Africa
Prominent Kenyan government officials’ Meta accounts suspended over anti-gay posts
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s wife’s Facebook account deactivated
Meta is cracking down on influential senior government officials in Kenya for sharing homophobic posts on their social media pages.
The latest person against whom the U.S.-based social media company has cracked down is second lady Dorcas Rigathi, whose husband is Deputy President RigathiĀ Gachagua.
Her Facebook page with about 200,000 followers was deactivated last Friday over an anti-homosexualityĀ post. It was restored on Monday.
An official in the Spouse of the Deputy Presidentās office who the Washington Blade contacted on Wednesday did not provide details about discussions with Meta that led to the accountās restoration with the same homophobic content.
Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura also could not comment on Metaās action, despite requesting the questions. President William Ruto during Kenyaās Independence Day celebration on Tuesday revealed he had spoken with the company and agreed to monetize content for creators.
The temporary account deactivation for violating the companyās community standards was in response to a book launch event with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveniās daughter, Patience Rwabwogo, on Tuesday in Nairobi where the second lady, an evangelical pastor, stated that “LGBTQ does not have a place in Africa.ā
Metaās community policies consider sexual orientation among the āprotected characteristics,ā along with religious affiliation, sex and gender identity that are categorized under hate speech when violated.
Gachagua spoke in expressing her solidarity with Rwabwogo, who is also a pastor, and Ugandans against sanctions the U.S. has imposed against Kampala and several government officials over the enactment of the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act that is being challenged in court.
This is after Rwabwogo, who was launching her religious book, requested the gathering full of clerics for divine intervention over the sanctions as her husband, Odrek Rwabwogo, who is one of Museveni’s advisors, prepared to visit Washington to defend Ugandaās stance on LGBTQ rights and the looming expulsion from a program that allows sub-Saharan African countries to trade duty-free with the U.S.
āThe reason why Uganda is being targeted over LGBTQ is because the enemy always wants to divide, conquer and isolate,” Rwabwogo said. “This worked very well in the time of colonialism and the church has to stand as one and say you are not going to divide and isolate us.ā
Dorcas Rigathi stated āit is better not to have trade but have our integrity and our moralityā and called for unity āas Africaā to prevail over LGBTQ issues.Ā
āWe have been divided by imaginary boundaries and stories about Africa,” she said. “Who knows more about Africa than you? Who knows Africa and its greatness more than ourselves? The African problems will be solved by Africans.ā
āI say that one (LGBTQ), Iām not there and it should not happen and it must never happen and we will continue saying that,ā added Dorcas Rigathi.
A day after her Meta deactivated her account, Dorcas Rigathi, who has been a fierce anti-homosexuality campaigner since the Kenyan Supreme Courtās controversial ruling in February that allowed the National Gay and Lesbian Rights Commission to register as an NGO, maintained she wonāt beĀ intimidatedĀ to change her stand on LGBTQ issues.Ā
āI stand for what God wants us to do,” she said. “Constitutionally it is a marriage between a man and a woman, not a man and a man, or woman and a woman. Our culture also says no to LGBTQ. And that is my conviction and that is what my God has said.ā
Dorcas Rigathi, however, noted āif others want to do in their countries and if that is what their god says let them do, we respect them.ā
A group of Muslim religious leaders in Mombasa who condemned the West for what they describe as imposing homosexuality on Kenyans against their societyās values and the holy books, welcomed Dorcas Rigathi’s anti-LGBTQ position.
Dorcas Rigathi is the second top Kenyan official to have Meta deactivate their Facebook account over anti-LGBTQ posts.
Meta in March permanently disabled Former Nairobi City Gov. Mike Sonko’s Facebook account, which had nearly 2.5 million followers. The U.S. in the same month banned him and his family from traveling to the U.S. because of corruption allegations.
Sonko in his anti-LGBTQ Facebook post had demanded the prohibition of homosexuality in Kenya ābefore it messes our young generation.ā He was asked to apologize to the queer community before appealing to Meta for the restoration of his account but the defiant ex-governor vowed not to apologize.
The deactivation of Sonko’s account came barely a month after Instagram, which Meta owns, banned the account of Daddy Owen, a popular gospel singer, over homophobic comments.
Sonko last Friday sympathized with Dorcas Rigathi after Meta disabled her account.
āLet’s embrace our African culture by appreciating marriage and love between man and woman, not same-sex marriage or sex,ā he said, recalling how he also lost his official account for expressing āmy concerns against those pushing for recognition of LGBTQ rights in Kenya.āĀ
Sonko opined Kenya is a āGod-fearing countryā that wonāt be āSodom and Gomorrah for even a day.āĀ
Africa
For queer Nigerians, being on gay dating apps is still a risk
Homophobes target users for violence
Gay hookup apps like Grindr, and dating apps like Tinder and Bumble have managed to proliferate queer communities in countries like Nigeria.
Those who seek one night stands find what they want while those looking for love equally find what they seek. These platforms have managed to position themselves as safe spaces for queer people in anti-gay Nigeria. In recent times, however, it is proving to be unsafe, as homophobic people are quickly learning about the apps, and opening accounts that either seek to outrightly threaten queer people, or pretend to be queer, have long chats with gay people, invite them over, and inflict violence on them.
Take the case of Biodun, a queer Nigerian man who joined Grindr to meet up with guys like him.
After Biodun had built a connection and agreed to meet with someone whose display name was āMamba,ā they decided to meet up only for him to be met with violence. Apparently, Mamba ran a catfish account.
āIāll never forget that day,ā Biodun, who asked the Washington Blade not to use his last name because of safety concerns, said. āI still think about it, and sometimes blame myself for being very careless, even though Grindr was supposed to be our safe space.āĀ
Biodunās experience isnāt peculiar to him.
In Nigeria, draconian laws that criminalize same-sex relationships exist, making queer people turn to the digital realm to explore their identities and seek connections beyond the confines of societal oppression that comes with the physical environment. Gay dating apps such as Grindr, therefore, have emerged as virtual sanctuaries, offering spaces for queer Nigerians to forge friendships, find solidarity, and pursue romantic or sexual relationships. Spaces like this, however, have morphed into a landscape fraught with danger, as homophobic people have weaponized these platforms to perpetuate hate and violence.
āSometimes, I often wonder how they learned about these platforms,ā Daniel, which is not his real name, told the Blade. āYou would think that it is just us in the platforms, until you find out that the accounts are rooted in homophobia.āĀ
One time, someoneās bio read, āI’m only here to deal with the gay people. I know all of you, and I will find and kill you. We no want una for here (translates to we do not want you here, in English.)ā It was a stark reminder that these spaces are no longer LGBTQ-friendly for Nigerians. In 2014, there was the passage of the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act by former President Goodluck Jonathan, which not only criminalized same-sex unions, but also imposed severe penalties on anyone involved in LGBTQ advocacy or support.
This law catalyzed a surge in discrimination and violence against queer Nigerians; emboldening regular civilians, religious extremists, and even law enforcement agencies to target individuals perceived as deviating from traditional gender and sexual norms. Again, amid this hostile environment, gay dating apps emerged as lifelines for many queer Nigerians, offering avenues for discreet communication, community building, and the pursuit of intimate relationships.
The very anonymity and freedom these apps provided, however, became double-edged swords.
The advent of screenshot and screen-recording capabilities on these apps, for example, reduced the risks of exposure, strengthening the safety and privacy of users. However, this also comes with its own lapses, as queer people using Grindr have often relied on screenshots and screen recordings to confirm the identities of potentials with their friends, before accepting to meet.
āBefore the removal of the screenshot option, I usually shared photos of others with my trusted friends,ā Biodun shared. āBut since that was taken off, there was no way for me to do that.ā
Although, according to Grindrās terms and conditions, the removal came with privacy concerns, as it was to facilitate a safe dating experience.
This erosion of digital safe spaces is depriving queer Nigerians of vital avenues for self-expression and affirmation,and is exacerbating the psychological toll of living in a society that continues to systematically demonize their identities. Moreover, the normalization of homophobic rhetoric and violence in both physical and digital realms has perpetuated a cycle of fear and oppression, and is reinforcing this notion that LGBTQ individuals are inherently unworthy of dignity and respect. Despite these challenges, though, the resilience of queer Nigerians continue to persist, as they defy societal norms and assert their right to love and be loved.
Africa
Upcoming Ugandan Census will not count intersex people
Advocacy group report documents rampant discrimination, marginalization
Uganda’s national Census next month will not count intersex people.
The revelation about the exclusion of intersex Ugandans in the 9-day Census exercise that will begin on May 10 has been confirmed to the Washington Blade by the head of Uganda’s Bureau of Statistics.
UBOS Executive Director Chris Mukiza in response to the Blade’s questions on the issue said the agency has “no business with intersex.”
Their counting could have made Uganda the second African country and the third globally after Australia and Kenya to collect an intersex personās data in a Census.Ā
Kenya’s 2019 Census determined there were more than 1,500 intersex people in the country.
Uganda had a population of 34.8 million, according to the country’s last Census that took place in 2014.
Intersex people in Uganda are among marginalized groups, subject to stigma and discrimination. The government has yet to recognize them as the third sex and consider them among other minority groups, such as people with disabilities, who enjoy special treatment.
Intersex people cannot be exclusively categorized as male or female for having a biological congenital condition with unique sex characteristics due to inherent and mixed anatomical, hormonal, gonadal, or chromosomal patterns that could be apparent before, at birth, in childhood, puberty, or adulthood.
Mukizaās position of excluding intersex people in the Census, however, comes amid the prime minister’s office’s demands for inclusivity and equality for all the population. (The Constitutional Court on April 3Ā refusedĀ to ānullify the Anti-Homosexuality Act in its totality.ā)
āWe recognize that much work remains to be done particularly in addressing the needs of the marginalized and vulnerable communities, promoting inclusive economic growth, and combating climate change,ā said Dunstan Balaba, the permanent secretary in the prime ministerās office.
Balaba spoke on April 18 during the National Population and Housing Census prayer breakfast meeting the UBOS convened. Religious leaders and other stakeholders attended it.
President Yoweri Museveni has noted that data from the countryās sixth national Census will be crucial towards achieving the nation’s Vision 2040 and help the government, non-governmental organizations, and donors in providing services to the diverse population.
āIt will also provide the basis for planning the provision of social services such as education, health, and transport, among others at the national and local level,ā Museveni said as he urged citizens to fully support the Census and provide accurate information.
Uganda has an intersex rights organization, “Support Initiative for People with Atypical Sex Development (SIPD),” which activist Julius Kaggwa founded in 2008 with the support of groups that advocate for children, women, and other marginalized populations.
Some of SIPDās work as a non-profit, grassroots organization includes community outreach and engagement, sharing reliable information with the society for the protection of intersex peopleās rights, and championing the need for organized medical and psychological support.
The organization, through its numerous reports, has decried human rights violations against intersex people that include surgery without consent, discrimination in homes, schools and medical centers, parents abandoning intersex children, and stigma due to lack of legal protection by the government.
Uganda’s Registration of Births and Deaths Act allows a parent or guardian of a child under the age of 21 to change the name or sex at the local registration office. The SIPD, however, maintains this law is discriminatory to intersex people over 21 who want to change their sex characteristics, and want parliament to repeal it.
The intersex rights organization wants the Health Ministry to establish a central registry to register intersex children after they’re born in order to receive support in terms of healthcare, social and legal by the government and other stakeholders as they grow up.
SIPD particularly wants the government to enact a policy that would allow a gender-neutral marker on birth certificates for intersex children to ease any change of sex in the future. The organization also wants the government, through the Education Ministry, to adopt a curriculum that also considers intersex issues in schools and creates a friendly environment for intersex children to learn and graduate like their non-intersex peers.
These demands follow SIPDās findings that disclosed many intersex children were dropping out of school because of the stigma and discrimination they suffered. The organization has further called on the public-funded Uganda Human Rights Commission to live up to its constitutional mandates of defending human rights by leading the promotion and protection of the rights of intersex people across the country.
SIPD has also challenged religious leaders, who play a key role in Ugandan society and are influential at the local and national level, to promote acceptance of intersex people and to end discrimination against them.
Africa
Ugandan activists appeal ruling that upheld Anti-Homosexuality Act
Country’s Constitutional Court refused to ‘nullify’ law
Twenty-two LGBTQ activists in Uganda have appealed this month’s ruling that upheld the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act.
The Constitutional Court on April 3 refused to “nullify the Anti-Homosexuality Act in its totality.”
President Yoweri Museveni last May signed the law, which contains a death penalty provision for “aggravated homosexuality.”
The U.S. subsequently imposed visa restrictions on Ugandan officials and removed the country from a program that allows sub-Saharan African countries to trade duty-free with the U.S. The World Bank Group also announced the suspension of new loans to Uganda.
Media reports indicate Sexual Minorities Uganda Executive Director Frank Mugisha and Jacqueline Kasha Nabagesara are among the activists who filed the appeal.
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