Africa
U.N. Development Program lauds Angola government for progress on LGBTQ rights
African country decriminalized homosexuality in 2021
The U.N. Development Program has lauded the government of Angola for its efforts to protect LGBTQ rights.
Speaking on Monday at the opening ceremony of the See Beyond Your Prejudice photographic exhibition UNDP hosted alongside Associaçao Íris Angola, an LGBTQ rights organization, in Luanda, the Angolan capital, UNDP Angola Deputy Resident Representative Soahangy Mamisoa Rangers said the country was an example of gender inclusivity.
“Sexual and gender diversity deserve to be celebrated, instead of being a reason to exclude citizens from their rights and dignity,” said Rangers. “Angola is an example on the African region that criminalizes discrimination based on sexual orientation, including in the workplace and for the Human Rights National Strategy, which clearly mentions LGBT people.”
Rangers also said the UNDP is proud to work with its partners towards sustainable and inclusive development from which marginalized people can benefit.
Keke Petrova director of LGBT Angola, an Angolan LGBTQ rights group, said, however, the LGBTQ community is still stigmatized in spite of the government banning discrimination against it.
“Like everything in life, we are not everyone’s cup of tea but gladly there are more and more people willing to learn and understand what we mean and what we have to say,” said Petrova.
Petrova added they “fear for our safety” ahead of the country’s general elections that are scheduled to take place in August.
“We have not seen an attempt directly of appealing the legalization of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, but most news related to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is often silenced here, through deaths, rapes and assaults,” said Petrova. “So, my concern is that this year the government might try to act against us because of the looming presidential elections set to take place in August, as a result, I am really thinking about launching a preventive suicide and mental health line.”
“However, besides that, the legalization of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community has brought more awareness to the people,” added Petrova. “We keep on fighting through dialogues, conversations and we reach out and talk about 2SLGBTQIA+ issues to all that want to learn, and the feedback has been positive.”
Angola’s new Penal Code that decriminalized same-sex relations took effect on Feb. 10, 2021.
It introduced protections based on sexual orientation into some of Angola’s non-discriminatory provisions and mentioned sexual orientation in the hate speech clauses of the Penal Code.
These changes were the first rewriting of colonial-era laws since Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
A poll the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association conducted in 2017 found 61 percent of Angolans support equal rights for gay, lesbian and bisexual people.
Sixty-five percent of them said they should be protected from discrimination in the workplace, while 27 percent of Angolans said people who are in same-sex relationships should face criminal charges.
The ILGA poll found 63 percent of Angolans support equal rights for transgender people. Seventy-two percent of them said they should be protected from employment discrimination and 49 percent indicated their support for trans Angolans’ ability to change their legal gender.
Africa
Burundi’s president reiterates LGBTQ people should be stoned in a stadium
Évariste Ndayishimiye first made comment last December
Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye on March 8 reiterated his call for LGBTQ people to be stoned in a stadium.
Ndayishimiye made the remark during the commemoration of the International Women’s Day in Gitega, the country’s political capital. He first called for the public stoning of LGBTQ people last December during a public event.
LGBTQ activists sharply criticized the comments and some international diplomats even threatened to cut economic ties with Burundi. Ndayishimiye, however, seems unmoved by this pushback and maintained that if it meant if his nation would cut economic ties with the developed countries on the basis of his anti-LGBTQ stance then so be it, reaffirming that nothing will change his stance.
Jésus Dior Kant, a gay man and LGBTQ activist from Burundi, said the president’s remarks are tantamount to publicly calling for the lynching of gay people.
“This violent and anti-LGBT+ rhetoric endangers the lives of many individuals in Burundi and stains the nation’s commitment to human rights,” said Kant. “Such discourse not only incites homophobia and violence but also violates international human rights laws and norms that protect individuals regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Kant also said what Ndayishimiye said now poses a real and immediate threat for LGBTQ people in the country.
“The impact of this statement is not merely rhetorical, it poses a real and immediate threat to the safety and well-being of the LGBT+ community in Burundi,” said Kant. “It encourages hate crimes, promotes discrimination and undermines progress made towards equality and justice. This is not just a problem for the LGBT+ community but a stain on the moral fabric of our global society, reflecting on us all.”
Kant called for Ndayishimiye to immediately withdraw his remarks and commit to protecting the rights of LGBTQ people in the country.
“Your call to stone gay individuals constitutes a blatant violation of human rights and an incitement to violence and discrimination,” said Kant. “We implore you to take the necessary measures to withdraw your statement advocating violence against the LGBT+ community, commit to protecting LGBT+ individuals in Burundi by enforcing laws that guarantee rights and well-being and respecting international human rights conventions, ensuring that Burundi is a nation that respects and values every human life.”
Clémentine de Montjoye, a researcher at Human Rights Watch’s Africa Division, said the anti-LGBTQ crackdown in Burundi could become worse, including continued political repression and restrictions on freedom of expression to maintain the governing party’s control.
“This type of fearmongering is not new in Burundi, where sexual relations between people of the same sex have been illegal since former President Pierre Nkurunziza signed a new criminal code into law in 2009,” noted de Montjove. “The law was a fierce blow to Burundi’s LGBT people, who had begun to come out and organize, albeit in small numbers, to demand their rights be respected.”
De Montjove further noted the National Assembly’s human rights commission added the anti-homosexuality provision in the 2009 criminal code at the last minute, apparently under pressure from Nkurunziza, who made statements on television that described homosexuality as a curse.
“Ndayishimiye, who presents himself as a progressive, rights-respecting leader, should be working to reverse this trend rather than stoking more fear and hatred,” said de Montjoye.
Africa
Ugandan appeals court upholds ruling that blocked LGBTQ group from registering
Decision ‘doesn’t faze us’
A Ugandan appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling that prevented an LGBTQ rights group from legally registering in the country.
The Uganda Registration Services Bureau in 2012 refused to legally recognize Sexual Minorities Uganda. The Uganda High Court upheld the decision in 2018, and SMUG appealed it to the country’s Registrar Court of Appeal.
“The LGBTQ community views this ruling as a missed opportunity to address the suppression of their freedom of association, instead focusing on perceived societal norms,” said SMUG in a press release. “It underscores a recurring trend in Ugandan courts, wherein rights of LGBTQ persons are marginalized, further widening the gap between legal protections and lived realities and experiences.”
Katie Hultquist of Outright International in a post to her X account expressed her personal support for SMUG Executive Director Frank Mugisha, his organization and other activists in the country. Mugisha said SMUG is “fully committed to elevating this challenge to the next level.”
“After thorough debriefing, we will communicate our next strategic steps,” said Mugisha. “This ruling doesn’t faze us.”
The appeals court issued its ruling less than a year after President Yoweri Museveni signed the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, which contains a death penalty provision for “aggravated homosexuality.”
The Constitutional Court in December heard arguments in a lawsuit that challenges the law. It is not clear when a ruling will be issued.
Africa
Prominent Angolan activist found dead in his home
Authorities say Carlos Fernandes showed signs he was strangled
Authorities in Angola on Feb. 26 found a prominent activist dead in his home.
Associação Íris Angola in a Facebook post wrote Carlos Fernandes, the group’s executive director, “was found lifeless in his residence” in Luanda, the country’s capital. Angolan media reports indicate authorities continue to investigate his death, but they suspect he was strangled.
His funeral took place on March 1. Activists throughout the country have organized candlelight vigils and other events to honor Fernandes.
“His departure leaves a huge void in our community and a deep mourning in our hearts,” said Associação Íris Angola.
Angolan lawmakers in 2020 decriminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations and banned violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation in the former Portuguese colony. Fernandes was among the activists who championed these advances.
The State Department’s 2022 human rights report notes violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity remains commonplace in Angola. Angolan media reports indicate Fernandes is the second LGBTQ person found dead with signs of strangulation in recent weeks.
“Carlos Fernandes led the first LGBTQI+ group in Angola, and tirelessly advocated for human rights and ending the threat of HIV/AIDS,” said U.S. Agency for International Development Samantha Power in a March 6 post to her X account.
U.S. Ambassador to Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe Tulinabo Mushingi in a statement noted his embassy “was proud to partner with Mr. Fernandes over the past decade.”
“We are grateful for his important contributions to our programs supporting human rights, fighting against stigma and discrimination, expanding access to health and education resources for LGBTQI+ communities, combatting human trafficking and more,” said Mushingi. “In particular, his contributions to our PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) program expanded protection and treatment for HIV/AIDS to previously unreached communities.”
PEPFAR echoed these sentiments, noting Fernandes’ “contributions expanded protection and treatment for HIV/AIDS to previously unreached communities.”
“Carlos Fernandes is remembered as a resolute, strong, welcoming person,” said Mushingi. “As a true pioneer in the fight against discrimination, he created a family among the LGBTQI+ community in Angola, and his legacy as an activist will be carried on by generations of LGBTQI+ Angolans.”
“We trust that the Angolan authorities will conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that any parties responsible are held accountable,” he added.
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