Contents:
- THE GAY KENYANS TRYG TO FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA OM THE SI
- KENYA'S FIRST GAY POLIL NDIDATE REVEALS WHY HE QU RACE
- ADVOCY GROUPS: ETHPIAN ERNMENT’S ANTI-GAY RHETORIC SPURS ONLE ATTACKS
- FIRST OPENLY GAY POLICIAN SEEKS SEAT KENYA’S NEW SENATE
THE GAY KENYANS TRYG TO FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA OM THE SI
In 2012, David Kuria gaed global attentn by clarg that he is gay.
If elected, the 40-year-old would have bee the first Ain gay polician (outsi of South Ai) and Kenya’s first openly gay elected official—a feat a untry where gay sex remas a felony crime punishable by imprisonment. Acrdg to the Gay and Lbian Coaln of Kenya (GALK), formed December 2012, many of s members have exprsed tert nng for polil seats. “Homosexualy is still illegal unr the untry’s nstutn.
“I want to [work to] legalize homosexualy through the legislative procs, ” he says.
KENYA'S FIRST GAY POLIL NDIDATE REVEALS WHY HE QU RACE
Unr current laws, sodomy (or gay sex) is punishable by a prison sentence of 14 years. Hop that those laws would change were dashed back May 2019, when the Supreme Court of Kenya led agast jog other Ain natns crimalizg homosexualy.
The three-judge bench led that homosexualy should rema illegal and anyone found guilty of any homosexual act n receive a prison sentence. Today, homosexualy is still illegal unr the untry’s nstutn. Yet LGBTQ+ Kenyans rema steadfast their activism, placg their hope a possible referendum this year that uld amend the nstutn on a number of issu, cludg homosexualy.
Nje Gate, the executive director of Kenya’s Natnal Gay and Lbian Human Rights Coaln, says enuragg LGBTQ+ muny members to seek elective ernment seats is a good place to start. “We will ph for gay and lbian rights to be regnized whatever legal way possible the Kenyan nstutn. “It is a good way of fightg [homophobia] away.
ADVOCY GROUPS: ETHPIAN ERNMENT’S ANTI-GAY RHETORIC SPURS ONLE ATTACKS
But David Kuria, forced to whdraw om electns Kenya, has already smashed barriers as the untry's first openly gay dismayed his supporters when he announced that he uld not fish the senate race bee of a lack of funds to ver logistics and his personal secury. He had received threateng text msag sayg he would brg "a curse to the land", while he lost the battle, Kuria has won praise for movg the needle a untry which homosexualy is illegal and, the UN noted last year, "largely nsired to be taboo and repugnant to [the] cultural valu and moraly" 40-year-old was the first openly gay black person Ai to n for polil office outsi South Ai, acrdg to the Kaleidospe Tst, a non-prof anisatn fendg ternatnal lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) rights. "I had seen chang the way our people the villag view gay people.
For many people, gay people and gay rights are perceived though mediated terpretatn of policians and relig lears.
FIRST OPENLY GAY POLICIAN SEEKS SEAT KENYA’S NEW SENATE
A bet mister, Mos Wetangula, warned of a revolt if Kuria was elected, sayg an openly gay man should not "have an opportuny or privilege to lead a untry that is found on relig moraly" pennt ndidate was sent hostile text msag attemptg to blow him off urse.
"Naturally, beg a gay ndidate, any threat uld be explaed of as beg a homophobic attack, hence the need for add secury.
"Unr Kenyan law, homosexual acts are punishable by up to 14 years jail, though police say they would have to tch someone the act to prosecute. Denouncg gay people n be a vote wner.