Africa
LGBTQ rights group sues Kenya police chief over anti-gay protests
Mombasa demonstrations began after ruling allowed NGO to register
An advocacy group in Kenya has sued Police Inspector General Japhet Koome for allowing religious leaders and lobby organizations to hold homophobic protests whenever court rulings favor the LGBTQ community.
Two petitioners ā Mr. JM and the Center for Minority Rights and Strategic Litigation ā have sued Koome in the High Court in Mombasa, the country’s second largest city, and demanded a “ban on anti-LGBTQ protests in the country.ā
The petitionersā move is in response to recent anti-LGBTQ protests, particularly in Mombasa after last monthās Supreme Court ruling that affirmed its February decision in support of the National Gay and Lesbian Rights Commission and its ability to register as an NGO.
The controversial ruling sparked criticism from clerics, politicians and the general public. Demonstrations the two petitioners have described as gross human rights violations against the LGBTQ community followed.
An MP from the ruling party and Mohamed Ali ā a celebrated investigative journalist whose anti-gay motion for the government toĀ banĀ public discussion, reporting and distribution of LGBTQ content in the country passed overwhelmingly in Parliament ā are among those behind the homophobic Mombasa protests.
Six LGBTQ lobby groups applauded the rulings as a “crucial shot in the arm towards LGBTQ rightsā and condemned protest organizers for āmobilizing towards hatred and marginalizing others.ā
Mr. JM and CMRSL have also sued two anti-LGBTQ activists and a national lobby group dubbed the “Anti-LGBTQ Movement” that organized the demonstrations, in addition to the police official whose office authorizes street marches by issuing permits to protesters.Ā Ā
āThe petitioners have sought to include new amendments to the petition filed last week via the courtās online filing system and they have until Oct. 11 when the court will give directions to the hearing of the case,ā a source familiar with the petition told the Washington Blade.
To stop any future homophobic protests, the petitioners want the court to declare the LGBTQ community is also entitled to constitutional rights and freedoms without hate or discrimination just like their opposite-sex counterparts.
They argue the anti-LGBTQ protests, characterized by incitement to violence in March and last month in response to the Supreme Courtās rulings, have led to increased cases of homophobia and threats to the lives of the queer community across the country.
The petitioners claim the “Anti-LGBTQ Movement” group has been propagating āviolence, elimination and expulsionā of the queer community from the country in its relentless homophobic campaign. They further allege that organizations working with LGBTQ people have recorded āmore than 100 cases of violence, forced evictions and denial of servicesā by landlords, employers and the public as a result of these protests.Ā
The petitioners also claim the protests have led to the shutting down of āmore than 20 organizations and medical facilitiesā that provide essential HIV and STI treatment services to LGBTQ people because of security concerns.Ā Ā Ā
Mr. MJ and CMRSL in their case have included the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, a state-funded watchdog organization, as an interested party, although it always distances itself from defending LGBTQ rights.
The Kenyan Constitution, which only recognizes consensual opposite-sex relations, directs the KNCHR. Section 162 of the penal code criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual relations.Ā
This sidelining has forced the LGBTQ community to demand a representative to the KNCHR to represent their interests, such as intersex people who are represented after a landmark law that recognizes them as Kenya’s third sex, took effect in July 2022. The petitioners did not engage KNCHR before listing it as an interested party.
The state-funded National Cohesion and Integration Commission, Amnesty International Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission are among the other institutions the two petitioners have included in the case as interested parties.
Amnesty International Kenya with Irungu Houghton as its executive director on Sept. 30 held the “State of Freedoms and Rights in 2023” conference in partnership with United States International University Africa in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. Participants demanded respect for the rights of every person, including members of the LGBTQ community.
The rights organization vowed to fight any infringement of the rights of any person or group, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, in line with its newly launched 4-year strategic framework for 2024-2028 that will guide its human rights advocacy.
Meanwhile, some parents in one of Kenyaās all female high schools are angry after administratorsĀ suspended 18 students who allegedly engaged in what they described as lesbianism.
The students’ suspension from Cardinal Otunga Girls’ High School in the western part of the country last week has caused fury among their parents, because they are set to start taking their final high school national exams on Oct. 10. This action comes amid the government’s plans to consider a recommendation from a presidential task force on education reforms to hire imams and chaplains in schools to guide students against what they feel is the infiltration of LGBTQ practices.
Uganda
Uganda Human Rights Commission asks government to decriminalize homosexuality
Anti-Homosexuality Act took effect in 2023
Ugandaās state-funded human rights body has broken its silence on the queer communityās rights by advocating for their protection amid the enacted Anti-Homosexuality Act that is currently under appeal at the Supreme Court.
The Uganda Human Rights Commission on Sept. 26 while defending LGBTQ rights asked President Yoweri Museveniās government to decriminalize homosexuality and other āvictimless crimes.ā
āCriminalizing such acts often results in unjust and disproportionate punishment, especially for vulnerable groups in our society,ā Mariam Wangadya, who chairs the commission, said.
Wangadya, a lawyer and human rights advocate, spoke for the first time about the commission’s position on queer rights in Uganda since President Yoweri Museveni in May 2023 signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act.
She spoke during the annual stakeholders meeting for ACTV-Uganda, a rights organization that advocates against torture, gender-based violence, and other forms of violence, and has provided care to victims and survivors for 30 years with the commission’s support.
Wangadya acknowledged ACTV-Ugandaās important role in providing the commission with medical reports for torture cases to assist it in determining compensation for survivors of torture to rebuild their lives.
āOf the 939 cases currently pending a hearing before our tribunal, 50 percent of those are allegations of violation of the right to freedom from torture, inhuman and degrading treatment,ā she noted.
Her sentiments on the commission’s stand on LGBTQ rights also come barely two weeks after holding talks with two rights groups: The Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) and Support Initiative for People with Congenital Disorders (SIPD), an intersex lobby group, on Sept. 14.
The meeting between the commission, HRAPF, and SIPD, which also documents and publishes reports on queer rights abuses in Uganda, explored human rights violations based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics.
āWe must ensure that every person in Uganda enjoys their human rights without discrimination,ā Wangadya said.
The commission also noted that engaging the intersex lobby group was vital to address their āoften-overlooked issues and rights.ā
The Ugandan government has yet to recognize intersex people as a protected minority group, unlike in Kenya. This year’s national Census did not count them.
HRAPF Executive Director Adrian Jjuuko applauded the meeting with Wangadya as a āprogressive stepā in defending the rights of the queer community and intersex people.
āWe commend the commission on creating a space for dialogue on issues of criminalized minorities in Uganda,ā Jjuuko said.
Wangadya held the first meeting with Jjuuko on Sept. 9. It focused on HRAPF’s periodical reports on violations against sexual minorities in Uganda.
Wangadya and Jjuuko during the meeting both agreed that all people deserve protection under the law and the commission has to protect everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
āYou need to talk to the Judiciary, the police, and the director of Public Prosecutions. These are our major disturbing areas,ā Jjuuko said, accusing the three government agencies of undermining intersex and LGBTQ rights in the country.
Wangadya acknowledged the contribution of the three judicial agencies in protecting and upholding human rights, but noted that there is a need for working with Kenya, South Africa, and other countries to understand how they navigate LGBTQ and intersex legal issues.
āKenya will be much better for benchmarking considering that in South Africa the constitution provides for that (queer rights.) Benchmarking from a country like Kenya with similar laws mayĀ be more helpful,ā she said. Ā Ā Ā
The Wangadya also committed to tapping into HRAPFās human rights strategies and experiences to improve the commission’s mechanisms.Ā
HRAPF promotes respect for the rights of marginalized and minority groups in Uganda through advocacy, offering legal aid, and providing capacity building. Its latest August report on monthly advocacy, violence and other human rights abuses based on sexual orientation or gender identity since the Anti-Homosexuality Act took effect shows anti-LGBTQ violence remains rampant, while evictions and arrests continue to drop.
The report states that a total of 56 human rights violations were recorded in August, versus 72 cases in July.
Of the 56 cases, 20 cases (35.7 percent) were based on sexual orientation or gender identity, versus 34 cases (41.2 percent) in July. The number of also reported victims also dropped from 40 people in July to 24 people in August. The 20 cases targeting LGBTQ people involved violence and threats (10), eviction from housing (nine), and one arrest.
Ugandaās Women Human Rights Defenders Network welcomed the commission’s inaugural meetings with HRAPF and SIPD, and asked the state-funded rights body to continue holding regular dialogues to help ācreate an enabling environment for SOGIESC (sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.)ā
Wangadya’s comments coincided with a protest outside Uganda’s Permanent Mission to the U.N. in New York that a group of activists organized.
The World Bank Group in August 2023 suspended new lending to Uganda in response to the Anti-Homosexuality Act. The activists who organized the protest demanded the World Bank not resume loans to the country.
Africa
Anglican Church of Southern Africa rejects blessings for same-sex couples
South Africa’s Inclusive and Affirming Ministries criticized resolution
The Anglican Church of Southern Africa has rejected a proposal that would have allowed bishops to bless couples in same-sex unions.
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba in April urged the Provincial Synod, the ACSA’s highest decision council, to consider offering blessings for couples in same-sex relationships.
The Church of England, which is the ACSA’s parent church, on Dec. 17, 2023, announced it would allow bishops to bless couples in same-sex unions. Since the resolution, however, several churches under the Church of England have not implemented it.
In response to proposals to the Synod from the Right Rev. Raphael Hess, bishop of Saldanha Bay in South Africa, who is the first within the ACSA to approve blessings for couples in same-sex unions after the Church of England’s resolution, and the Right Rev. Stephen Diseko, dean of the province and bishop of Matlosane, which is also in South Africa, the Provincial Synod in a Sept. 25 press release said marriage is between one man and one woman for life.
Makgoba before the Synod said the church needed a deeper understanding on the prospects of the LGBTQ community within the ACSA.
“Since Provincial Synod 1989, we have been trying to reconcile our understanding of the nature of God with how we minister to LGBTQI+ members in our pews,” he said. “Have we listened to and adequately sought reconciliation with one another on providing appropriate pastoral care to loving faithful couples in same-sex civil unions? What is this Provincial Synod, 35 years later, going to resolve beyond flowery words?”
“In my past 16 years, I have relied for guidance on such matters on, in no particular order, theological advisers, the Canon Law Council, the Southern African Anglican Theological Commission, Safe and Inclusive Church, the Anglican Board of Education, the Synod of Bishops, Scripture of courses, and on the lived experiences of our parishioners in such unions and relationships,” added Makgoba.
Inclusive and Affirming Ministries, a South African LGBTQ rights group, said it was deeply disappointed over the Provincial Synodās decision.
“This decision, along with the rejection of a set of prayers drawn up by bishops for providing pastoral ministry to members in civil unions, feels like a missed opportunity to move toward a more inclusive and compassionate expression of faith,” said the organization.
Inclusive and Affirming Ministries also said the decision to withhold blessings and deny prayers of pastoral care to those in civil unions will further marginalize LGBTQ people.
“Through our work, we also know that religious-instigated forms of hostility meted out against LGBTIQ+ people have been the root cause of the perpetuation of violence, hate speech, and hate crimes,” said the group. “The Synodās choice to move away from this compassionate path suggests that much work remains to be done in the journey toward full inclusion.”
Inclusive and Affirming Ministries nevertheless commended Hess and Diseko for bringing their proposal to the Synod.
“The theological insights offered by Bishop Hess and Bishop Diseko during the debates were grounded in love, respect for conscience, and the universal recognition of human dignity,” said the group. “We remain hopeful and committed to fostering spaces where LGBTIQ+ individuals feel affirmed, supported, and welcomed in their faith communities. We will continue to advocate for pastoral care and recognition of the diversity of sexual orientation within the church and other faith communities.”
Four countries ā Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa ā and St. Helena, a British overseas territory, comprise ACSA with more than three million parishioners.
South Africa and St. Helena are the only jurisdictions within the ACSA that fully recognize the rights of LGBTQ people.
The Namibian Supreme Court in 2023Ā ruledĀ the country must recognize same-sex marriages legally performed elsewhere. The country’s government in July appealed a ruling that overturned an apartheid-era sodomy law.
Uganda
Activists urge the World Bank not to resume lending to Uganda
Country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act signed in 2023
A group of activists who organized a protest outside Uganda’s Permanent Mission to the U.N. in New York on Thursday demanded the World Bank Group not resume loans to the country.
The World Bank in August 2023Ā suspendedĀ new lending to Uganda in response to the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act that President Yoweri Museveni signed.
“The law needs to be struck down and repealed. Hard stop,” acting U.S. World Bank Executive Director L. Felice Gorordo told the Washington Blade during a March 27, 2024, interview at his office in Washington. “We continue to advocate for that.”
Thursday’s protest coincided with the U.N. General Assembly that began earlier in the week in New York.
A press release the activists issued before the protest notes the World Bank “recently started testing a package of ‘mitigation measures’ to determine if discrimination is taking place.” The Council for Global Equality, the Human Rights Campaign, Immigration Equality, Outright International, Sexual Minorities Uganda, and Health GAP are among the more than 100 LGBTQ rights organizations from around the world that urged World Bank President Ajay Banga inĀ a Sept. 16 letterĀ not to restart lending to Uganda.
“We are writing to you from Uganda and around the world now because we are alarmed by the World Bankās plan for mitigation measures in Uganda,” reads the letter. “The World Bank has announced that it will be testing the effectiveness of ‘mitigation measures’ from July-September 2024 and that the World Bank will restart lending if they decide the measures are effective in protecting LGBTQ+ people from discrimination.”
Richard Lusimbo, director general of the Uganda Key Population Consortium, in the press release said the World Bank’s “so-called āmitigation measuresā are a faƧade, designed to provide the illusion of protection.ā
āThey rely on perpetrators of discrimination ā the government of Uganda ā to implement the measures fairly,” he said. “How can they be taken seriously?ā
A World Bank spokesperson on Friday responded to the Washington Blade’s request for comment about the protest.
āThe World Bank cannot deliver on its mission to end poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet unless all people can participate in, and benefit from, the projects we finance,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson referred the Blade to an Aug. 8, 2023, statement that announced the suspension of new loans to Uganda.
“Immediately after the law was enacted, the World Bank deployed a team to Uganda to review our portfolio in the context of the new legislation,” reads the statement. “That review determined additional measures are necessary to ensure projects are implemented in alignment with our environmental and social standards. Our goal is to protect sexual and gender minorities from discrimination and exclusion in the projects we finance. These measures are currently under discussion with the authorities.”
“We will not propose any new public financing for Uganda to our board until we are satisfied that additional mitigation measures are in place,” the spokesperson told the Blade on Friday. “These mitigation measures have been designed to ensure beneficiaries of bank-financed projects are not discriminated against and receive equal access to services.”
One such mitigation measure is “stakeholder engagement” that, among other things, seeks to strengthen “consultations to detect instances of exclusion or discrimination (do-no harm safety.)” Another specifically highlights “labor and working conditions” and focuses on the need for “training on inclusion and non-discrimination for borrowers (e.g., contractors and sub-contractors) and mobilization of communities” and including “provisions of non-discrimination in contracts.”
The World Bank has said the Ugandan government has agreed to the mitigation measures.
Clare Byarugaba of Chapter 4 Uganda said there “can be no business as usual between the World Bank and the government of Uganda while this law remains in force.”
“We are gravely concerned that President Banga is turning his back on us, and breaking his commitments to ensuring non-discrimination,ā she said.