Thembelihle’s killer gets 22 years
The man who killed Thembelihle Sokhele, a lesbian woman, in Ekurhuleni outside of Johannesburg, has been sentenced to 22 years in jail. Thabo Molefe, 47, was found guilty of murdering 28-year-old Sokhele in his Daveyton home in September last year. Her body was found in his room, two days after she’d been reported missing. Sokhele […]
Namibian minister: “Gayness” should stay out the country
Following a scathing attack on the country’s LGBT community, activists have slammed Namibia’s Finance Deputy Minister, Natangue Ithete. According to Informante, Ithete told finance ministry staff in Walvis Bay that homosexuality was being brought to Namibia by foreigners. “You are either a man or a woman. Don’t come from outside and tell us this is […]
Why was he allowed to stab gay people again?
Questions are being asked about why the Israeli authorities were unable to stop a man convicted of stabbing gay people a decade ago from doing it again. On Thursday, Yishai Shlissel, an ultra-Orthodox Jew, stabbed six participants at the Jerusalem Pride parade, leaving two seriously injured, before being wrestled to the ground and arrested. Shockingly, […]
Fewer gay prosecutions in Cameroon
There’s been a welcome drop in the number of prosecutions of gays and lesbians in Cameroon, regarded as one of the most homophobic countries in the world. Erasing 76 Crimes reports that, according to the Cameroonian Foundation for AIDS (Camfaids), prosecutions for homosexuality in the capital Yaoundé decreased by 58 percent between 2012 and 2014. […]
Religious fanatic repeats Pride attack, stabs six at Jerusalem Pride
Six people were stabbed by a knife-wielding religious extremist at yesterday’s Jerusalem Pride parade. Yishai Shlissel, an ultra-Orthodox Jew, ran through the march on Thursday, randomly stabbing six participants; leaving two seriously injured. “We heard people screaming, everyone ran for cover, and there were bloodied people on the ground,” Shai Aviyor, a witness, told Israel’s […]
Is Russia planning to ban gay emojis?
Russia’s obsession with outlawing all representations of homosexuality could soon be extended to gay-themed emojis or emoticons. According to Izvestia.ru, Senator Mikhail Marchenko has called for Russian media regulator and censor Roskomnadzor to investigate “the presence of propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors” on social media sites such as Facebook. He asked the agency […]
US Boy Scouts to finally allow gay adult leaders
In a landmark decision, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has finally agreed to allow gays and lesbians in the organisation – at least in most cases. On Monday, 79 percent of the BSA’s National Executive Board voted in favour of a resolution to remove the ban on adults serving as employees and volunteers with […]
Alleged rapist and murderer of Ekurhuleni lesbian to face justice
The man accused of raping and murdering a lesbian woman in Ekurhuleni outside of Johannesburg last year is finally standing trial. The 45-year-old man allegedly attacked 28-year-old Thembelihle Sokhele in his Daveyton home in September last year. Her body was found in his room, two days after she’d been reported missing. Sokhele had been raped and […]
Homophobic UCT student leader says she’s the victim
Expelled SRC Vice-President Zizipho Pae has insisted that she is the real victim for saying that gay people are sinful. Pae caused a firestorm last month when she described the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the USA as “institutionalising and normalising sin,” adding, “May God have mercy on us”. She subsequently refused to retract the […]
Obama to Kenyan president: gay discrimination like racism
In a bold move, America’s President Obama has unequivocally told Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta that justifying discrimination against gay people is similar to defending slavery. Obama spoke out for LGBT equality at a joint press conference with Kenyatta in Nairobi on Saturday; described by CNN as him “lecturing” the Kenyan leader. “With respect to the […]