partnerships over the coming months, this is a very significant advance.”
   Another gay group, LGBT Noise, welcomed the first civil partnership but said that it was not equal to marriage.LGBT Noise organiser Max Krzyzanowski said: “I’m very happy for Mr Dignam and Mr Walsh. But this is not equality. Civil partnership legislation perpetuates the idea that gay relationships are not as valid as straight ones.

“As equal citizens and residents of Ireland, the LGBT community demand full access to all the rights and protections of marriage; civil partnership is simply not good enough.”
Source;Pink News 

 Five thousand years after he died, the first known gay caveman has emerged into the daylight.According to archaeologists, the way he was buried suggests that he was of a news Skeleton was pointing eastwards and surrounded by domestic jugs - rituals only previously seen in female graves.Five thousand years after he died, the first known gay caveman has emerged into the daylight.
  According to archaeologists, the way he was buried suggests that he was of a different sexual persuasion.The skeleton of the late Stone Age man, unearthed during excavations in the Czech Republic, is said to date back to between 2900 and 2500 BC.
The skeleton was found in a Prague suburb with its head pointing eastwards and surrounded by domestic jugs - rituals only previously seen in female graves. Men would normally be buried with weapons, hammers and flint knives.

During that period, men were traditionally buried lying on their right side with the head pointing towards the west; women on their left side with the head facing east.

In this case, the man was on his left side with his head facing west. Another clue is that men tended to be interred with weapons, hammers and flint knives as well as several portions of food and drink to accompany them to the other side.

Women would be buried with necklaces made from teeth, pets, and copper earrings, as well as domestic jugs and an egg-shaped pot placed near the feet.

The ‘gay caveman’ was buried with household jugs, and no weapons. Archaeologists do not think it was a mistake or coincidence given the importance attached to funerals during the period, known as the Corded Ware era because of the pottery it produced.

From history and ethnology, we know that people from this period took funeral rites very seriously so it is highly unlikely that this positioning was a mistake,’ said lead researcher Kamila Remisova Vesinova.‘Far more likely is that he was a man with a different sexual orientation, homosexual or transvestite. What we see here does not add up to traditional Corded Ware cultural norms.’

An oval, egg-shaped container usually associated with female burials was also found at the feet of the skeleton.

Source;Daily mail

Prominent Ugandan gay rights activist Murdered. 
Tuesday,27 jan2011
Brave, outspoken and undeterred. David Kato who was at the fore front of the battle against homophobia in Uganda was savagely bludgeoned to death at his residence in the out skirts of Kampala. 
  
 
RIP David.

 Read more>> 

Iranian men to be stonned to death over gay sex  

Tues18 jannuary,2011
     According to news emerging from Piranshahr in the province of kurdistan, Ayub and Mosleh, 20 and 21 years old, are in danger of execution by stoning following the discovery of a video showing them having sex.This film fell into the hands of the regime’s agents in  who immediately ordered the young men’s execution by stoning to instill fear in the people of Iran. The news indicates that they will be stoned
 this Friday, Jan 21st 2011.
The International Committee Against Stoning calls for immediate action to protest the Islamic Regime’s medieval and brutal sentence against these two young men.
        
   Read  more>> 

African UNAIDS director calls for end to criminalisation of gay sex 
Tues,7 Dec2010
 source: IRIN

Sheila Tlou, former Minister of Health in Botswana, took over as UNAIDS director for East and southern Africa in November, just a month before the deadline for achieving universal access to treatment, prevention, care and support expires.

With only two countries in the region having met the target for treatment, Tlou talked to IRIN/PlusNews about the value of setting goals and what countries should aim for next.

QUESTION: How do you think the targets have contributed to the AIDS response, in light of the fact that many countries have not met them?

ANSWER: Universal access to me means access not just to treatment but prevention, care and support. And from the report, we’ve seen that a lot of countries have moved towards universal access. In the ones that have reached it – Botswana and Rwanda – it’s really contributed in that we’ve seen deaths from HIV go down... you’ve  seen quite a lot of reductions even in countries that may not reach it and once people are on treatment their infectivity goes down so it contributes even to the prevention side.Read more >>

David Cameron message to British LGBT teens;you are not alone. 

stonewall -Nov 2010

The secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, has called for homosexuality to be decriminalised globally
   On international human rights day(11/12/2010),UN secretary-general Ban ki-moon recalled that we commemorate not the "partial" or "some times" declaration of human rights but the international declaration of human right.Mr Ban spoke at an event calling for an end to violence and discrimination against lesbian,gay,bisexual and transgender LGBT persons.

   Ban Ki-moon said cultural attitudes must not trump  human rights.

10 December 2010

rejudice, Speak Out against Violence, Secretary-General Says at Event

On Ending Sanctions Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity

 Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the event on “Ending Violence and Criminal Sanctions Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” in New York today, 10 December:
        Thank you all for coming to this important event.  Today is Human Rights Day — a day we dedicate to defending freedoms and protections for all people.We know how controversial the issues surrounding sexual orientation can be.  In the search for solutions, we recognize that there can be very different perspectives.  And yet, on one point we all agree — the sanctity of human rights.As men and women of conscience, we reject discrimination in general, and in particular discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  When individuals are attacked, abused or imprisoned because of their sexual orientation, we must speak out.  We cannot stand by.  We cannot be silent.This is all the more true in cases of violence.  These are not merely assaults on individuals.  They are attacks on all of us.  They devastate families.  They pit one group against another, dividing larger society.And when the perpetrators of violence escape without penalty, they make a mockery of the universal values we hold dear.  We have a collective responsibility to stand against discrimination, to defend our fellow human beings and our fundamental principles.
                Liberal democracy has spread in many parts of the world in recent decades.  In general, more and more of us have learned to cherish our diversity.  Today, many nations have modern constitutions that guarantee essential rights and liberties.And yet, homosexuality is considered a crime in more than 70 countries.  This is not right.Yes, we recognize that social attitudes run deep.  Yes, social change often comes only with time.  Yet, let there be no confusion: where there is tension between cultural attitudes and universal human rights, universal human rights must carry the day.  Personal disapproval, even society’s disapproval, is no excuse to arrest, detain, imprison, harass or torture anyone - ever.From my first days in office as Secretary-General, I have spoken out against stigma and discrimination.  I have worked, with some success, to persuade Governments to lift travel restrictions on people with HIV.  During my recent trips to Africa, I urged leaders to do away with laws criminalizing homosexuality.I was particularly happy and pleased that, when I was visiting Malawi, I was able to secure the release of a young gay couple sentenced to 14 years in prison.  President [Bingu wa] Mutharika kept his promise and he released them during my stay, on the very day when I urged him to do so.
Yesterday evening, I spoke to a Human Rights Day event at the Ford Foundation.  It was called “Speak Up”, a conversation with human rights defenders.  Some of you are wearing badges.One of my fellow speakers was a young activist from Uganda.  Frank Mugisha has been working with a variety of civil society groups to stop legislation that institutionalizes discrimination against gay and lesbian people.  With extraordinary eloquence, he appealed to us, the United Nations, for help.  He asked us to rally support for the decriminalization of homosexuality everywhere in the world.And that is what we will do.  We have been called upon and we will answer.
        In all these kinds of cases, I put myself on the line.  I take pains to find the right balance between public and private diplomacy to reach difficult solutions.  I will continue to do so.  I will continue to speak out, at every opportunity, wherever I go.  And I will do so because this is the right thing to do.  Because this cause is just.That is why this day, this very special day, means so much to me.  Human Rights Day commemorates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  It is not called the partial declaration of human rights.  It is not the sometimes declaration of human rights.  It is the Universal Declaration, guaranteeing all human beings their basic human rights, without exception.Violence will end only when we confront prejudice.  Stigma and discrimination will end only when we agree to speak out.  That requires all of us to do our part; to speak out at home, at work, in our schools and communities; to stand in solidarity.Your discussions today are part of that larger campaign, yours and mine.  Together, we seek the repeal of laws that criminalize homosexuality, that permit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, that encourage violence.People were not put on this planet to live in fear of their fellow human beings.  The watchwords of civilization have always been tolerance, understanding and mutual respect.That is why we are here today.  And that is why we ask the nations and the peoples of the world to join us.  To join us in common cause in the name of justice and a better life for all.


~* Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, also Spoke  during an LGBT Core Group Event Marking Human Rights Day, ECOSOC Chamber 
 Click  for full speech 

Obama says homosexuality is a human right 
(Associated press)-Oct 2009