By Melanie Nathan, June 20, 2012. Uganda’s persecution of its LGBTI community is heating up with recent lashing out on the part of one Minister who has decided to take the law into his own hands by breaking up peaceful lawful meetings and trying to de-register NGO’s. Ugandan Fr. Simon Lokodo, a catholic priest with … More Ugandan Minister Launches Crusade Against Human Rights and LGBT NGO’s
See shocking Video as Gay Activists and foreign visitor allies unlawfully persecuted in Ugandan raid at hotel denotes a great danger for any group holding a peaceful meeting in Uganda Melanie Nathan, June 18, 2012. Police have unlawfully raided a gay rights meeting in Kampala Uganda and arrested LGBTI activists. The group of sexual minority … More Uganda Gay Activsts Arrested in Unlawful Police Raid at Private Hotel Meeting
First survey of international refugee assistance organizations finds widespread failures to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex refugees. Posted by Melanie Nathan, June 18, 2012. San Francisco – As increasing numbers of refugees flee persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, the Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration (ORAM) and Indiana University … More World Refugee Day Highlights Failure to Protect LGBTI Refugees
By Melanie Nathan, June 15, 2012. The DREAM Act has yet to be passed, but those who could benefit from its passage may well have found some progress today in some good news emanating from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano who informed reporters of a new policy of “deferred action” for certain young, undocumented immigrants … More Obama ‘s Reprieve for DREAMers While Same-Sex Binational Couples Languish as Exiles & Outcasts
World’s Leading Scientists, President Bill Clinton, South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, philanthropist Bill Gates and humanitarian Sir Elton John to address the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. (AIDS 2012) and Some 25,000 Scientists, People Living with HIV, and Other Stakeholders expected to attend AIDS 2012 Wednesday, 13 June 2012 (Washington, D.C., USA) … More President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Elton John to Address AIDS 2012 Conference in D.C.
While the passage of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, known as Kill the Gays Bill, remains a threat – Posted by Melanie Nathan, June 12, 2012. LOS ANGELES, CA — Noted Hollywood actor and photographer Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Blood Diamond; Treme; Heroes; CSI) debuts his newest solo work, A Missionary Position, this summer at REDCAT (Roy and … More World Premiere A MISSIONARY POSITION by Ugandan American Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine
By Melanie Nathan, June 12, 2012. (9:00 AM PST) Reports have come in from the Northern Cape Province in South Africa, of the beheading of a gay (LGBTI) community member who identified, according to sources, as a Trans woman, in what apparently appears to be a brutal crime with a clear message of hate. Shaine … More South African Gay Volunteer Almost Beheaded
Posted by Melanie Nathan, June 11th, 2012 The European Commission has just published a new report, ‘Discrimination against trans and intersex people on the grounds of sex, gender identity and gender expression‘. With it, the European Commission looks into the situation of trans and intersex people for the first time. The European Commission had already … More New EU Commission Report on Transgender and Intersex Discrimination
Chad Griffin , of USA Largest LGBT Rights Organization and Dustin Lance Black , Director of MILK, photographed with the Gay Flag of SA as a Symbol of grass roots activism SA Editorial, June 11, 2012. Sunday in the Castro was buzzing when Chad Griffin, the new President of the Human Rights Campaign, made a … More HRC’s New Chief Chad Griffin gets a GAY Flag of South Africa
Watch our Video Interview where Bishop Christopher talks about Desmond Tutu and the exporting of Hate by American Evangelicals to Africa By Melanie Nathan, June, 09, 2012. The Rt. Rev. Bishop Disani Christopher Senyonjo is on tour of the U.S.A. and will be this year’s Global Grand Marshall, as San Francisco Pride recognizes the contributions … More San Francisco Pride Announces Ugandan Bishop Christopher Senyonjo as Global Grand Marshal
No one could imagine the pain of losing a child, the victim of a brutal murder, but worse yet being murdered for how God made him. By Melanie Nathan, June 06, 2012. A most heinous hate crime – the story of a father and a son – the son who confided in his loving father, … More Rev. Says Son Stabbed and Torched Because Gay
Intolerance encourages violence as traditional leader chiefs try to rob LGBT South Africans of their entrenched constitutional rights – Are the Traditional Leaders providing a license to rape lesbians? By Melanie Nathan, June 04, 2012. In September 2010 Nontsikelelo Tyatyeka a young 21 year old lesbian disappeared in Nyanga township, Cape town. Her body … More South Africans to Protest Traditional Chiefs at Trial of Accused Murderer of Young Lesbian
The religious leaders called on Parliament to expedite the passing of the Anti-homosexuality Bill into law to combat same-sex marriages which threats the moral fabric of the Ugandan society. … More Ugandan Church Leaders Call for Quick Passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Freedom to Roam Uganda, FARUG, has a powerful message on Uganda’s Martyrs Day. by Melanie Nathan, June 03, 2012. While reading this message I note the great irony; it is in the name of fundamental and Evangelical Christianity that the LGBT community in Uganda has been persecuted in recent years. The call of certain Christian … More Freedom to Roam Uganda on Martyrs Day
Posted by Melanie Nathan. June 02, 2012 A campaign has been launched by the Movement for Justice, for the life of Linda Nakibbuka, an Ugandan lesbian at risk of deportation from United Kingdom to Uganda, a nation where both female and homosexual activity is illegal. The petition was launched to try and stop the deportation … More United Kingdom Petitioned not to deport lesbian Linda Nakibbuka to Anti Gay Uganda
A disaster looms when politicians who have partisan party affiliations are perceived as spokespersons for all. By Melanie Nathan, May 29, 2012. Mr. Gay South Africa is a privately run enterprise, a competition, a money maker, with lucrative sponsorships and a keen eye on the next “South African LGBTI Ambassador.” While the competition has provided … More Controversy looms as Mr. Gay South Africa claims to be the ambassador for LGBTI rights in South Africa
THE ALLIANCE FOR RURAL DEMOCRACY CALLS FOR THE IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL OF THE TRADITIONAL COURTS BILL AND FOR THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF RURAL AREAS Posted by Melanie Nathan, May 28, 20212. The Alliance for Rural Democracy calls upon all provincial legislatures to vote against the Traditional Courts Bill in the lead-up to the National Council of Provinces … More South African Alliance Calls for the Immediate Withdrawal of the Traditional Courts Bill
Secretariat announces two off-site conference hubs for sex workers and people who use drugs |Record number of abstracts submitted Posted by Melanie Nathan, May 26, 2012/ Thursday 10 May, 2012 (Geneva, Switzerland, and Washington, D.C., USA)— The International AIDS Conference is the largest gathering of professionals working in the field of HIV, including people living … More AIDS 2012 | Preparing for XIX International AIDS Conference Washington D.C.
DA Party Manny de Freitas calls protests Gay Pride Parade and Helen Zille remains silent by Melanie Nathan, May 22, 2012. Pursuant to nationwide protests in South Africa this weekend, the opposing Democratic Alliance (DA) party has failed to issue any official press statement in support of the South African LGBTI community which held events … More South Africa Democratic Alliance Party Mocks South African LGBTI Protests to Protect Rights
What happened to the Madibe and ANC assurance that all South Africans will be protected from persecution? Now SA Gays are under attack by members of the ANC. By Melanie Nathan, May 20, 2012. South Africans may have been surprised today as hundreds of people took to the streets of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg and … More South African National Protests by Gay Rights Activists Sheds Light on ANC Weakness
South African LGBT Community and allies marching to protect the South African Constitution By Melanie Nathan, May 19, 2012. Hundreds of people took to the streets of Johannesburg , Saturday, as the LGBTI community in South Africa today marched, protesting against the Traditional leaders of South Africa’s decision to review the rights of Lesbian Gay … More Protests in Johannesburg as Gays Unfold Rainbow Flag on Constitutional Hill
By Melanie Nathan, May 18, 2012. Here are two articles I wrote about Zanele Muholi, the famed lesbian artist, photographer and filmmaker, from 2010 and 2011 respectively. Now that Zanele Muholi has had her work stolen by a thief who removed 20 hard drives from her apartment, I decided to republish these pieces here. For … More South African Photographer Zanele Muholi Revisited
This is about protecting the Constitution for ALL South Africans and so whether LGBTI or not, all South Africans should participate. By Melanie Nathan, May 16, 2012. A powerful and unified coalition of South African LGBTI groups have formed to promote nationwide marches to protest the House of Traditional Leaders to Parliament’s Constitutional Review Committee … More South African LGBTI Coalition Organizes Nationwide Marches to Protect the Constitution
Diverse LGBT Speakers List for SF’s May 17 IDAHO at UN Plaza Gays Without Borders has organized an event on Thursday, May 17 , to honor International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The commemoration will begin at noon at UN Plaza in San Francisco. The commemoration will start off with poignant speeches about the violence … More San Francisco Flag Lowering Ceremony for International Day Against Homophobia
Zanele is pleading to the burglar/s to return her equipment with all the work intact. … More South African Photographer Zanele Muholi | Reward for return of Stolen Work
We celebrate the founding principles of the new South Africa, a country that knows what courage means. : Democracy, Justice, Equality, and Human rights. By Melanie Nathan, May 14, 2012. While South African traditional leaders ignore South Africa’s importance in the world with their draconian ideals, as they question the validity of their own equality … More Traditional Leaders Should Not Forget What South Africa’s Freedom Means to the World
Stop the Deportation of Ugandan Lesbian Nantale Prosscovia. By Melanie Nathan, May 14, 2012. Nantale Prosscovia, a Ugandan lesbian held in a Swedish prison, is facing deportation back to the life-threatening situation she fled 6 years ago. Now a Petition has been launched on the site “GO Petition” to try and save her from this … More Sweden Threatens to Deport Persecuted Lesbian back to Uganda
Holomisa is saying that LGBTI people should not be protected by the Constitution because some people believe they are not entitled to those rights. He is forgetting that thinking is the very reason why their rights are so protected.
What remains is the question of what next – while traditionalists ought to have a voice in South Africa’s Parliament, they should be banned from sitting on committees where they have an inherent conflict of interest. Which means they should be excused from serving in positions where they risk impacting the entrenched rights of minorities such as gays, lesbians etc. … More Outrageous Interview with South Africa ANC’s Patekile Holomisa Indicates Homophobia
Please Help my friend find her stolen work – What Zanele has lost is a body of history that is irreplaceable – “I have dedicated my life to this work,” Zanele Muholi. By Melanie Nathan, May 12, 2012. “Loss, lost, violated, ripped, stripped, ransacked… ngilahlekelwe,” are the devastating words that appear on the Facebook page … More South African Lesbian Activist Photographer Zanele Muholi Loses Major Work in Burglary
Despite ongoing progress in combating HIV and Aids, the report warns that considerable gaps remain, including access to HIV services, discrimination against Aids patients and gender inequality. GENEVA —The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has issued his first report on HIV to the UN General Assembly since the 2011 High Level Meeting on AIDS. In … More UN Report Warns of Gaps to meet 2015 HIV AIDS Targets
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