Tanzania arrests | Mom demands daughter’s freedom
The mother of one of the 13 people arrested in Tanzania for “promoting homosexuality” joined dozens of protestors calling for the detainees’ release. On Tuesday, activists demonstrated outside the Tanzanian High Commission in Pretoria, outraged at the refusal of the country’s police to release the group. The 13 were arrested last Tuesday in a raid […]
“Racy internet pleasure?” Webafrica accused of transphobic ad campaign
A new campaign for South African internet service provider Webafrica, featuring men wearing women’s clothing, has been slammed for being transphobic. The ads promoting the company’s LTE products are prominently featured on its website and social media platforms. Seemingly intended to be humorous, the campaign is based around images of stubble-faced men in make up and […]
Dubai’s ruler frees Scotsman arrested for accidentally touching another man
Faced with international outrage and a public relations nightmare, the ruler of Dubai has freed Jamie Harron, who was sentenced to three months in jail for “public indecency.” In a statement, the group Detained in Dubai (DID), revealed that Harron was called by the police on Monday and told that his case had been dismissed, […]
Silence from South Africa as Tanzania 13 continue to be denied bail
The 13 individuals arrested for “promoting homosexuality” in Tanzania are still being denied bail after having now spent almost a week in custody. The activists and lawyers were arrested last Tuesday in a police raid on a hotel in Dar es Salaam. The group was meeting to discuss a legal challenge to the Tanzanian government’s […]
Was this pop singer tortured to death in Chechnya’s gay purge?
It’s been claimed that missing pop singer Zelimkhan Bakaev was tortured and killed during Chechnya’s anti-gay crackdown. The Chechen-born Bakaev, 26, had been living and working in Moscow. He was last seen on 8 August in Grozny, the Chechen capital, when he returned home to attend his sister’s wedding. According to the Russian media, a few days […]
Dubai | Madness as Brit is jailed for 3 months for accidentally touching man’s hip
Update: The ruler of Dubai has now freed Jamie Harron. Read more here. Jamie Harron, an electrician from Scotland, has been sentenced to three months in jail for accidentally brushing past another man in a Dubai nightclub. Harron, 27, was arrested in July after he walked through the crowded Rock Bottom bar and briefly touched the […]
Alarm as Tajikistan starts “registering” LGBTQ people
Questions have been asked as to why the Central Asian country of Tajikistan is creating a registry of LGBTQ people. According to Radio Free Europe (RFE), prosecutors have included 319 gay men and 48 lesbians in the registry, asserting that their “affiliation with sexual minorities has been proven.” The individuals were apparently identified by the […]
Frank Ocean wins gay slur lawsuit filed by his father
A court has dismissed a libel lawsuit filed by Frank Ocean’s father against his son, who accused him of using a gay slur. Earlier this year, Ocean’s father, Calvin Cooksey, sued him for $14.5 million over the R&B artist’s claim that he heard him use an anti-LGBT slur as a young boy. Ocean made the […]
Tanzania | Fear for safety of 13 arrested for “promoting homosexuality”
Mambaonline has learned that the 13 people arrested in Tanzania for “promoting homosexuality”, including two South Africans, are still in jail and may face forced anal exams. The individuals were taken into custody after police raided a legal consultation at a Dar es Salaam hotel on Tuesday convened by the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in […]
Starbucks South Africa shows its love for Gauteng Pride month
In a still rare but welcome example of local corporate support, Starbucks South Africa is celebrating LGBTQ Pride month in Gauteng. The world-renowned American-based coffee shop chain has six stores in the province and is using them to salute the LGBTQ community with its “Pride in a Cup” campaign The campaign, which runs through October, […]