Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) Speak Out About Attack on Lesbian

Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) is speaking out about the recent brutal attack on a lesbian in the town of Chitungwiza, south of Harare. According to GALZ, the attack followed “continued reports of harassment and threats towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the area by known individuals."

From New Zimbabwe:

CHITUNGWIZA police are investigating a vicious street attack on a lesbian.

The Gays and Lesbian Association of Zimbabwe (GALZ) says the woman, who has not been named, had earlier been insulted at a local bar where she was in the company of a female “friend”.
The woman, described as in her 20s, was “punched in the stomach and pushed to the floor” by two men who also kicked her.

“One of the men broke a bottle of beer on her head,” a GALZ statement said on Wednesday.

She underwent treatment for her injuries at Chitungwiza General Hospital.

“Medical reports were used to open a case against the perpetrators with the police,” the statement added.

A police spokesman confirmed two men had been interviewed over the September 2 incident and investigations were continuing.

GALZ said the attack followed “continued reports of harassment and threats towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the area by known individuals”.

At the beginning of August, Bulawayo24 News reported that five men were arrested in Domboshava near Harare on allegations of "being gay and committing acts of sexual immorality."

Last year the offices of GALZ where raided by police and two employees were arrested after GALZ participated in a national process to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the new constitution.

President Obama Calls World to Respect LGBTI Human Rights at UN General Assembly

President Obama

President Obama addressed the United Nations General Assembly today and told the world that it needs to "stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere." Mark Bromley, chair of the Council for Global Equality, weighed in on the significance of Obama's comments: "Never before has a sitting U.S. President spoken so clearly about LGBT rights in a formal address to the full General Assembly."

After addressing human rights based on freedom of speech and religion, President Obama addressed human rights based on sexual orientation.

No country should deny people their rights to freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but also no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere.

Here is the White House video of the President's speech.

Mark Bromley, chair of the Council for Global Equality, weighed in on the significance of Obama's comments.

The President’s remarks today at the UN General Assembly, where he called for the world to ‘stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere,’ were historic. Never before has a sitting U.S. President spoken so clearly about LGBT rights in a formal address to the full General Assembly. It shows how far we have come.

Ekurhuleni Pride March: "Crush Hate"

Ekurhuleni Pride March 2011

There was an urgency to the South African Ekurhuleni Pride march last weekend in KwaThema. On Easter Sunday morning, Noxolo Nogwaza was found raped and murdered in a township alley. The Ekurhuleni Pride Organising Committee (EPOC) organised a march last month on the KwaThema police station to protest police inaction in Noxolo's case and others. The theme of this third annual Ekurhuleni Pride march was, "Crush Hate."

From Behind the Mask:

Sipiwe Nkabinde from the Ekurhuleni Pride Organising Committee, EPOC said, “It is very important to make people realise that gays and lesbians are here to stay and are also human beings.”

She praised the organising committee for a job well done and wished that there “were more people from outside who came to Kwa-Thema and to support the LGBTI community here.”

Sifiso Nkosi Miss Gay 2011 Ekurhuleni who also attended said, “Today is about pride, it’s about educating the local community and makes them understand that we are also part and parcel of human being, we are not different. It is also an event where we get to know each other and to socialise.”

Nkosi paid tribute to the local community saying, “This year is better compared to last years; more people are open and even straight people came and took part in our activities. It is all about spreading the word so South Africa can become a better country.”

However, Shwane Malebye, OUT LGBTI Play safe Campaigner was of the view that, “Too many people in Ekurhuleni are still closeted.”

He added, “I would love to see every one who is in the closet to come and attend this event. LGBTI people here must support this event because it is theirs. They are not giving us a push.”

Perspectives from the March

Behind the Mask interviewed a number of the marchers.

Dikeledi Sibanda:

I am here because I wanted to raise awareness of the community and to let them know that I am not only here because I am gay, but I am here to raise my voice and say gay people exist and there is nothing anyone can do about that. Being here also gives us a chance to reach out to everyone, and that can influence change in our society. I do not want tolerance or acceptance, but I just want to be respected.

Thembi Masombuka:

Today is very important to me because I don’t go to taverns. But by being here I can be myself, enjoy myself and not risk being raped or attacked for being myself. I am also here because I am a lesbian, and this is where I can be myself freely.

Musa Ngubane:

I am standing here and I am seeing people. They are not many in number, but many in a cause. We live in a country that pushes us to be in closet, but being here shows that this is not possible. The reason why I am here is to also join the masses to share the message that we are not cowards and people must get on with it.

Thomas Sweleka:

I am here because I want to continue with Simon Nkoli’s struggle, and take over where he left off. I have been living in a closet for a while and this is my third pride, and the reason why I attend pride now is that, it’s where you are comfortable, and can be yourself and not be judged for your sexual orientation. The likes of Simon Nkoli fought for pride marches and we are fortunate today that we can actually celebrate pride. The significance of pride for me is the march. It’s where we can actually show the community that we are here and actually raise awareness.

Mambaonline took photographs of the march.

Sacrifice for LGBTI Human Rights Activism in Sierra Leone

Mary Conteh

Advocating for the human rights of LGBTI persons in Sierra Leone has been costly for Mary Conteh. She has been shunned by other human rights activists and had her office and home burgled. The men who broke into her home sought her life. Conteh makes the important observation that for LGBTI human rights to move forward, recognition must first come from fellow human rights campaigners in Sierra Leone.

“With human rights colleagues, we do not see eye to eye – most of them go at me and they call me names. They do not want people to talk about gay and lesbian issues,” she says.

The lack of support her organisation (the Women’s Centre for Good Governance and Human Rights) has received from “colleagues” gives some indication of the difficulties she has met in advocating such controversial issues.

In November 2010, after Ms Conteh spoke on radio about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, a group of men forcibly entered her home. When they didn’t find her, they manhandled her brother. The attackers asked for her, telling her brother they wanted to take her life.

She fears for her safety and that of her only child, Marie Josephine (4), she says. “Unless I go and pay other people to come and stay in the house, because I am a single parent, I can’t live in the house alone. Even the security, I don’t trust them. I pay them but at times they come and at times they don’t.”

Less than three weeks ago, the offices of her organisation were broken into. Computers and sensitive documents were taken.

“They think that if they steal everything that all of us will scatter and there will not be an office anymore and there will be nobody to talk about this gay and lesbian thing.”...

“The lesbian and gay rights issue – near nothing is moving forward but the only thing is that we have started talking about it.”

For the latter to gain momentum, recognition must first come from fellow human rights campaigners in Sierra Leone, she says.

“Because we have taken that direction, most of them have abandoned us including the human rights commission in Makeni in Sierra Leone.

“The human rights commission don’t give us any protection. Any time we are attacked nothing has been done.”

This article was published in the Irish Times by Front Line, an organisation that provides rapid and practical support to at-risk human rights defenders. "Front Line was founded in Dublin in 2001 with the specific aim of protecting human rights defenders at risk, people who work, non-violently, for any or all of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Front Line aims to address the protection needs identified by defenders themselves."

Kenya's Chief Justice Willy Mutunga spoke in Kampala, Uganda at the beginning of September and said LGBTI rights are human rights and called for a debate to settle the matter. Mutunga emphasised that the "Human Rights principles that we work on don’t allow us to implement human rights selectively."

The recognition of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex difference as human rights continues to be a struggle for activists at the highest human rights bodies in Africa, including in Sierra Leone.