Kenyan Senate Hopeful David Kuria Isn't Known As The "Gay Candidate" - Queerty

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.

THE GAY KENYANS TRYG TO FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA OM THE SI

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. 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.

KENYA POLIL MPAIGN PUTS GAY TABOO SPOTLIGHT

"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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

GAY, LBIAN GROUPS CRICIZE KENYAN LEAR'S REMARKS

But David Kuria, forced to whdraw om electns Kenya, has already smashed barriers as the untry’s first openly gay polician. 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. Homosexualy is outlawed 36 Ain untri, wh many leadg policians scribg gay people as “unain”.

KENYA’S OPENLY GAY POLITICIAN RECEIVES HIV AWARD

“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.

GAY MAN STANDING FOR KENYAN SENATE SPEAKS OUT

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.