Real Agency for Community Development was established by a proactive group of people who have fled persecution due to their sexual orientation in their respective districts of origin (Isingiro, Mbarara and Ntungamo) and now live in the Nakivale refugee camp where they hoped to find greater safety and freedom.
Homosexuality, however, is illegal in Uganda and they face new challenges: Arbitrary arrests, discrimination, corrective rape, kidnapping, robbery, stigma, homophobia, harassment and bullying. RACD has identified more than 123 LGBTQ Ugandans and other refugees living in the Nakivale and Oruchinga refugee camps. The organization provides them with services depending on their unique situations.
The legal and social marginalization experienced by these people results in many violations of LGBTQ persons’ liberty and threats to their safety.
Since the beginning of this year, we have already seen three people arbitrarily arrested for being LGBTQ. Another two LGBTQ community members were brutally attacked by a gang of 10 homophobic neighbors in Kampala. One of them had his jaw shattered and had to get a surgery to insert a metal to his jaw. HIV prevention drugs and equipment are always a necessary part of the work with LGBTQ people and female sex workers. The general economic situation in Uganda is decreasing rapidly, and LGBTQ persons suffer the most. Many members reported that they pass many days without being able to obtain any food.
Please email [email protected] for more information about RACD. Donations can also be made to RACD through this GoFundMe link.
Reports indicate a court in Yemen has sentenced to death 13 people who had been charged with homosexuality.
Agence France-Presse reported the court in Ibb Governorate, which Iran-backed Houthi rebels control, announced the sentences on Feb. 4. The province’s main city is roughly 125 miles south of Sanaa, the rebel-held Yemeni capital.
The State Department’s 2022 human rights report notes Yemeni law criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual relations, “with the death penalty as a sanction under the country’s interpretation of Islamic law.” The report also indicates there were “no known executions of LGBTQI+ persons in recent years.”
The Houthis have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea since Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, launched a surprise attack against southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. The U.S. and the U.K. last month launched air strikes against the Iran-backed rebel group.
LGBTQ rights groups in South Africa have condemned the brutal murder of Diego Jacobs, a queer man in Cape Town earlier this month.
Reports indicate Jacobs, 21, was brutally murdered on Feb. 3 while walking home with two friends. A former neighbor who had previously harassed him about his queer identity reportedly attacked him.
The 20-year-old former neighbor who is currently in police custody is alleged to have started uttering homophobic slurs before stabbing him in the neck with a knife. Reports indicate Jacobs tried to avoid a conflict with him.
OUT LGBT Civil Society Engagement Officer Sibonelo Ncanana has urged law enforcement officials to thoroughly investigate the incident and ensure the alleged suspect is given a hefty sentence.
“No individual should ever face violence or discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Ncanana. “This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges and dangers faced by LGBTIQ+ individuals in South Africa.”
“The attack also highlights the importance of enacting the long-awaited Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill, which was passed by Parliament in December last year. Two months later, the bill continues to await President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signature,” added Ncanana. “We once again call on the president to take action and assent to the bill urgently, before any more lives are lost to hate and intolerance.”
Embrace Diversity Movement Secretary General Mpho Buntse said Jacobs’ death was a heinous attack that required law enforcement officials’ urgent attention.
“The EDM is shocked to learn of the brutal killing of Diego,” said Buntse. “This act comes at a time when we had thought that the spike in hate crimes of this nature are a thing of the past. We view this as a deliberate push back to our efforts to end hate related crimes. Beyond this obvious knowledge, we call upon law enforcement officials to ensure that justice is served.”
Buntse, like Ncanana, urged Ramaphosa to sign the Hate Crime and Hate Speech Bill into law “to ensure that hate is punished by law.”
“As a movement we demand that this be done before the upcoming elections,” said Buntse. “Failure to do this will be a clear demonstration that there is a lack of political will to protect the queer community.”
Ruth Maseko of Fantastic Family LGBTIQ said they were aggrieved Jacob’s death and echoed other activists who urged Ramaphosa to sign the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill.
“We are deeply saddened by the needless loss of another young life,” said Maseko. “The fact that these crimes continue based merely on how a person identifies in terms of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and /or expression is an insult to our humanity or lack thereof.”
South Africa is the only African country that constitutionally recognizes LGBTQ rights. The country’s LGBTQ community, however, continues to face attacks based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity that often lead to death.
The attacks have largely been attributed to religious and cultural beliefs that run counter to LGBTQ rights.
Activists who support the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill say it will help curb homophobic and transphobic attacks. Some religious leaders, however, have criticized it and urged Ramaphosa not to sign it.
The parent company of Facebook and Instagram is facing calls to improve the safety of LGBTQ people on its platforms in the Middle East and North Africa.
Human Rights Watch, Social Media Exchange (SMEX), INSM Foundation for Digital Rights, Helem in Lebanon and Damj Association in Tunisia have initiated the #SecureOurSocials campaign, which emphasizes the need for transparency from Meta.
Rasha Younes, acting LGBT rights deputy director at Human Rights Watch, urged Meta to be a global leader in making social media safe for everyone. The #SecureOurSocials campaign aims to engage Meta for increased transparency and accountability, urging the company to publish meaningful data on user safety investment, especially in the Middle East and North Africa.
LGBTQ people that Human Rights Watch interviewed reported severe real-life consequences; including job loss, family violence, forced relocations and mental health issues due to online targeting on Facebook and Instagram. The campaign calls on Meta to address harmful content, be more responsive to user complaints and enforce policies consistently.
The main goals of the #SecureOurSocials campaign include:
• Protecting the safety of users
• Addressing online targeting
• Consistent enforcement of policies
• Investment in user safety
• Human rights integration
“Governments and tech companies share the responsibility for protecting human rights, especially for LGBT individuals.”said Younes.
Despite previous engagements with Meta, concerns raised by Human Rights Watch said its concerns have not been adequately addressed.
The #SecureOurSocials campaign provides solutions for Meta to ensure the safety of LGBTQ users and urges the company to disclose its annual investment in user safety in the region. It also emphasizes the responsibility of social media companies to respect human rights with nondiscrimination and privacy policies and freedom of expression.
Mohamad Najem of SMEX outlined key recommendations directed at Meta, addressing the urgent need to safeguard user rights, particularly for the LGBTQ community.
Najem underscored the importance of including rights, nondiscrimination and privacy policies and freedom of expression in Meta’s policies. He called for measures to avoid infringing on human rights, systematic handling of issues and the identification and addressing of human rights impacts stemming from their services.
The recommendations further urged Meta to respect the right to freedom of expression, protect against unauthorized access to personal data and consider the specific experiences of discrimination and marginalization, particularly those faced by LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa.
“Meta needs to ensure that it respects the rights of people, especially when it comes to unauthorized access to their personal data,” added Najem.
Najem highlighted Meta’s struggles with content moderation, pointing out overenforcement and underenforcement issues. The insufficient investment in human content moderators and heavy reliance on automation were identified as undermining Meta’s ability to effectively address content targeting LGBTQ individuals.
Meta’s role in mitigating human rights abuses against LGBTQ individuals on its platforms is highlighted, with the campaign demanding accountability and transparency in policy application. Governments in the Middle East and North Africa are also urged to respect and protect the rights of LGBTQ people, promoting non-discriminatory laws online and offline.
A Meta spokesperson has not responded to the Washington Blade’s request for comment.
Just 172 days remain until France hosts the Summer Games in the famed City of Light. Questions also remain about whether all the colors of the Pride flag will be inclusively illuminated when the Olympics return to Paris for the first time in a century.
The Los Angeles Blade has compiled this brief guide to the major areas of interest, with the intent to preview what queer fans can expect from this year’s event:
How many out LGBTQ athletes will be representing both their countries and their identities and orientations
Restrictions on out transgender athletes and
What the International Olympic Committee is saying — so far — about athletes displaying Pride flags and rainbow colors.
All of this is very subject to change before July 26, the opening day of the Summer Games.
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Looking Back
At the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, 36 out athletes competed among the 2,871 entered into competition, as the Blade reported. If the LGBTQ athletes were counted as one team, they would have placed 12th in terms of medal count.
That set a record, although the numbers couldn’t compare to the last Summer Games, the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo — which were held in 2021 because of the pandemic. A historic showing in those Summer Games featured 186 out athletes, who would have ranked 11th in the medal tally if grouped together.
Looking Ahead
Sha’Carri Richardson, the fastest woman in the world, will represent Team USA at the Summer Games. As the Blade reported last August, Richardson set a world record for the 100m by crossing the finish line in 10.65 seconds. She identifies as bisexual.
Robbie Manson, the gay rower for New Zealand, announced he qualified for Paris last September. And, to the delight of many, has remained active on OnlyFans as well, reported Out. Manson came out in 2014.
Emma Twigg will also be competing as a rower in Paris, defending the Olympic gold medal she won in Tokyo in 2021, according to Stuff. Twigg is gay, married to her wife, Charlotte, and together they have a son, Tommy, born in 2022.
Campbell Harrison of Australia announced on Instagram in November that he qualified to compete in the category of rock climbing for the Summer Games. He came out as gay in 2021.
Yulimar Rojas holds a world record in triple jump and was an Olympic champion in Tokyo and has already qualified to represent Venezuela in track and field in Paris. Rojas told Infobae she dreams of being “the first to open the gap of 16 [meters,] it’s like another galaxy.”
Kadeisha Buchanan will lead Team Canada in their defense of their Gold Medal for Women’s Soccer in her third appearance at the Games this summer, as Humber News reported.
Sadly, it looks as though Australia and Chelsea soccer star Sam Kerr is likely to miss Paris, because of a ruptured ACL. She suffered the knee injury during training three weeks ago in Morocco, reports the official Olympics website.
There are several other LGBTQ athletes who are likely to qualify. Review the Official 2024 Olympics calendar of qualifiers by clicking here. The Blade will keep you posted as we learn more.
Transgender Competitors
The International Olympic Committee decided after the last Summer Games to issue a new “Framework for Fairness” in November 2021, which basically punted decisions on inclusion to individual sports organizations. As the Blade reported in June 2022, the International Swimming Federation, once known as FINA and now World Aquatics, decided that trans athletes must have completed their medical transition before the age of 12 to avoid “unfair advantages.”
Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, was the first out trans athlete to compete at any Olympic Games. She made history in Tokyo, but her performance in the women’s +87kg category wasn’t what got her name into the record books. At 43, Hubbard was the oldest competitor at the 32nd Olympic Games, and after three unsuccessful lift attempts, her participation was reduced to an abduction that did not last more than 10 minutes. Given the new rules, she won’t be back in 2024.
Following World Aquatics’ lead, Union Cycliste Internationale — the organizers of World Cycling in Switzerland — the Disc Golf Pro Tour, World Athletics, the British Triathlon Federation and the International Rugby League have changed or adopted new “transgender participation policies” that effectively ban trans women from competing with cisgender women.
World Aquatics has since added a new “open category” in which anyone can compete, aimed at providing a way for trans swimmers to compete. But since only cisgender women can compete in the category that is designated for “women,” advocates for trans athletes consider that discriminatory. NCAA Division I Champion Lia Thomas has challenged World Aquatics at Court for Arbitration for Sport, as the Blade has reported.
Pride House
As has been a tradition at almost every Olympics — the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, being the most memorable exception — Paris will have a Pride House. “A space that will be open to everyone, where it will be possible to celebrate its community and its pride,” according to the official website.
The Pride House will be set up at Parc de la Villette, “just a short distance from competition venues such as the La Chapelle Arena, Stade de France and even La Concorde,” the site explains.
Symbols of Pride
Beyond the Pride House and other “protected” locations in Paris, the International Olympic Committee has told the LGBTQ sports site Outsportsthat it is committed to ensuring all athletes “have equal opportunities to express themselves” by holding up Pride flags or other rainbow apparel in line with the recently revised wording to its Olympic Charter and updated guidelines for participants.
You can read the changes to the charter, enacted in October 2023, by clicking here. Unchanged is the fundamental principle that “the practice of sport is a human right.”
The IOC said assessments will continue to be made on a “case-by-case” basis, according to the report.
Paralympics
The 2024 Paralympic Games are set for Aug. 28 through Sept, 8, and LGBTQ+ athletes are again expected to compete. Click here for more information about those games.
Bisexual and pansexual figure skater Amber Glenn won the U.S. women’s figure skating championship on Jan. 26, becoming the first queer woman to take the gold medal.
“Being the first openly queer women’s champion is incredible,” said Glenn in a post-competition interview with NBC Sports. She reflected on what’s changed since her coming out in 2019. “When I came out initially, I was terrified. I was scared it would affect my scores or something, but I didn’t care. It was worth it to see the amount of young people who felt more comfortable in their environments at the rink.”
To celebrate her historic victory, Glenn posed for photographers with the gold medal around her neck and the Progress Pride flag held high and proud above her shoulders.
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Glenn, 24, won the silver medal in 2021 and the bronze last year. At the beginning of her free skate routine on Friday, she landed a complicated triple Axel, but then Glenn slipped-up two major jumps.
Defending champion Isabeau Levito also struggled, falling three times during her own routine. In the end, Glenn finished with 210.46 points to win the title. Silver medalist Josephine Lee scored 204.13 points and Levito’s 200.68 points earned her the bronze.
Given she had a rough go in this, her ninth competition, she told NBC she was in “utter shock” to have beaten Levito for the title.
“I know that both Isabeau and I are capable of so much more, but just the shock that all my hard work has paid off and the realization of what more I can do,” she said.
That hard work started with her recovery from a concussion and broken bone around her eye, suffered when she collided with another skater at the beginning of her season.
On Instagram, Glenn’s sponsor called the victory a win not just for her but “for the LGBTQ+ community.”
“I don’t have to try and hide the sight of me,” said Glenn. “Just because you have this aspect doesn’t mean you can’t be a top athlete.”
Related:
Amber Glenn claims her first U.S figure skating title in dramatic fashion | NBC Sports
Court of Arbitration for Sport confirms proceedings began last September
Published1 week ago
onJanuary 29, 2024
(YouTube screen capture)
The title says it all: “Thomas v. World Aquatics.” It might as well be “Thomas versus the world,” given the global pushback against transgender athletes. But this case, confirmed on Friday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, is specific to the organization that in June 2022 banned trans swimmers from competing in elite women’s competitions, as the Los Angeles Blade reported at the time.
Although only announced now, the CAS statement published Friday reveals arbitration proceedings began confidentially last September. News of the challenge was first published by the U.K. news outlet, The Telegraph.
According to the CAS, Thomas’ attorney — Carlos Sayao of the law firm Tyr, based in Toronto — conceded that “fair competition is a legitimate sporting objective and that some regulation of transgender women in swimming is appropriate.”
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But then Tyr went on to argue why the CAS should declare the World Aquatics policy is “unlawful, invalid, and of no force and effect.”
“Ms. Thomas submits that the Challenged Provisions are invalid and unlawful as they discriminate against her contrary to the Olympic Charter, the World Aquatics Constitution, and Swiss law including the European Convention on Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; and that such discrimination cannot be justified as necessary, reasonable, or proportionate to achieve a legitimate sporting objective.”.
Sayao is himself a former elite-level competitive swimmer who won a silver medal for Canada at the World University Games in 2001 and also competed in the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the 2003 World Aquatics Championships.
He told The Telegraph the World Aquatics’ policy changes constituted a “trans ban.”
“She’s bringing the case for herself and other trans women to ensure that any rules for trans women’s participation in sport are fair, proportionate and grounded in human rights and in science,” Sayao stated to the Telegraph.
Thomas is now a law student at Drexel University who swam for the University of Pennsylvania women’s team after starting her gender transition in 2019.
She was crowned the first trans NCAA Division I individual champion after winning the 500-yard freestyle at the Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta in March 2022.
International Cricket Council bans trans players from women’s cricket
Sport is popular throughout South Asia
Published1 month ago
onDecember 28, 2023
(Bigstock photo)
The International Cricket Council has imposed a ban on transgender players from international women’s cricket if the player has gone through male puberty.
The elite council, in a statement, said it has decided after an extensive scientific review and a 9-month consultation, to “protect the integrity of the international women’s cricket matches, safety, fairness and inclusion.”
“The new policy is based on the following principles (in order of priority), protection of the integrity of the women’s game, safety, fairness and inclusion, and this means any male to female participants who have been through any form of male puberty will not be eligible to participate in the international women’s game regardless of any surgery or gender reassignment treatment they may have undertaken,” reads the ICC statement. “The review, which was led by the ICC Medical Advisory Committee chaired by Dr. Peter Harcourt, relates solely to gender eligibility for international women’s cricket, whilst gender eligibility at domestic level is a matter for each individual Member Board, which may be impacted by local legislation. The regulations will be reviewed within two years.”
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Cricket is one of the biggest sports in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka with a fan base of 2.5 billion people around the world.
The ICC started the first women’s World Cup in 1973. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is the richest cricket board in the world, worth $2.25 billion. The BCCI in 2023 alone made $3.77 billion from the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League. A huge population of trans people lives in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other major countries that participate in international cricket matches, but the new policy change has created a blowback for the community.
Danielle McGahey, a trans cricketer from Australia, confirmed after the ban came into effect that her career as a cricketer is over.
“Following the ICC’s decision, it is with a very heavy heart that I must say that my international cricketing career is over. As quickly as it begun, it must now end,” said McGahey on her Instagram page. “While I hold my opinions on the ICC’s decision, they are irrelevant. What matters is the message being sent to millions of trans women today, a messaging say that we don’t belong.”
McGahey also said that she will not stop fighting for equality in sports.
She is the first transgender woman cricketer to take part in an official international match when she represented Canada in a T20 match against Brazil. She previously played for men’s club cricket in Melbourne before moving to Canada in 2020.
Although the ban has shattered many hopes and dreams, the ICC statement confirms each country can decide eligibility for trans cricketers in domestic games.
The Washington Blade reached out to India’s BCCI for reaction and response on the future of trans cricketers in India, but the board did not immediately respond.
The Blade also reached out to the Australian Cricket Board and South African Cricket Board but did not receive a comment. The Blade sought comment from Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and MP Rajiv Shukla, a former IPL chair, but both declined to respond.
“It is very unfortunate, and I am really disappointed with the decision of ICC, which is excluding transgender people because when we talk about human rights or legal rights, transgender people deserve to be in all parts of the society,” said Kalki Subramaniam, a trans activist, queer artist and motivational speaker based in India. “Especially in sports trans people deserve to play. It is a huge disappointment for us to know that ICC has banned transgender people. There is no need to do that and ICC should review their policy. While Indian army is considering (whether) to recruit transgender people, why would the ICC do the opposite.”
Kalki told the Blade the ICC statement does not justify the exclusion, especially trans women as it excludes trans women as categorized as women.
While talking to the Blade, Nilufer, a trans activist who represents the Mumbai-based Humsafar Trust, said there is constant discrimination happening in sports not only in India but around the world in athletics against trans women. She also said the ICC ban is discriminatory against the community, not only for trans Indian cricketers but for the entire world.
Ankush Kumar is a reporter who has covered many stories for Washington and Los Angeles Blades from Iran, India and Singapore. He recently reported for the Daily Beast. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is on Twitter at @mohitkopinion.
The Virginia House of Delegates on Friday approved a bill that would affirm marriage equality in the state.
State Del. Rozia Henson (D-Prince William County)’s House Bill 174 passed in the Democratic-controlled chamber by a 54-40 margin. Equality Virginia noted the measure received bipartisan support.
“No person authorized to issue a marriage license shall deny the issuance of such license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender or race of the parties,” reads HB 174. “The bill also requires that such lawful marriages be recognized in the commonwealth regardless of the sex, gender or race of the parties.”
The bill also “provides that religious organizations or members of the clergy acting in their religious capacity shall have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.”
Voters in 2006 approved an amendment to Virginia’s constitution that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in the state since 2014.
The General Assembly in 2021 approved a resolution that seeks to repeal the marriage amendment. It must pass in two successive legislatures before it can go to the ballot.
Democrats last November regained control of the House of Delegates. The party currently holds a 21-19 majority in the Virginia Senate.
The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee earlier this month delayedconsideration of state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria)’s resolution that seeks to repeal the amendment. Henson’s bill now goes to the state Senate for consideration.
The Human Rights Campaign on Wednesday announced it has awarded grants to 25 LGBTQ rights organizations around the world.
An HRC press release notes the organizations in 24 countries will receive Global Innovation Small Grants of up to $5,000 through the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Global Partnerships Program. Queer Youth Uganda, Icebreakers Uganda, Transgender Equality Hong Kong, Equal Namibia, PFLAG Panama, CamASEAN Youth’s Future in Cambodia, the Estonian Trans Alliance, Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO in Armenia and the Mediators Foundation in Ghana are among this year’s grant recipients.
“This is what community solidarity looks like,” said Queer Youth Uganda Chief Legal Strategist Quin Mbabazi in the HRC press release. “It enables us to continue breaking barriers during such harsh and challenging moments in the Ugandan movement.”
HRC Global Partnerships Director Jean Freedberg noted the Global Small Grants program “is an opportunity for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to partner with LGBTQ+ advocates around the world to advance our common goal of equality for all.”
“By combining our knowledge, resources, and passion, we are so much stronger together,” said Freedberg. “These amazing advocates and organizations are making a difference and saving lives in each of their countries, and we are honored to be able to support their work.”
Several LGBTQ organizations in Ghana have condemned last week’s attack on a gay man at the University of Ghana’s Legon campus.
The university said a woman and a garbage director assaulted the man, who was dressed as a woman, when they discovered he was not female.
“A young man dressed like a female was seen in the Okponglo area, seeking accommodation, and was accommodated by some women in the area,” reads a statement that Dr. Elizier Ameyaw-Buronyah, the university’s director of public affairs, released. “During the night, his true identity was revealed, leading to physical assault by the women who accommodated him.”
The statement notes the assault took place behind a dorm.
“Realizing the true gender the following morning, the refuse collector also assaulted the young man, instructing him to leave the area,” said Ameyaw-Buronyah. “Security personnel were alerted by the University of Ghana students to intervene who handed both the young man and the refuse collector (both of whom are not students of the university) over to the Legon Police for investigation.”
Ameyaw-Buronyah said the university condemns the assault, while noting anyone affiliated with the university who is determined to be involved in the incident will be appropriately punished.
“The University of Ghana strongly denounces the assault and denigration perpetrated by the persons seen in the videos posted on social media on the victim, and strongly condemns such acts of lawlessness,” said Ameyaw-Buronyah. “The University of Ghana would like to affirm its commitment to the safety, dignity and inclusivity of all persons, as stated in its statutes.
LGBT+ Rights Ghana dismissed Ameyaw-Buronyah’s statement, and urged the university to reassess its position.
“The assertion that the victim was first assaulted by women and then by a refuse collector upon the discovery of their ‘true gender’ appears unsubstantiated and seeks to rationalize the victim’s abuse as a consequence of crossdressing,” said LGBT+ Rights Ghana. “Moreso, the assertion that the refuse collector would intervene and continue the assault without questioning, involving, stripping, beating, parading, filming and posting the video online flies in the face of logic and raises concerns about the level of security provided to students and visitors at the Legon campus. This claim does not just make any sense and depicts an attempt by the University authorities to cover up the truth as to what happened.”
“Even without having done any cursory investigation, the university authorities seem to excuse the actions of the perpetrators while unfairly placing the blame on the victim,” added the advocacy group. “This approach further blames the victim as the cause of what harm was perpetrated against them rather than seeking the justice they deserve.”
LGBT+ Rights Ghana urged other human rights organizations to work together to safeguard the rights and dignity of LGBTQ individuals in Ghana. It also said it is willing to work closely with the university if needed.
Rightify Ghana also criticized Ameyaw-Buronyah’s statements.
“Unfortunately this seems to indirectly victim-blame the individual involved, despite the claim that neither of the parties is a student,” said Rightify Ghana. “The university has a responsibility to address such incidents transparently, protect the rights of individuals on its campus, and ensure the safety and well-being of all students.”
Rightify Ghana further urged the university “to reevaluate and improve its response to this incident, taking into account the serious nature of the crimes committed.”
“It is essential to prioritize the rights and safety of individuals over preserving an image that fails to address the gravity of the situation at hand,” said Rightify Ghana.
The Center for Democratic Development – Ghana demanded the university launch an immediate investigation into the incident.
“CDD-Ghana condemns the recent incident involving the beating, abuse, and violations of the rights of an individual at the University of Ghana for allegedly being gay,” said the organization. “The center also condemns the filming of this barbaric action and the circulation of videos across social media. All individuals, including the victims involved in the incident, are presumed to be students at the university.”
Eduwatch called for increased security on all university campuses in the country.
“We regret that such cruel treatment was recorded on video and circulated on social media,” it said. “Eduwatch condemns in no uncertain terms this criminal inhumane and degrading act which violates the individual’s right to dignity and freedom from inhumane and degrading treatment as enshrined in Article 15 of the 1992 constitution.”
The Ghana Education Service earlier this month issued a code of conduct in primary and secondary schools. Section 2.16 (k) states any sexual conduct between students of the same sex shall constitute misconduct.
The new code of conduct has sparked concern among advocacy organizations that see it as a way to ensure those who identify as LGBTQ are silenced and treated as social delinquents. The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, which MPs first introduced in 2021, is meant to augment the 1960 criminal code that criminalizes so-called acts of unnatural carnal knowledge with up to three years’ imprisonment.
The measure would prohibit same-sex sexual activities; same-sex marriages; use of sex toys; identifying as LGBTQ; advocating for the LGBTQ community, even on social media platforms, and gender affirming surgeries, among other things.
The bill will most likely pass this year since most MPs are in favor of it.
The Human Rights Campaign will join a coalition of groups for a rally on Saturday against Project 2025, the 887-page plan that would reshape American government if a Republican is elected president in 2024.
The demonstration was organized by the Center for Popular Democracy as part of its yearlong Stop the Coup campaign. Participants will gather by the headquarters of the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, which produced Project 2025, at 1 p.m.
“A blueprint for a future dictatorship that reflects the GOP’s 2025 party platform” the Center for Popular Democracy wrote in a press release, “Project 2025 is an 887-page extremist GOP masterplan to systematically dismantle our federal government and democracy.”
The document “envisions America as a future Christian theocracy and seeks to replace public education with the Bible” and was created by “The Heritage Foundation and 75 Christian groups” as “a radical plan to retake power in America.”
Among the plans detailed in Project 2025 are the following:
• Withdrawing the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the safe and effective abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol;
• Repealing the Inflation Reduction Act, the most impactful legislation ever passed to address climate change; encouraging allied nations to use more fossil fuels; additional investment by the U.S. government in cultivating oil, gas, and coal; and prohibiting the U.S. government from regulating greenhouse gas emissions;
• Expanding presidential powers, including by ending the independence of the Justice Department, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and other agencies by putting them under control of the Executive Branch;
• Deploying the military under the Insurrection Act for purposes of quelling protests and demonstrations and directing the Justice Department to pursue people whom Donald Trump considers disloyal or political enemies (the Heritage Foundation denies the plan contains these directives);
• Rescinding anti-discrimination rules at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that cover discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity;
• Outlawing all pornography;
• Reforming the civil service by firing government employees who are insufficiently loyal to Trumpism and other conservative principles;
• Advancing a Christian nationalist theocratic agenda: “The message that America must remain Christian, that Christianity should enjoy a privileged place in society, and that the government must take steps to ensure this is clear in every section of the plan, as is the idea that American identity cannot be separated from Christianity.”
An LGBTQ advocacy organization in Kenya has unveiled a sexual reproductive health and rights guidebook that targets young queer people in the country and provides them with information to help them come out.
The National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, which is behind the new guidebook, cites misinformation, stigma and homophobic discrimination among several obstacles that young LGBTQ people face when they publicly disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Thus, NGLHRC considers the 20-page booklet that also details the latest legal and policy frameworks on the topic an essential resource to help young queer people get knowledge and assistance in overcoming homophobia.
“This resource is designed to support, educate and empower our diverse community in ensuring there is access to accurate and affirming information regarding sexual and reproductive health rights,” states the guidebook.
The newly unveiled toolkit comes amid several government policy measures to protect school-age children from so-called same-sex practices that Section 162 of the penal code criminalizes.
The Education Ministry this year, for instance, plans to hire pastors and Imams in more than 32,000 public elementary and high schools to promote value-based education that includes fighting homosexuality and other practices deemed immoral. A working group that presented a report to President William Ruto last August made the recommendation.
Education Minister Ezekiel Machogu in March 2023 confirmed to MPs the ministry’s decision to set up a Chaplains Committee led by Anglican Church Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit to stop what they have described as the infiltration of LGBTQ practices in schools.
Machogu’s revelation followed the government’s crackdown on teenage books with gay content from abroad after an uproar from parents and religious leaders.
The stiffer anti-homosexuality bill sponsored by an opposition MP Peter Kaluma, which awaits introduction in the National Assembly, would also prohibit the teaching of comprehensive sexuality education to school-age children in Kenya’s curriculum. The bill lists sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender identity, sex reassignment and homosexuality among the subjects to which students should not be exposed in school.
“A teacher, an instructor or any other person who teaches, instructs or discusses with a learner the subjects set out commits any offense and shall upon conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding one million shillings ($6,163) or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or both,” reads the bill.
The NGLHRC guidebook, however, cites the Bill of Rights in Kenya’s constitution, the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that Kenya has ratified as among the laws that protect people from any forms of discrimination. The advocacy organization instead calls for accessibility of queer-friendly educational materials, and family and community support to young people who identify as LGBTQ.
“Bodily autonomy means my body is for me; my body is my own. It is about power, and it is about agency,” reads the guidebook. “It is about choice, and it is about dignity.”
“Bodily autonomy is the foundation for gender equality, and above all, it is a fundamental right,” it adds.
NGLHRC urges young queer people to be “open and honest” about their sexual orientation instead of hiding it, but only after they seriously consider the situation in which they find themselves. Coming out, according to the guidebook, should only happen after they discover their sexuality through self-identity, acceptance and connecting with others for empowerment and growth.
It asks, for example, a young person to trust their instincts without bowing to pressure from friends and situations to come out openly.
“Coming out is your decision and your decision alone. It is a lifelong process,” reads the guidebook. “Even if other people you know have come out or if you have come out to some but not others, no one has a say in when, how, or who you come out to?”
It notes there is no right way to come out, and challenges young LGBTQ people to be mindful of their privacy while sharing information with friends after coming out since one might be at risk of harm when other people find out.
“If you choose to come out, that is important to remember — and not to be discouraged by,” states the guidebook. “You will make new friends and family, meet new partners and join new companies throughout your life. If you choose to come out, then you will have to do it countless times.”
The guidebook further advises young queer people about the importance of consent between partners in same-sex relations, and cautions them the law forbids consent for underage persons under 18 years. It also debunks myths surrounding homosexuality: Same-sex couples cannot transmit sexually transmitted infections, do not need to practice safe sex or get tested for STIs and all queer people are promiscuous and engage in risky sexual behaviors. The guidebook also addresses puberty, menstruation, hygiene, sexual and reproductive health needs and challenges, such as access to contraceptives for young LGBTQ individuals, queer parenting and centers to seek queer-friendly services in Kenya.