By Melanie Nathan, JANUARY 23, 2023 Let us start with a BIG THANK YOU to our major Corporate Donor, EVERLAND, for the generous donation that has made this program possible. I am so proud of our terrific African Human Rights Coalition TEAM accomplishment, and all the groups and leaders who answered the call to take … More New AHRC Kakuma LGBTQI Food Program Great Start to Year
African Human Rights Coalition, Ambassador Liam: Many of us in refugee camps have fled anti-LGBTQI+ violence and seek safe countries around the world. We are shattered to hear about the mass murder of our American family of LGBTQI+ and send deepest condolences to all loved ones and community as we stand strongly in solidarity. #coloradosprings … More Shattered and Solidarity for Colorado Springs from African Refugees at AHRC
At a time like THIS! By Melanie Nathan and African Human Rights Coalition. We are living in a time where in America we are suffering the backlash against LGBTQI+ people – a backlash from actually attaining a measure of acceptance and a measure of equality. We only have a limited EQUALITY and we are still … More AT A TIME LIKE THIS: WE DARE YOU AMERICA – FROM LGBTQI+ AFRICA
World Refugee Day is on Monday June 20. THE MOST BASIC OF HUMAN RIGHTS is the RIGHT to live safely, openly and freely in one’s OWN COUNTRY… No one wants to be forced out of their home or country. World Refugee Day is an international day organized every year on 20 June by the … More World Refugee Day 2022: Resilience, Strength, Courage
The Israeli interior ministry has acceded to a court ruling and is beginning to grant temporary residence status to 2,445 Sudanese asylum seekers this year. HIAS reports that it represents hundreds of such asylum seekers, the majority of whom live without social services or health benefits. About 435 HIAS clients were included in the Sudanese … More Israel Good News for Sudanese Asylum Seekers
Re-Publish: Written in 2016 – NOT IN GOD’S NAME- This Continues with Little change – except an increase in the migration and decriminalization by a mere 2 countries, Botswana and Angola. NOT IN GOD’S NAME – A brief Reflection on Violence Promoted by Christian Churches in Africa, By Melanie Nathan, African Human Rights Coalition©, … More Re-Publish: Very little has Changed as Christians Persecute Gays, Lesbians and Trans People
In congratulating Bhutan’s Parliament for decriminalizing SOGI today, we call on all Nations who house draconian Colonial laws to do the same… The Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a milestone document in the history of human rights, drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions … More Celebrating Human Rights Day calls for Complaint
On July 9 the Trump administration introduced yet another hateful asylum rule – this time exploiting pandemic fears and weaponizing specious public health claims against asylum seekers. African Human Rights Coalition submitted its public comments today. We urge as many people as possible to speak out against this shameful attack on asylum seekers. An outpouring of comments … More AHRC Submits Comment Opposing the EOIR and USCIS New Trump Proposed Asylum Rule
First Appeared in Gay Star News: We must stop Trump from destroying the US asylum system 20 JUL 2020 by Melanie Nathan. In his 2016 election campaign, Donald Trump claimed Mexico was offloading ‘rapists’ at the border. And he vowed his administration would no longer accept this. Four years later, his trajectory of scapegoating and … More Trump Must Stop destroying the US Asylum System
In a landmark decision, on Monday, 6 July 2020, the Senate of Gabon voted to decriminalize same-sex relations with 59 votes in favor, 17 against and 4 abstentions. The move to decriminalize was supported by the lower house of Parliament on June 23, 2020. Unlike numerous countries across the African continent, Gabon did not have … More Gabon Votes to decriminalize Same-Sex Relations
Over 250 Organizations Call on Trump’s Wolf and Redfield to Stop Exploiting COVID-19 Against Asylum Seekers and Unaccompanied Children Today African Human Rights Coalition (AHRC) participated, along with 250 organizations, as a signatory to a letter sent to DHS (Department of Homeland Security) and CDC (Center for Disease Control) urging the TRUMP administration to restore … More STOP Trump’s Wolf and Redfield from Exploiting COVID-19 Against Asylum Seekers and Children
State Department, CBP Illegally Withholding Records on Immigration Ban Waivers and Purported “Worldwide Review” Washington, DC — Today, Muslim Advocates and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) sued the U.S. State Department and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for failing to respond to a records request for essential information about the Trump … More Lawsuit Against U.S. Government for Critical Information on Trump’s Muslim and African Ban
With a Focus on Kenya In a recent advisory written for African Human Rights Coalition it is noted that leadership has a heightened responsibility when staging protests, especially under circumstances that have wide far reaching impacts on entire LGBTQI refugee resettlement and protection programs. There has been widespread appreciation by those impacted, who have expressed … More Funding of Protests: Responsible Donors and Funders Context Africa LGBTQI
While in general I am pleased that we are covering some serious issues, make sure manner and implementation is not imposing – Melanie Nathan of African Human Rights Coalition is urging caution on LGBTQI Global Rights – Melanie Nathan The Washington Blade Notes: “Three U.S. senators on Tuesday introduced a bill that would require the … More African HRC Urges Caution with Introduction by the US Senate Global ACT
With special thanks to the featured asylum seekers and refugees Mari, Cheyenne, Junior and Subhi, for having the courage and fortitude to tell your stories before you had barely landed! Dear Friends, This week I had the great honor of accepting the OUTFEST Los Angeles 2019 juried Best Feature Documentary award for the Film UNSETTLED … More Tom Shepard’s UNSETTLED Wins Prestigious OUTFEST, Los Angeles Award
A Critical frontier for Human Rights Advocacy – Melanie Nathan (2019) – the subject of 2 Articles in global press- Harpers and Mamba-Online – elucidating a critical mess for LGBTQI refugees! This week two articles have been written by accomplished journalists at two different corners of the world, reflecting on the stories of refugees attempting to avail … More Hostile Host Countries further the persecution of LGBTI Refugees in Africa
Today is International Women’s Day #IWD2019: We celebrate and stand in solidarity with all women, noting their tenacity and fortitude, especially those who courageously survive violence and defy patriarchy. At African HRC with global lesbians and transgender women our family, we continue to fight for the basic human right to autonomy of mind and body. Here … More Honoring Lesbian Survivors on International Women’s Day #IWD 2019
Kenya is a hostile host to LGBTI refugees:– Thirty LGBTI Refugees in Kakuma Camp, Kenya, mostly Ugandans participating in an approved peaceful demonstration, tried to deliver a document to UNHCR, but after being refused entry into the compound were viciously attacked by police. I have reached out to UNHCR for comment and will update accordingly. The conditions … More LGBT Refugee Peaceful Protest Turns Violent at UNHCR Compound in Kenya
The Botswana High Court has announced that it will finally hear a case on the decriminalization of homosexuality next year: According to our friends at Mamba Online, the full bench of the court ordered that a hearing challenging the constitutionality of sections 164(a), 164(c) and 167 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes same-sex sexual activities … More Botswana Africa’s Next Hope for Decriminalization of Homosexuality
Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis has turned into a full-scale propaganda war. The return of 78 kidnapped schoolchildren this week has led to an exchange of allegations between Cameroon’s government and Anglophone militant separatists claiming the other side was responsible, reports Amindeh Blaise Atabong from Yaoundé. Meanwhile, TV journalist Mimi Mefo Takombo has been detained indefinitely by … More Africa Brief – Tanzanian Gay Hunt, Cameroon Turmoil, Expat Somalis Win U.S. Elections and More…..
The fourth edition is here- of the Quartz Africa Innovators, an annual series identifying some of the most ambitious and imaginative minds on the African continent. The 30 movers and thinkers on this list range across fields from the arts and science to technology and entrepreneurship and beyond. In congratulating all, I recommend reading the details and … More Africa 2018 List of Top Innovators by Quartz
Mo Ibrahim called internet shutdowns “a crime” that shouldn’t be tolerated. Authoritarian governments, despots and dictators stand to benefit from restricting social media and making it unaffordable! The trend to tax social media and clamp down on internet use is quietly spreading across African countries and they seem to be influencing each other. Ugandans may want … More African Despots Benefit from Taxing and Restricting Social Media
American Family Watch International (FWI) Misuses its UN Status to Preach Abstinence Trying to Stop Sex Education under the Guise of Sexualization of Children. United States rightwing forces, helmed by Family Watch International and its President Sharon Slater, are exerting their colonialist muscle to prevent and inhibit sex education to Africa’s youth. The ignorant propagandist … More American Sharon Slater Trying to Stop Sex Education in Africa
Cameroon is not an ideal place for journalists to thrive in, due to laws that constantly threaten their freedom and independence, a recent report by a media rights group has said. Imagine that! The 2018 Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders said Cameroonian authorities have imposed a climate of fear and self-censorship on … More Some News Americans May Not Be Interested In
Our responsibility as American LGBTQI on the global front is to first and foremost follow the lead and direction of the Ghanaian gay community … In writing this response to “EDITORIAL: Sac State shouldn’t break bread with repressive leaders – Persecution of LGBTQ, …….”, and the Article of Claire Morgan, Managing editor, published in the online Sacramento State student … More Why Sacramento State LGBTQI Community Should Welcome the President of Ghana
Congratulations to the 20 Fellows chosen out of 20,000 applicants. When the Obama Foundation opened applications for the inaugural Obama Foundation Fellowship,2018, over 20,000 people from 191 countries applied. From that incredible pool, they selected 20 inaugural Fellows who represent 11 countries around the world. Welcome to the Fellows: Erin Barnes, Veronica Crespin-Palmer, Clarissa Delgado, … More Meet the Obama Foundation’s First Group of Fellows
President Trump’s “shithole” comment on immigrants from unspecified countries in Africa, as well as those from Haiti and El Salvador, is reflected in the numbers. In the year after Trump took office, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reported a drop in total number of overall “removals”—except for African migrants who have seen a … More When it Comes to the Trump Shithole Comment The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating!
The pleas for help continue to pour in from countries around the world, where people are attacked for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). These are usually people who have been shunned by family, friends and government, alike, with nowhere to turn. While you may feel that there is nothing you can do to … More Gay Man in Stabbing Attack Stuck without Status
Not only does Donald Trump’s insults to African countries reflect his racism, but also smacks of his own ignorance. I am sorry to note that many Americans display such ignorance. I was not educated in the American school system, and have witnessed the education my two daughters are receiving compared to my own school experience … More Learning About The Shitholes
… even though for reasons having little to do with his homophobia – but at least there is hope for a future administration that would now be more likely to embrace equality like its neighboring South Africa” Melanie Nathan, African HRC. Like many Africans I am so happy to see Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe ditched by his … More Zimbabwe Ditches Homophobic Mugabe
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