Kenya's gay muny out, one story at a time | The World om PRX

Contents:

• I AM GAY — FORMER BBC JOURNALIST NJERI MAKENA
• KENYANS WHO HAVE OPENLY ADMTED TO BEG MEMBERS OF LGBTQ FAY SHARE PENINAH WAMBUI LIFTYLE ENTERTAMENT JOURNALIST LIFTYLE 04 JUNE 2021 FORMER BBC JOURNALIST MAKENA NJERI IMAGE: INSTAGRAM FORMER BBC JOURNALIST MAKENA NJERI IMAGE: INSTAGRAM IN THE RECENT PAST MORE AND MORE KENYANS HAVE BOLDLY OPENED UP ON BEG MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ MUNY.LGBTQ STANDS FOR LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR, AND QUEER.BELOW ARE SOME OF THE KENYANSNJERI MAKENAEX BBC REPORTER MAKENA NJERI RECENTLY OPENED UP ON BEG GAY.'ACRDG TO NJERI SHE HAS ALWAYS KNOWN SHE WAS DIFFERENT BUT WAS NEVER URAGEO ENOUGH TO STAND BY HER TTH.IN A VIO POSTED BY AN TERNATNAL MEDIA PLATFORM, TEDX ON BEHALF OF TEDX PARKLANDS, MAKENA SAID HAD TAKEN YEARS FOR HER TO ACCEPT AND ADM THE FACT TO HERSELF.THE FORMER 'TAHIDI HIGH' ACTRS SAID FOR THE LAST , SHE STGGLED TO LIVE A NORMAL LIFE, "NFORMG TO THE DIFFERENT SOCIETAL NORMS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED ON OM A VERY YOUNG AGE"."AT 19 YEARS OLD, G TO THE CY, I WANTED TO ACT AND BEE A SUPERSTAR FEATURG DIFFERENT TV SHOWS. BUT I KNEW FOR A FACT THAT THE BATTL I HAD BEEN GOG THROUGH AS A TEENAGER WILL BE TTED THIS CY. I REALISED THAT WHAT SOCIETY WANTED ME TO TAKE WASN'T THE SE FOR HUMANY AND ME," SHE SAID. "I REMEMBER FOR THE FIRST TIME MY LIFE AFTER VERY MANY YEARS LOOKG AT MYSELF THE MIRROR AND I SAID TO MYSELF, I AM GAY, I AM UNIQUE AND THIS IS MY TTH."SHE ADD THAT AFTER THAT A WEIGHT WAS LIFTED OFF HER CHT AS SHE WAS FALLY EE. 'I AM GAY!' MEDIA PERSONALY MAKENA NJERI OPENS UP'I AM GAY!' MEDIA PERSONALY MAKENA NJERI OPENS UPLIFTYLE2 YEARS AGO  ANA NTHIS SPARKED AN TENSE NVERSATN ON TWTER, WH MANY QUTNG HER SEXUALY AFTER SHE POSTED THE TWEET BELOW."I HOPE MY KIDS NEVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT I HAVE GONE THROUGH FOR BEG LGBTQ+," SHE TWEETED.OTHERS QUTNED HER CISN TO POST SUCH RMATN ON SOCIAL MEDIA.LETOYA JOHNSTONE KENYAN MOL HAS NEVER SHIED AWAY OM THE FACT THAT SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE LGBTQ MUNY.LETOYA WHO NSIRS HERSELF A WOMAN HAS BEEN A MEMBER FOR YEARS, SHE HAS HOWEVER FACED A LOT OF CRICISM, AND MISTREATMENT WH THE LATT CINT BEG THROWN OUT OF A CLUB.  MAKENA NJERI SPIR NOTI FLOW TO E OUT (LEAKED TEXTS)THE BOLDNS MAKENA HAS ALREADY IMPACTED OTHER MEMBERS OF THE LGBT MUNY KENYA.ENTERTAMENT2 YEARS AGO LATT STORI
• THE GAY KENYANS TRYG TO FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA OM THE SI
• GAY RIGHTS KENYA: 'WHY OUR FIGHT ISN'T OVER'
• LGBT RIGHTS AI: WILL KENYA BE THE LATT TO PASS ANTI-GAY LAW?
• GAY REFUGE KENYA REPORT REPEATED ATTACKS OM LOLS
• IN KENYA, LGBTQ ACTIVISTS MOBILIZE SUPPORT OF HISTORIC URT CISN TO CRIMALIZE GAY SEX
• ‘THE SKY DON’T LLAPSE.’ A FILMMAKER EXPLOR GAY LIFE KENYA.
• GAY PEOPLE KENYA LIVE CONSTANT FEAR OF ATTACKS, DISCRIMATN, AND LACK LEGAL PROTECTN
• KENYA'S GAY MUNY OUT, ONE STORY AT A TIME
• KENYANS REACT TO KIUNA’S CHURCH HOSTG OPENLY GAY CNN JOURNALIST

I AM GAY — FORMER BBC JOURNALIST NJERI MAKENA

In the recent past more and more Kenyans have boldly opened up on beg members of the LGBTQ stands for lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr, and are some of the KenyansNjeri MakenaEX BBC reporter Makena Njeri recently opened up on beg gay.

KENYANS WHO HAVE OPENLY ADMTED TO BEG MEMBERS OF LGBTQ FAY SHARE PENINAH WAMBUI LIFTYLE ENTERTAMENT JOURNALIST LIFTYLE 04 JUNE 2021 FORMER BBC JOURNALIST MAKENA NJERI IMAGE: INSTAGRAM FORMER BBC JOURNALIST MAKENA NJERI IMAGE: INSTAGRAM IN THE RECENT PAST MORE AND MORE KENYANS HAVE BOLDLY OPENED UP ON BEG MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ MUNY.LGBTQ STANDS FOR LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR, AND QUEER.BELOW ARE SOME OF THE KENYANSNJERI MAKENAEX BBC REPORTER MAKENA NJERI RECENTLY OPENED UP ON BEG GAY.'ACRDG TO NJERI SHE HAS ALWAYS KNOWN SHE WAS DIFFERENT BUT WAS NEVER URAGEO ENOUGH TO STAND BY HER TTH.IN A VIO POSTED BY AN TERNATNAL MEDIA PLATFORM, TEDX ON BEHALF OF TEDX PARKLANDS, MAKENA SAID HAD TAKEN YEARS FOR HER TO ACCEPT AND ADM THE FACT TO HERSELF.THE FORMER 'TAHIDI HIGH' ACTRS SAID FOR THE LAST , SHE STGGLED TO LIVE A NORMAL LIFE, "NFORMG TO THE DIFFERENT SOCIETAL NORMS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED ON OM A VERY YOUNG AGE"."AT 19 YEARS OLD, G TO THE CY, I WANTED TO ACT AND BEE A SUPERSTAR FEATURG DIFFERENT TV SHOWS. BUT I KNEW FOR A FACT THAT THE BATTL I HAD BEEN GOG THROUGH AS A TEENAGER WILL BE TTED THIS CY. I REALISED THAT WHAT SOCIETY WANTED ME TO TAKE WASN'T THE SE FOR HUMANY AND ME," SHE SAID. "I REMEMBER FOR THE FIRST TIME MY LIFE AFTER VERY MANY YEARS LOOKG AT MYSELF THE MIRROR AND I SAID TO MYSELF, I AM GAY, I AM UNIQUE AND THIS IS MY TTH."SHE ADD THAT AFTER THAT A WEIGHT WAS LIFTED OFF HER CHT AS SHE WAS FALLY EE. 'I AM GAY!' MEDIA PERSONALY MAKENA NJERI OPENS UP'I AM GAY!' MEDIA PERSONALY MAKENA NJERI OPENS UPLIFTYLE2 YEARS AGO  ANA NTHIS SPARKED AN TENSE NVERSATN ON TWTER, WH MANY QUTNG HER SEXUALY AFTER SHE POSTED THE TWEET BELOW."I HOPE MY KIDS NEVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT I HAVE GONE THROUGH FOR BEG LGBTQ+," SHE TWEETED.OTHERS QUTNED HER CISN TO POST SUCH RMATN ON SOCIAL MEDIA.LETOYA JOHNSTONE KENYAN MOL HAS NEVER SHIED AWAY OM THE FACT THAT SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE LGBTQ MUNY.LETOYA WHO NSIRS HERSELF A WOMAN HAS BEEN A MEMBER FOR YEARS, SHE HAS HOWEVER FACED A LOT OF CRICISM, AND MISTREATMENT WH THE LATT CINT BEG THROWN OUT OF A CLUB.  MAKENA NJERI SPIR NOTI FLOW TO E OUT (LEAKED TEXTS)THE BOLDNS MAKENA HAS ALREADY IMPACTED OTHER MEMBERS OF THE LGBT MUNY KENYA.ENTERTAMENT2 YEARS AGO LATT STORI

"I remember for the first time my life after very many years lookg at myself the mirror and I said to myself, I am gay, I am unique and this is my tth. Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr and Queer televisn newssters have a proment profile many untri around the world. Amerin Charl Perez of ABC News is one to particularly note - he published his book 'Confsns of a Gay News Anchorman' (2011) after his oral of beg fired om a posn Florida when he was intified as beg gay.

For example, France, there is L'associatn s journalist LGBT, and Ameri there is the Natnal Lbian & Gay Journalists Associatn. 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.

THE GAY KENYANS TRYG TO FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA OM THE SI

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. “We will ph for gay and lbian rights to be regnized whatever legal way possible the Kenyan nstutn. Image source, Gee Wafula/BBCKenya's High Court has led agast mpaigners seekg to overturn a law banng gay sex.

GAY RIGHTS KENYA: 'WHY OUR FIGHT ISN'T OVER'

I am source, Gee Wafula/BBCImage ptn, The law banng gay sex is specific to men but activists say that lbian, bi, trans and non-bary voic are val this nversatnBut there many dividuals om the muny who have experienced physil and verbal vlence and var forms of discrimatn. Today, there are muni of gay, lbian, trans men and women, and non-bary dividuals across the untry who support, enurage and love one another.

LGBT RIGHTS AI: WILL KENYA BE THE LATT TO PASS ANTI-GAY LAW?

It was 2016 that mpaigners filed a se Kenya's High Court llg for the crimalisatn of gay sex. 'The gay genie is out the bottle'The Kenyan gay genie was out of the bottle and out of the closet. Image source, Gee Wafula/BBCImage ptn, Judg led May that the lonial-era law crimalisg gay sex is not unnstutnalSeated a stairwell, other iends and I listened to the lg beg read out.

You n now read news about the gay muny Kenya, thanks to a pneer Webse n by Gay Kenya Tst and Artists for Regnn and Acceptance (AFRA) wh the support of Internews Kenya. The se,, was lnched by Jeri Curry, Internews Senr Vice Print Global Communitns and Outreach after a week-long trag of 14 members of the lbian, gay and aln of Kenya on news gatherg, news wrg and onle journalism tailored to equip the participants to tell their own ptivatg stori about human rights and sexualy Kenya.

Like the majory of Kenyans, the untry’s mastream media exhib homophobic tennci, says Denis Nzka, of Gay Kenya Tst and one of the participatg journalists “It is impossible to read, listen or view anythg posive about the gay muny the Kenyan media. ” When Internews Kenya anised a media roundtable on HIV and the gay muny 2010, some Journalists produced some stori wh a fair amount of objectivy, but acrdg to David Kuria, the Director of Gay and Lbian Coaln of Kenya, many stori still revealed the bias that journalists have towards gay and lbian people the untry. The se will provi a space for gay and lbian people to tell their stori on human rights Speakg at the begng of the week-long urse, Ernt Wau the Health Rint Journalism Advisor at Internews Kenya said Internews was terted untold stori.

GAY REFUGE KENYA REPORT REPEATED ATTACKS OM LOLS

“That’s why we are workg wh participants this trag to help them tell their own stori, so that the rights of the lbian, gay bisexual, transgenr and, tersex persons n be rpected”.

Kenya’s Penal Co, which crimalis same-sex activy, will rema tact followg a High Court lg which rejected a petn llg for the crimalisatn of homosexualy the untry. The Nairobi lg followed two petns filed 2016 by three Kenyan LGBT anisatns: the Natnal Gay and Lbian Human Rights Commissn, the Gay and Lbian Coaln of Kenya and Nyanza, Rift Valley and Wtern Kenya Network. Image source, Getty ImagIn the latt sign of risg homophobia different Ain untri, a Kenyan opposn MP is leadg a mpaign for parliament to further crimalise the untry's small LGBTQ muny.

Gee Peter Kaluma's move after neighbourg Uganda adopted a tough new anti-gay law, rejectg threats by US Print Joe Bin to impose sanctns and travel rtrictns on "anyone volved ser human rights ab".

IN KENYA, LGBTQ ACTIVISTS MOBILIZE SUPPORT OF HISTORIC URT CISN TO CRIMALIZE GAY SEX

"We want to prohib everythg to do wh homosexualy, " Mr Kaluma tells me, addg that his bill will be much broar than the legislatn passed by Uganda's parliament and approved by Print Yoweri Meveni May.

The Ugandan law is regard as one of the harsht anti-LGBTQ laws the propos life imprisonment for anyone nvicted of homosexualy, and the ath penalty for so-lled aggravated s, which clu havg gay sex wh someone below the age of 18 or where someone be fected wh a life-long illns such as the other si of the ntent, MPs Ghana earlier this month unanimoly voted favour of amendments to the untry's anti-gay legislatn, phg closer to beg enacted to law. Though ls harsh than Uganda's new law, the Promotn of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Fay Valu Bill propos a three-year prison sentence for anyone who intifi as LGBTQ and a 10-year sentence for anyone who promot homosexualy.

‘THE SKY DON’T LLAPSE.’ A FILMMAKER EXPLOR GAY LIFE KENYA.

"The bill will propose a total ban on what the Wt lls sex-reassignment prcriptns and procr, and prohib all activi that promote homosexualy, terms of...

Gay paras, drag shows, wearg the lours, the flags, the emblems of the LGBTQ group, " Mr Kaluma says. Gay sex is already illegal Kenya, but the ernment n also be tolerant of gay people - for example, has given asylum to people om other Ain untri, cludg Uganda, who faced persecutn their home untri bee of their sexual orientatn. Image source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Many Kenyans believe that gay rights are agast their relign - whether Christian or MlimAlthough the meetg Uganda was billed as an attempt to protect the "sovereignty" of Ain stat, was actually -sponsored by an Amerin Christian right-wg anisatn, Fay Watch Internatnal (FWI) Kapya Kaoma, a Zambian prit the Anglin Church and an amic at Boston Universy the US, says Ain untri are beg targeted by FWI and siar US-based anisatns, and that the impact of s lobbyg has been "horrible and humane" parts of Ai, fuellg what he lls "ant homophobia".

"It is one thg to say: 'I don't agree wh you beg gay', but we didn't have the ant one, where policians now are sayg: 'You go to jail for life, you go to jail for talkg about beg gay, you go to jail bee you're livg wh your fellow woman', " Dr Kaoma says. She c a Uned Natns Populatn Fund (UNFPA) manual for out-of-school youths east and southern Ai, sayg promot homosexualy and is too explic. "It sensis children to sex, " she Slater also quot om the manual, cludg l which say that facilators of lsons should have "a ntral, acceptg attu towards homosexualy".

GAY PEOPLE KENYA LIVE CONSTANT FEAR OF ATTACKS, DISCRIMATN, AND LACK LEGAL PROTECTN

14, Hayn / SOPA Imag/LightRocket via Getty Imag fileBut acrdg to Mos and experts on refuge and migratn, the lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer refuge Kakuma — many of whom fled homophobic and transphobic vlence nearby Uganda — ntue to face threats and vlence om lols and other refuge for the simple reason that they are LGBTQ.

“They were kicked out by the UNHCR and forced to the homophobic muny wh other refuge, " and then lol rints om the area, the Turkana, "attacked them some time ago, ” Mos wrote the email sent to human rights officials and journalists. “You have got a handful of UNHCR officials, so bad thgs n happen, and bad thgs do happen refugee mps — not only to LGBT people, but women and other people as well, so ’s unfortunately not surprisg, ” Knotts June 2018, Mos and Refugee Flag Kakuma, an LGBTQ rights group he leads at the mp, hosted s first gay pri event.

KENYA'S GAY MUNY OUT, ONE STORY AT A TIME

And yet, acrdg to Mos, new lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer refuge ntue to arrive for registratn at UNHCR offic Kakuma and a WhatsApp msage sent to NBC News on Friday, Mos said he and other members of Refugee Flag Kakuma qutn “the logic of returng and hog LGBT refuge a place where others had been whdrawn bee of secury. The UNHCR strongly nied the allegatns that refuge also routely acce the mp’s admistrators of turng a bld eye — due to homophobia and transphobia — to their plight and to the ntued vlence they an terview wh NBC News after the attack on the mp’s June 2018 pri event, Yvonne Nge, a UNHCR Kenya spokperson, said, “The muny n sometim feel isolated. ”“It is important to note that a number of LGBTI+ refuge and asylum seekers are ridg among the muny Kakuma as well as urban areas and have been able to live relative safety, some for several years, ” Hugh wrote, addg that UNHCR uld not verify all reported anti-gay attacks, and that the agency has no ntrol over whether third untri agree to rettle refuge and asylum the procs of gettg a refugee applitn approved by UNHCR n take years Kenya and other untri, cludg the Uned Stat, the average stay for a rint of Kakuma mp is 17 years, acrdg to the than 25 ln people worldwi are currently refuge, acrdg to Amnty Internatnal, and a third are livg the world’s lowt-e untri.

Edor's note: On Friday, May 24, Kenya's High Court led to dismiss a petn to scrap sectns 162 and 165 of the untry's penal that crimaliz gay sex. The day was one of celebratn, schled to memorate the Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transpophia — affectnately lled IDAHOBIT. The laws make same-sex activi punishable wh up to 14 years loomg urt cisn add extra weight to the theme of the AoQueer’s podst episo, “Comg Out, ” which for many queer people provok mixed emotns of fear, anxiety and even admtg to beg gay private is hard to do Kenya, let alone Ai — where stigma agast LGBTQ people is high and vlent retributn remas a persistent threat to those who e out the worseng ernment crackdowns on LGBTQ persons neighborg Tanzania and Uganda has brought hundreds of gay refuge to Kenya, where many of them suffer the same stigmas.

Related: Tanzania's anti-gay, reprsive polil agendaMarylize Biubwa, a queer woman activist om Nairobi, thks about her own g out after hearg the episo.

KENYANS REACT TO KIUNA’S CHURCH HOSTG OPENLY GAY CNN JOURNALIST

In recent years, that muny has been strengtheng, buildg legal rourc to advote on behalf of members and protect gay Kenyans, who n face extortn, evictns and sometim vlence if they e out or are outed as beg gay. Showg up, ” said Imani Kimiri, a lawyer who overse safety and secury at the Natnal Gay and Lbian Human Rights Commissn, the anizatn leadg the petn the crimalizatn filed the se April 2016, and anizatns like NGLHRC have been the drivg force behd a seri of strategic legislatn aimed at gradually creasg the rights and protectns of the gay year, the anizatn won a urt se that appealed the e of forced anal examatns, which police were g on men spected of engagg gay sex.

Related: Gay rights lg Kenya uld reverberate through Ai“The nfince is buildg up om the s, and all other work beg done by other anizatns.... ”It’s a stark difference om only a ago when the ia of challengg a penal that outlawed homosexualy was only a as gay people Kenya slowly e out of the shadows, nservative forc are tryg to ph them back. Conservative Christians ph anti-gay agendaEarlier on May 17, an olr crowd gathered across town at the All Sats’ Cathedral downtown Nairobi to discs threats to the church nference, “Imment Threats to Church & Fay: Arisg to the Call of Our Time, ” was anized by the Kenya Christian Profsnals Fom, the ma group opposg crimalizg gay all-day event had attracted church lears om across nomatns who llectively reprent a powerful and fluential voice Kenyan society when to ntroversial social issu like gay if sensg the newfound nfince of Kenya’s queer muny, the KCPF has put their own rourc to unterg NGLHRC’s actns at every the nference, they listed Article 27 of the Kenyan nstutn as one of their chief nstutnal ncerns.