Killg of LGBTQ+ activist prompts outcry over anti-gay attacks Kenya | Kenya | The Guardian

Contents:

• KENYANS WHO HAVE OPENLY ADMTED TO BEG MEMBERS OF LGBTQ FAY SHARE PENINAH WAMBUI ENTERTAINMENT 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
• WHAT IS EVERYDAY GAY AND LBIAN LIFE LIKE KENYA?
• GAY REFUGE KENYA REPORT REPEATED ATTACKS OM LOLS
• HOMOSEXUALY: THE UNTRI WHERE IS ILLEGAL TO BE GAY
• THE GAY KENYANS TRYG TO FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA OM THE SI
• KENYAN PAPER SHAMED FOR ITS 'TOP GAYS' LIST
• KILLG OF LGBTQ+ ACTIVIST PROMPTS OUTCRY OVER ANTI-GAY ATTACKS KENYA

KENYANS WHO HAVE OPENLY ADMTED TO BEG MEMBERS OF LGBTQ FAY SHARE PENINAH WAMBUI ENTERTAINMENT 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

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. "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. By CountryBy Year FoundA list of LGBT anizatns and groups and Lbian Coaln of Kenya (GALCK) The Gay and Lbian Coaln of Kenya (GALCK) is foced on promotg regnn, acceptance and fend the terts and rights of LGBTI anizatns and their members…Ishtar MSMIshtar MSM is a Communy Based Organizatn Kenya who aimed at attag full sexual health rights and social well beg for Men who have sex wh men (MSM) Kenya.

Kenyan celebri and personali who are Lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer, tersex, asexual, pansexual and kks (LGBTIQIAPK) have the past few years been bold enough to e out. The father of one says he always knew he was gay, he told the Nairobian, “I always knew I was attracted to men but I thought was a gay phase and I would outgrow .

WHAT IS EVERYDAY GAY AND LBIAN LIFE LIKE KENYA?

Homosexualy⚢✖ Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)Censorship✖ State-enforcedNon-bary genr regnn✖ Intersex onlyDiscrimatn✖ Illegal some ntextsEmployment Discrimatn✖ No protectnsHog Discrimatn✖ No protectnsConversn Therapy✖ Not banned.

GAY REFUGE KENYA REPORT REPEATED ATTACKS OM LOLS

Public OpnRearch atttus towards LGBTQ+ issu Kenya have intified a strong opposn to LGBTQ+ rights, reflectg unrlyg homophobic sentiments. Current statSce Aug 1, 1930Illegal (imprisonment as punishment) Article 162, 163 and 165 prohibs homosexualy and offenr is punishable by up to 21 years prison wh hard labor and fSame-sex marriage Kenya?

It also requir the acmodatn of tersex children child protectn centers and other protectnsAs homosexualy is currently illegal, discrimatn agast LGBT persons are employment discrimatn Kenya? Current statSce Jan 1, 1941Illegal The Internatnal Lbian and Gay Associatn stat that homosexuals are not allowed to serve the Kenya Defence Forc, however, 's unclear if this is a wrten law and if so, when this law was 't Ask, Don't TellNo laws rtrictg or crimalizg lgbt donatns by MSMs Kenya?

A study nducted by the Natnal Aids and STI Control Council (Nasp) unvered a high number of homosexual men Kenya who had otherwise remaed hidn.

HOMOSEXUALY: THE UNTRI WHERE IS ILLEGAL TO BE GAY

Nairobi unty acunts for 11, 000 members of the gay muny, Kiambu unty was found to have 3, 635 and was closely followed by Kisumu wh 1, 567 s and Mombasa wh 1, 469. In our worldwi search for Out & Around: Stori om a Not-So-Straight Journey, we travelled to Kenya to explore everyday life for gays and November 2010 the Kenyan prime mister nmned homosexualy, sayg, "If found, the homosexuals should be arrted and taken to relevant thori. " Unr ternatnal prsure, he retracted his statements days later, sayg he only meant that same-sex marriag are illegal Kenyan penal crimaliz homosexual behavr wh up to 14 years imprisonment.

A 2007 study found that 96 percent of the Kenyan populatn oppos we asked: what is gay and lbian life actually like for the average Kenyan livg Nairobi? We first meet wh Akyi Ocholla, a lbian om Nairobi who works for Mory Women Actn and is a member of the Internatnal Gay and Lbian Associatn. "To get a gay male perspective, we met wh Solomon Wambua, Programs Officer of the Gay and Lbian Coaln of Kenya (GALCK), the untry's largt LGBT anizatn.

" As of today, Solomon's extend fay still do not know about his sexual Solomon choos to work at GALCK spe his own ncern about whether or not he n fd employment aga after associatg wh a gay anizatn.

THE GAY KENYANS TRYG TO FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA OM THE SI

"When I asked Solomon about the number of gays rcerated due to this penal , he says, "Up to date, no se has been nvicted of the penal leadg to actual rceratn. While there are no pri paras or openly gay clubs, Solomon aniz muny events such as World AIDS Day and the Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia.

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.

KENYAN PAPER SHAMED FOR ITS 'TOP GAYS' LIST

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.

KILLG OF LGBTQ+ ACTIVIST PROMPTS OUTCRY OVER ANTI-GAY ATTACKS KENYA

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. Image source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Kamala Harris has been a vol supporter of LGBTQ rightsUS Vice-Print Kamala Harris who is on a tour of three Ain untri - Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia - has drawn cricism over her support for LGBTQ Ghana, a speech llg for "all people be treated equally" she appeared to cricise a bill before the untry's parliament which crimalis advocy for gay rights and propos jail terms for those that intify as lbian, gay, bisexual, or untry's Speaker Alban Bagb later lled her remarks "unmocratic" and urged lawmakers not to be "timidated by any person" Tanzania, a former mister spoke agast US support for LGBTQ rights ahead of the vis and Zambia some opposn policians have threatened to hold is homosexualy still outlawed?

In the same month, the high urt Barbados stck out laws that crimalised gay July last year, the urts Antigua and Barbuda clared a law crimalisg same-sex acts between nsentg adults Febary 2021, Angola's Print Joao Louren signed to law a revised penal to allow same-sex relatnships and ban discrimatn on the basis of sexual 2020, Gabon reversed a law that had crimalised homosexualy and ma gay sex punishable wh six months prison and a large fe.