First black Ain nttants for Mr Gay World

Contents:

• ETHPIA’S FORMER MR GAY WORLD NTTANT ON BEG AN LGBTIQ ASYLUM SEEKER
• GAY PAGEANT DAZZL , AS FIRST BLACK AINS ENTER
• ETHPIAN MR GAY WORLD CONTTNAT MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY RETURNG HOME AFTER SHOW
• FIRST BLACK AIN NTTANTS FOR MR GAY WORLD
• MR. GAY WORLD TO BOAST FOUR AFRICAN FINALISTS
• FOR THE FIRST TIME, MR. GAY WORLD CROWNED IN AI

ETHPIA’S FORMER MR GAY WORLD NTTANT ON BEG AN LGBTIQ ASYLUM SEEKER

Robel Hailu, the man who reprented Ethpia the Mr Gay World ntt Johannburg 2012, has spoken out a vio about his stggl as an LGBTIQ asylum seeker. Hailu is also acknowledged as the first person to have publicly spoken about beg gay Ethpia. Former Mr Gay World Ai Director, Coenie Kk, recently submted an affidav to immigratn lawyers the US to support Hailu’s se for asylum.

Gay World 2012 petn Johannburg, due to the media attentn the petn attracts, to show his fellow gay untrymen that there are fact out and proud Ethpians and that there is hope – and to start a natnal bate on gay rights his home untry which was totally absent before. But for the first time, the nttants Mr Gay World me to Ai, a ntent where most untri still mata sodomy laws, sometim punishable by ath.

Trai Zhanje, the nttant om Zimbabwe where Print Robert Mugabe regularly brands gays as "worse than pigs and dogs", pulled out after ernment agents timidated his fay. Gay rights are enshred the nstutn, and gays n legally marry and adopt. He praised South Ai for supportg gay rights foms like the UN Human Rights Council, even the face of opposn om many other Ain untri.

GAY PAGEANT DAZZL , AS FIRST BLACK AINS ENTER

Many black gay South Ains still suffer discrimatn and attacks. Lbians particular are the target of "rrective rap" -- which their attackers claim the rape will "cure" their homosexualy. In some Ain untri, like Botswana and Malawi, younger gays are groupg together aid by the spread of cell phon and the Inter.

"It's the search for a global (gay) ambassador who n reprent human rights, " he said. In Ethpia, Kk said, "there was never a talk or discsn or bate about (gay) issu before. He's not sure the attack was a hate crime, and he says that sce wng his tle, he's started a support group for gay Namibians on Facebook that has attracted more than 900 members.

There are reports that Ethpia’s Mr Gay World nttant may have difficulti returng home after the ntt as a rult of receivg ath threats he has received. The news of Robel Gizaw Hailu’s probable forced exile was revealed by Mr Gay World’s Ai director, Coenie Kk an terview wh the Gay Star News webse (). Lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) rights are not regnized Ethpia; all homosexual activy is regnized by Ethpian law as a sexual crime, and the public acknowledgement or promotn of homosexualy is overwhelmgly rejected by Ethpian society.

ETHPIAN MR GAY WORLD CONTTNAT MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY RETURNG HOME AFTER SHOW

However, the petn was shaken a week ago when Zimbabwe’s Trai Zhanje pulled out due to ’some very ser nsiratns’, which many have suggted are lked to the untry’s polil suatn the n up to a general electn and the general homophobic atmosphere there. Recently, at an Ain Unn summ Addis Ababa, Uned Natns Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon urged Ain lears to rpect gay rights. Hamutenya was the first ever Mr Gay Namibia, but December last year he was attacked wh a glass bottle after beg followed by two men while on his way home.

Homosexualy is illegal 38 Ain untri, wh Mrania, Sudan, and northern Nigeria allowg for the ath penalty. The Mr Gay World petn is fed as an annual ntt for gay men, seekg to tablish ambassadors for LGBT and human rights, wh wners of natnal ntts petg as legat a variety of tegori.

FIRST BLACK AIN NTTANTS FOR MR GAY WORLD

This petn is the most publicized gay ntt the world and unashamedly the attentn garners to foc attentn on the plight of LGBTI people worldwi, wh the foc 2012 beg on Ain LGBTIs specifilly.

In a ntent where at least 33 stat have outlawed homosexualy and where 's punishable by ath three (Mrania, Sudan, and northern Nigeria), this may reprent a glimmer of hope for homosexuals Ai.

MR. GAY WORLD TO BOAST FOUR AFRICAN FINALISTS

Mr Gay World's Ai director Coenie Kk is quoted by as sayg: "It's a major velopment.

Homosexualy is illegal Ethpia, Namibia and Zimbabwe, although the law is not enforced all untri. Hamutenya, however, was physilly asslted after wng the Mr Gay Namibia Gizaw Hailu's participatn, Kk says to "It's signifint that an Ethpian legate is participatg. "Only those untri that have natnal petns which are licensed to Mr Gay World are ved to participate.

"South Ai has prevly won the Mr Gay World tle twice: 2010 and 2012 Mr Gay World petn will be held Johannburg om 4 to 8 more on MambaOnle. Gay World ntt Johannburg will, for the first time, see four falists om Ai takg to the stage.

FOR THE FIRST TIME, MR. GAY WORLD CROWNED IN AI

“Only those untri that have natnal petns which are licensed to Mr Gay world are ved to participate.

Gay Namibia, Hamutenya was asslted by men who mand his wngs. Gay Namibia ntt, part due to fears of a backlash agast gays and lbians the untry. Gay World petn will be held Johannburg om 4 to 8 April.

Gay World scrib s missn as beg “to advance natnal and ternatnal gay rights through tn and public performance”. A ld tile floor and threadbare ts have never seemed so the gigglg, affectnate men acted this way – unabashedly, stereotypilly gay – on the streets of Ethpia's pal, they uld be expelled, beaten up, fired, disowned, or jailed. This is the realy of what means to be gay Ethpia.