- But there are some rays of light...
- BBC News - Amnesty International condemns 'homophobia' in Africa
- EU rules that gay Africans are entitled to asylum
- Commonwealth summit: The countries where it is illegal to be gay
But there are some rays of light...
He told BBC Focus on Africa he started receiving homophobic text messages, so he decided to pass the night at a hotel in the outskirts of the capital, Freetown: By the time I could realise [what was going on] the glass on my side was smashed, so I moved to the passenger seat and later on the other glass was smashed. I managed to move out of the car and during that process I was severely beaten and I sustained bruises and injuries on my back, some lashes. Then I had to escape from the scene and report the matter to the police station.
It was around There was a note which was left inside the car which said: Most of the time the police turn a blind eye to cases relating to sexual orientation and gender identity in Sierra Leone and we receive a lot of homophobic slurs. Being gay in Sierra Leone is a very traumatic situation because you have to go through a lot of family rejection; you have to go through a lot of religious restrictions and things like that.
One thing that hurts is that violence is part of your life - you have to accept violence. No sooner [do] you come out than the problem starts. The parliaments of Uganda, Liberia and Nigeria have draft laws before them, seeking to increase penalties. In South Africa, at least seven people, five of them lesbians, were murdered between June and November in what appears to have been targeted violence related to their sexual orientation or gender identity, the report says.
This is despite the fact that homosexual acts are not illegal in South Africa and the country boasts one of the most progressive constitutions in the world, it adds.
BBC News - Amnesty International condemns 'homophobia' in Africa
In many instances, media reports also inflame hostility towards people not conforming to heterosexual norms, Amnesty says. In , Uganda's Rolling Stone magazine published a photograph of gay rights activist David Kato next to a headline reading "Hang Them", it says. Just a month later, he was killed in his home, although the police have denied it was a hate crime. In Sierra Leone last month, a gay activist was beaten up and whipped by attackers after a local newspaper printed his photo and an article he had written for a foreign magazine in about his sexuality.
Seven years ago, a lesbian, FannyAnn Eddy, was killed allegedly because of her sexuality, he says. In Cameroon, people are regularly arrested after being denounced as being gay or lesbian because of their "appearance or conjecture, rather than evidence", Amnesty says.
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Some individuals accused of same sex conduct in Cameroon have been imprisoned for three years without trial or charge, it adds. Former detainees from Cameroon told Amnesty that they were subjected to "invasive procedures such as forced anal exams" while in custody, the report says. In Kenya, people told Amnesty that sometimes the police threaten to arrest them under provisions in the penal code related to same-sex relations in order to obtain a bribe, the report adds.
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This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets CSS enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. In response, Deputy Information Minister Sheka Tarawallie told the news media in November that "it is not possible that we will legalise same sex marriages as they run counter to our culture". The president of the Methodist Church in Sierra Leone, Bishop Arnold Temple , said, "The church in Sierra Leone will do everything possible to protect democracy but our values will not accept the call from Mr Cameron for countries in the Commonwealth We call on the government Africa should not be seen as a continent in need to be influenced by the demonic threat as our values are totally different.
Department of State 's Human Rights Report found:. A law from prohibits male homosexual acts "buggery" and "crimes against nature" ; however, there is no legal prohibition against female-to-female sex. The law carries a penalty of life imprisonment for "indecent assault" upon a man or 10 years for attempting such an assault.
EU rules that gay Africans are entitled to asylum
However, the law was not enforced in practice. During the country's Universal Periodic Review before the UN Human Rights Council in May , the attorney general told the Working Group that all persons in the country would be protected regardless of their sexual orientation.
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However, the government subsequently rejected three of Working Group recommendations, two calling for decriminalizing all sexual activity between consulting adults and one calling for legislation to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Despite the lack of enforcement of the law, police continued to harass, detain, beat, and denounce persons perceived to be members of the LGBT community.
Men dressed as women were singled out for detention, harassment, and public humiliation but were not formally charged with any crime or misdemeanor. Gay pride parades and other public displays of solidarity could not safely take place. Social discrimination based on sexual orientation occurred in nearly every facet of life for known gays and lesbians, and many chose to have heterosexual relationships and family units to shield them.
In the areas of employment and education, sexual orientation was the basis for abusive treatment, which led individuals to leave their jobs or courses of study. It was difficult for gay men and lesbians to receive health services due to fear that their confidentiality rights would be ignored if they were honest about their ailments; many chose not to be tested or treated for sexually transmitted infections.
Secure housing was also a problem for LGBT persons. The families of LGBT persons frequently shunned their gay children, leading some children to turn to prostitution to survive. Adults could lose their leases if their sexual orientation became public. Lesbian girls and women were also victims of "planned rapes" that were initiated by family members in an effort to change their sexual orientation. Religious groups reportedly promoted discrimination against the LGBT community. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Quietly in the Closet", Cable from the U.
Commonwealth summit: The countries where it is illegal to be gay
LGBT rights in Africa. Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland. Retrieved from " https: Use dmy dates from January Views Read Edit View history. This page was last edited on 15 January , at