Scottish LGBTI rights pressure on Ghana’s president leads to backlash
Pressure on President John Mahama to address LGBTI rights during his state visit to Scotland last week has caused widespread outrage in Ghana. There are reports that some Scottish MPs refused to meet Mahama and boycotted his address in parliament. His speech was also met with heckling and muted applause. In a letter, members of […]
SA’s Film and Publications Board gets in bed with Kenya’s homophobic censors
South Africa’s Film and Publications Board has seen it fit to align itself with Kenya’s homophobic publications board, which regularly attacks the LGBTI community and the right to freedom of speech. According to Daily Nation, the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with South Africa’s Film and Publications Board (FPB) […]
Carol is deemed the best LGBT film of all time
The best LGBT films of all time have been named. So how many have you seen, and do you agree with the choices? Carol, last year’s lesbian romance, topped the list, which was released by the British Film Institute (BFI) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the London LGBT Film Festival. Over 100 film experts, […]
Man gets 10 years for rape of lesbian, despite claims of shoddy investigation
On Tuesday, the Sexual Offences Court in Parow, in the Western Cape, handed down a ten-year sentence for the rape of a woman known to her community to be lesbian. According to Triangle Project, the sentence, which it welcomed, was the result of “tireless and persistent efforts” by its activists “to ensure that this case […]
Botswana court ruling on LGBTI group described as “groundbreaking”
LGBTI activists in Botswana have hailed yesterday’s “groundbreaking” court judgement upholding LGBTI equality and the right to freedom of association. On Wednesday, a full bench of the Court of Appeal of Botswana ordered the government to register the organisation Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO) as a society in terms of the Societies Act. […]
New LGBTI anthology launched in honour of Gerald Kraak
The late activist Gerald Kraak has been honoured with the creation of a new anthology of African LGBTI writing and photography in his name. The Jacana Literary Foundation and Jacana Media have announced the establishment of the annual Gerald Kraak Award and Anthology. These have been made possible by a partnership with The Other Foundation […]
Huge victory as appeal court orders Botswana government to recognise gay group
In a significant victory for equal rights on the continent, the Gaborone High Court of Appeal has ruled that Botswana’s lesbian and gay group must be registered by the government. The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), which supported the organisation’s legal battle, reported that the court confirmed on Wednesday that the continued refusal to register LEGABIBO as an […]
Mrs South Africa boasts first openly gay semi-finalist
Leandra Joubert has become the first openly gay woman to make the top 100 selection in the annual Mrs South Africa pageant. The event is “the number one pageant for married women in South Africa” and states that it is also a “women empowering programme”. In February, we reported that organisers dismissed claims that the […]
Report: Pictures of Nigerian “gay” man beaten to death are fake
It’s been claimed that pictures first linked to the deadly beating of a Nigerian man for being gay are not related to the attack. It was reported this week that Akinnifesi Olumide Olubunmi was severely assaulted on 17 February by a group of youths in Ondo West after being accused of having an affair with […]
Watch: Here’s the Calvin Klein ad accused of “gay propaganda”
An advert for the Calvin Klein fragrance CK2 could fall foul of Russia’s “gay propaganda” law. The ad features a series of young couples, including two shirtless men on a motorbike who exchange lustful glances at each other. There’s also a female duo who could be just friends having fun or maybe more. It’s all […]