” Madiba, your time in prison was without any lesson to us, to the rest of Africa, we the Nigerians are giving you the finger!” By Melanie Nathan, November 16, 2012. Nigeria is about to pass legislation that will provide for the arrest, conviction and jailing of all its gay and lesbian people. What lessons … More Nigeria poised to Jail the Gays in defiance of Nelson Mandela
Sudan’s government blamed gay school sex for rising HIV infection rates, while the opposition slam leaders for promoting homosexuality and AIDS by Dan Littauer, 14 November 2012 Teenagers sodomizing younger boys at school is apparently the ‘reason’ for the rapid rise of HIV cases in Sudan’s youth, according to a report broadcasted by the country’s … More Sudan blames gay teen sex for AIDS
While Uganda is about to pass harsh Kill the Gays legislation, Malawi may set a trend by looking to decriminalize homosexuality By Melanie Nathan, November 05, 2012. Today Malawi took the lead in what may become a trend amongst the African nations which still criminalize homosexuality, to begin a formal process to repeal laws that … More Malawi Suspends Anti-Gay Laws
By Melanie Nathan, Oct 31, 2012. The Kill the Gay’s Bill may be back as the Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, has indicated her intention to revive it. The Speaker, who was addressing a cross section of religious leaders upon her return from Canada where she attended the 127th Inter Parliamentary Union … More Ugandan Speaker taunts world vowing to revive Kill the Gays Bill
by Melanie Nathan, September 14, 2012. While we call for the release of David Cecil, Radio one in Uganda is refusing to speak on the air about the arrest of the Ugandan based British producer of the play, “The River and the Mountain.” And one will probably find the Ugandan media quiet on the subject. … More Uganda Free David Cecil Now | Censorship Prevails through Arrest of British Producer
By Melanie Nathan, September 14, 2012. David Cecil, the British producer of a play in Uganda is in jail pending trial on charges that he had staged a play performed without official authorization. Cecil appeared in court Thursday charged with ‘‘disobeying lawful orders’’ from the Uganda Media Council, which says he staged ‘‘The River and … More British Producer Arrested in Uganda
By Melanie Nathan, July 01, 2012. Several media outlets in Kenya are reporting that the US ambassador to Kenya, Scott Gration, was forced to resign his post because of the pro LGBTI equality stance of the U.S. Government. In a statement, Major Scott Gration, who has only held the position for a year, said he … More Kenyan Media Plays the Anti-GAY Card in US Ambassador’s Resignation
By Melanie Nathan, June 24, 2012. Amidst a sea of rainbows, over one million people lined the streets of San Francisco and cheered as Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo, the heroic clergyman and LGBT rights ally activist from Uganda, made his way through the San Francisco Pride 2012 route, as its Global Grand Marshall leading a fitting … More A Million Cheers for Ugandan Bishop Christopher Senyonjo at San Francisco Pride 2012
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
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
Calling for a more calculated course to curb Africa’s anti-gay human rights path while admonishments seem to cause backlash By Melanie Nathan, April 07, 2012 Educated people know that being gay is not a lifestyle it is simply a state of being. It is a concomitant of one’s makeup, a birth right, if you will. … More Africa | Zambian Law Student Beaten Perceived Gay
Geneva and United Nations Human Rights Council “Discrimination directed at people just because they were LGBT was a monumental stain on the collective conscience, and a violation of international law” – Ban Ki-Moon! And so we fight for a President who is on the side of the International Declaration of Human Rights! Melanie Nathan, 03/07/2012 … More Anti-Gay Santorum and Gingrich Holding Hands with Organization of Islamic Cooperation
Tomorrow the UN debates Human Rights for LGBT people By Melanie Nathan, 03/06/2012, For us in the USA, “gay rights” is associated with the debate over equality and is about whether LGBTI people should be allowed to marry, adopt, serve in the military, be subject to baseless firing from jobs. Yet others in the World … More Muslim Groups Oppose United Nations stand on Human Right To Sexuality
Speech at UN Human Rights Council in Geneva By Melanie Nathan, 02/29/2012 The Human Rights Council in Geneva has heard it from Kamalesh Sharma, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations who reiterated this week that homophobia is incompatible with Commonwealth values. This sends a signal from the top that persecution based on sexuality … More Commonwealth Secretary General Condemns Homophobia
Historic participation as Africa continues draconian criminalization of homosexuality by Melanie Nathan, February 21, 2012 For the first time black Africans will participate in the Mr. Gay World contest being held in Johannesburg, South Africa, sending a powerful message of hope to LGBTI people in Africa and the rest of the World. The delegates representing … More Mr Gay World Includes Finalists from Criminalizing African Countries
LGBT people in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have attacked a YouTube video ‘tutorial’ which may depict an attempt to scrub away the gay, under the guise of a title “Be Yourself.” However, from a Western point of view, is the tutorial a mockery of the process of curing homosexuality through a rendition of a … More United Arab Emirates LGBT | Scrub the Gay Away Video Mockery
By Melanie Nathan: I am calling on President Jacob Zuma to condemn homophobic remarks on Center stage in harsher terms; his feeble attempt at reprimand does not make leadership grade! Johannesburg – Zulu monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini has criticized people who engage in same sex relationships, labelling them as “rotten”, according to a newspaper report … More Zulu King Homophobic Remarks insult to his Gay Ancestor Shaka Zulu
By Guest Dan Littauer, Executive Editor of Gay Middle East Tunisia’s new interior minister, Ali Larayedh, has been embroiled in controversy and scandal as a leaked video allegedly shows him in a gay prison sex video. This scandal has outraged and inflamed public opinion against homosexuality which was already jittery, due to the electoral political … More Tunisia | Interior Minister Gay Scandal Inflames Homosexual Panic
by Melanie Nathan, January 22, 2012 In Liberia where same-sex relationships are outlawed and sodomy criminalized with fines, a Liberian pro-Gay group, “Movement in Defence of Gay and Lesbian Rights” came under physical assault when promoting LGBT rights. The group’s leaders, LeRoy Archie Pon-pon and Abraham Kamara, apparently escaped death last week at the hands … More Liberian Gays Assaulted | African Press and The Anti-Gay Attacks
by Melanie Nathan; Dec 20,2011. From Far Away I observe and wonder…Witsies show their gay pride -The University of Witwatersrand held a pride march for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people (LGBTIA) community in September of this 2011 year! Now it is time to Protest against discrimination in the rest of Africa and for … More Who are The Witsies Now?
Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has reversed his position on gay rights. He now says that he wants LGBT equality enshrined in a new constitution, according to a report following a Video interview report on BBC. Zimbabwe, shares a border with South Africa which has a fully inclusive constitution, protecting sexual orientation as a critical … More Zimbabwe Homosexuality Could be Election Issue
All Americans are relieved that the U.S., led by Commander in Chief President Barack Obama has concluded the unwanted Bush War in Iraq. But for Gay (LGBTI) Iraqis there is no relief, just a desperate reality as they seek refuge from their hopeless displacement.” By Melanie Nathan, Dec 15, 2011. With the lowering and return … More Watch Video: Iraqi Gays and The Bush War Legacy
by Melanie Nathan, Dec 15, 2011 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “ Repeal laws used to criminalize individuals on grounds of homosexuality for engaging in consensual same-sex sexual conduct, and harmonize the age of consent for heterosexual and homosexual conduct. “ The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) today released the … More UNHCR Issues Report Highlighting Violence Based on Sexual Orientation
by Melanie Nathan, December 14, 2011 Back in August 2003, then United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan came out in favour of marriage equality. LGBTI Africans knew they had a friend in Kofi Annan, who attended part of a LGBTI activist conference held at the United Nations which demanded that international treaties such as the … More What is Kofi Annan Doing About LGBTI Human Rights In Africa?
By Melanie Nathan, Dec 14, 2011, I read an Article in an African internet publication known as the The MAIL – written by BELINDA ENYONAM HENYA (Cut and pasted) and noted the seriousness of what could either be a case of misreporting, muddled message or pure ignorance and perhaps all of the above! This is … More Ghana Minister of Education to Eradicate Homosexuality Through Education
By Melanie Nathan, Nov 26, 2011, 2.30 AM PST In Africa: Legislation criminalizing homosexuality permits persecution and cases where people are punished simply for the way they look. Africa is bedrock of anti-homosexual sentiment, and heightened criminalization; with Cameroon emerging as the most punitive of the African countries. Same-sex sexual acts are banned under Cameroonian … More CAMEROON Sentences Three ‘Effeminate Men’ to Maximum Prison Time
July 08, 2011, by Melanie Nathan, On June 20, 2010, Robert Segwanyi fled Uganda, seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, weeks after having been tortured for ‘homosexuality.’ Indicative of arbitrary verdicts, broken systems, and the inadequacies of refugee status/ asylum laws in the United Kingdom and across the world, the UK Border Agency has made … More UK to Deport Uganda Gay Man, Robert Segwanyi, despite Torture and Risk to his Life
How the Hate for 8 Hurt my Child… Before the California Court ruled I asserted in my blog “The fate of California’s same-sex marriage hangs in the balance, as the Justices prepare their ruling on the challenges to the validity of Proposition 8.” Now is has ruled and the impact is so egregious that the … More AS Prop 8 makes its way to the BIG COURT…. I revisit its impact on my child…
Federal judge reviews arguments in Prop. 8 case Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer Sunday, August 16, 2009 Sunday, August 16, 2009 For one side in the federal court battle over same-sex marriage in California, Proposition 8 was just the latest example of historical persecution of gays and lesbians based on sexual orientation. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/15/BA4J196JHC.DTL#ixzz0OMnLKxRf
A Group Posting on LinkedIn cited by Marion Mulder of ING Global from Netherlands (here in full below) sent my mind tumbling into a political quandary. I wondered about the dichotomy between corporate pride in achieving these milestones while functioning in societies where there continues to be disdain, invalidation and inequality toward the LGBT citizenry. This … More The International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce reveals the most gay friendly corporations in the world
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