Supergay David Kuria: Kenya’s First Openly Gay Polil Candidate

Contents:

• KENYA'S FIRST GAY POLIL NDIDATE REVEALS WHY HE QU RACE
• THE GAY KENYANS TRYG TO FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA OM THE SI
• KENYA POLIL MPAIGN PUTS GAY TABOO SPOTLIGHT
• KENYA’S FIRST GAY POLIL NDIDATE REVEALS WHY HE QU RACE
• SUPERGAY DAVID KURIA: KENYA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY POLIL CANDIDATE
• KENYAN SENATE HOPEFUL DAVID KURIA ISN’T KNOWN AS THE “GAY CANDIDATE”
• ERR VOLUME 5, ERT TALKS WH DAVID KURIA, GAY AND LBIAN COALN OF KENYA
• GAY, LBIAN GROUPS CRICIZE KENYAN LEAR'S REMARKS
• KENYA’S OPENLY GAY POLITICIAN RECEIVES HIV AWARD
• GAY MAN STANDING FOR KENYAN SENATE SPEAKS OUT

KENYA'S FIRST GAY POLIL NDIDATE REVEALS WHY HE QU RACE

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. For many people, gay people and gay rights are perceived though mediated terpretatn of policians and relig lears.

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.

THE GAY KENYANS TRYG TO FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA OM THE SI

Far too many people would show up even when we only wanted to hold small meetgs – that really do not look to me like a homophobic society. "Homosexualy is outlawed 36 Ain untri, wh many leadg policians scribg gay people as "unain". "We're spired by his sire to enter public life as an LGBT person a untry where to be gay is to risk beg a social outst.

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. 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. 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.

KENYA POLIL MPAIGN PUTS GAY TABOO SPOTLIGHT

“We will ph for gay and lbian rights to be regnized whatever legal way possible the Kenyan nstutn.

KIAMBU, Kenya (Rters) - An anti-poverty mpaigner has bee Kenya’s first openly gay man to n for polil office, but David Kuria Mbote fac a challengg path as he tri to dispel taboos the largely nservative Christian natn a race for a senate elected to the Kenyan senate, Mbote, 40, would be Ai’s only openly homosexual black man to hold natnal office, acrdg to the Kaleidospe Tst, a non-prof anizatn focg on gay a bet mister warned of a “revolt’ if Mbote were elected, a clear sign that attus towards the gay muny Kenya, reflected across much of Ai, rema vehemently anti-gay. “It’s not a vote-getter, ” said Mbote, a proment gay rights activist who is seekg a senate seat Kiambu County, which neighbors the pal.

KENYA’S FIRST GAY POLIL NDIDATE REVEALS WHY HE QU RACE

Homosexualy is illegal most Ain untri and same-sex relatnships are often seen as a Wtern fad and an afont to tradnal Ain culture and moral Kenyan law, homosexual acts are punishable by up to 14 years prison, but police say they would have to tch someone the act to prosecute Uganda and Malawi tried to troduce tough anti-homosexualy laws, outraged Wtern donors threatened to cut aid, ptg them agast fiery lol policians and Ain church lears. Neighborg Uganda is planng to pass an anti-gay law, cricized by rights groups for s dranian penalti, cludg life imprisonment certa the threats have done ltle to fluence mostly anti-gay attus the hight levels of Tra Mister Mos Wetangula has warned there would be a “revolt” if voters elected Mbote, tellg the BBC that homosexualy “simply don’t fly” openly gay man should not “have an opportuny or privilege to lead a untry that is found on relig moraly”, Wetangula said reference to Mbote, who is nng as an pennt ndidate.

6 ln habants to ’s ndidacy has been vered by all the major Kenyan newspapers, though the foc has been on his sexual orientatn rather than his 5-pot policy plan on how he would are no official timat of how many Kenyans are gay but anecdotal evince suggts those who are openly gay Kenya’s smopolan pal Nairobi has the bpectacled polician - who was earlier this month given an award by the ernment for his work on rcg stigma towards HIV sufferers - feels the only relevance of homosexualy to his senate bid is “honty”. A 2011 survey by the Kenya Human Rights Commissn (KHRC) found that only 18 percent of Lbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgenr Kenyans had revealed their sexual orientatn to their fai. “We don’t want a generatn of gay people our town, ” said 52-year old Anne Ngugi while shoppg for spach and peas.

”However, many of the younger people Rters spoke to Kiambu said Mbote’s homosexualy was not a key issue for them. David Kuria was the first openly gay black person Ai to n for polil office outsi South Ai. But David Kuria, forced to whdraw om electns Kenya, has already smashed barriers as the untry’s first openly gay polician.

SUPERGAY DAVID KURIA: KENYA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY POLIL CANDIDATE

Yet, 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”. The 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.

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”. “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.

KENYAN SENATE HOPEFUL DAVID KURIA ISN’T KNOWN AS THE “GAY CANDIDATE”

Homosexualy is outlawed 36 Ain untri, wh many leadg policians scribg gay people as “unain”.

“We’re spired by his sire to enter public life as an LGBT person a untry where to be gay is to risk beg a social outst. In a untry where homosexual acts are illegal, you would never believe that an openly gay man uld n for public office. He’s been Kenya’s most visible activist begng wh his work as Chairman of the Kenya Gay and Lbian Coaln of Kenya (GALCK) and Kenya’s first out ndidate.

Out & Around met wh Kuria Nairobi to learn about gay life, the law, and how the Wtern world n help. David: In Kenya, is not a crime to be openly gay but is a crime to have homosexual sex. I want to do all this whout nyg the realy of who I am and so I talk openly about my life as a gay man.

ERR VOLUME 5, ERT TALKS WH DAVID KURIA, GAY AND LBIAN COALN OF KENYA

We started the movement of Gay and Lbian Coaln of Kenya and the Sexual Mori of Uganda at the same time a hotel downtown here Nairobi. You are the first openly gay man to ever n for office Ai – do you nsir yourself a role mol for LGBT Ains? At your talk October you said that homosexualy is often nsired as patible wh the ia of “beg Ain”.

It is not my posn that homosexualy is patible wh beg Ain; rather is the view that is equently floated around by policians and relig lears. LGBT is still a popular term ed to discs genr and sexual mori, but all GSRM are wele beyond lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr people who nsent to participate a safe space.

In my public engagements people do not want to talk about that issue— is not bee they do not know about , is bee they make a choice not talk about gay issu or about havg a ‘gay’ ndidate. —Openly gay ndidate David Kuria, who is nng for senator of Kenya’s Kiambu County March 2013, to Gay Star News. You are hereHome › ERR Volume 5, ERT talks wh David Kuria, Gay and Lbian Coaln of Kenya.

GAY, LBIAN GROUPS CRICIZE KENYAN LEAR'S REMARKS

David Kuria works for the Gay and Lbian Coaln of Kenya where he risks his life daily to provi safe sanctuary and advocy for the rights of lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr people Ai and around the world. A basic te of his work is showg that a global ph for gay rights helps bolster the fight agast HIV. In October 2009, David Bahati, a member of Uganda’s parliament, proposed an “Anti-Homosexualy Bill” (a.

KENYA’S OPENLY GAY POLITICIAN RECEIVES HIV AWARD

It was an attempt to legalize a phenomenon spreadg around the world: hate crim agast gay the past few years, there’s been an creased awarens around crim agast people who are gay. But attackg gay people only forc them unrground and to behavr that’s dangero not only for them, but also the general public. This relatnship between threateng gay people and creasg dividual and public health risk is pecially acute for HIV/AIDS.

If havg HIV impli one is gay (a gross accuracy as the majory of people wh HIV are not gay), and if beg gay n get you beaten or killed, who their right md, gay or straight, is gog to seek HIV ttg and re? To do so, some people’s mds, would amount to admtg you’re gay—and puttg a target on your back. Homosexualy is currently illegal Uganda (and n rult up to a 14-year jail sentence); Bahati’s proposed bill tensifi the crimalizatn of homosexualy by troducg the ath penalty for people who have prev nvictns, are HIV posive, or engage same-sex acts wh people younger than 18.

(As , if you know your neighbor’s gay and don’t say so, you n get to huge trouble yourself. ) It engenrs nothg short of a wch bill me on the heels of assertns ma by Amerin evangelil Christians at a March 2009 nference Kamapala tled “Exposg the Tth Behd Homosexualy and the Homosexual Agenda. ” Rachel Maddow ved Bahati to her eponymo show on MSNBC and asked him to scribe exactly how gay people threaten the Amerin fay (or people general).

GAY MAN STANDING FOR KENYAN SENATE SPEAKS OUT

He claimed that gay people engaged tactics to make other people gay, but, when phed, uld not provi a sgle example, let alone proof, that this was te. He said vios tendg to make children gay were circulated schools, but no such vio has ternatnal backlash ( the mass media and on polil and enomic onts) agast Uganda rulted a proposed revisn to the bill that would replace the ath penalty wh life prison. In rponse to Uganda’s Anti-Homosexualy Bill, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria said, “Excludg margalized groups [om preventn and re outreach] would promise efforts to stop the spread of AIDS Uganda where 5.