October, 2020 - The African Mirror

Oct

2020

How Trump’s Supreme Court nominee applies the law to LGBT+ rights

MATTHEW LAVIETES US PRESIDENT Donald Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court has alarmed many LGBT+ advocates, who fear the appointment of another conservative judge would jeopardise the rights of gay and trans people. If confirmed, Barrett, who has described conservative judge Antonin Scalia as her mentor, would push the country's highest court to a 6-3 conservative majority. At 48, she could serve for decades in the lifetime job, potentially leaving a lasting conservative legacy. "Confirming Barrett will drag America backwards," Sarah Kate Ellis, head of the LGBT+ advocacy group GLAAD, said in a statement when…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

How young, queer Nigerians use Twitter to shape identity and fight homophobia

LGBT+

PAUL ONANUGA, Lecturer, Federal University, Oye Ekiti NIGERIA continues to be largely homophobic, mainly as a result of cultural and religious conventions. Negative perceptions of homosexuality led to the criminalisation of same-sex relations in 2014. The Nigerian environment is therefore toxic for LGBTI people. They become easy prey to oppressive and exploitative state security apparatus. They are also vulnerable to public “moral police” who seek to make homosexual performance invisible and closeted. One may assume that the marginalised Nigerian same-sex community and its allies have conceded to the widespread societal ostracisation. But that would be to ignore the vigorous advocacies…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Record number of LGBT+ candidates set to run in U.S. election

LGBT+

MATTHEW LAVIETES A record number of LGBT+ people will run for office in next month's U.S. election, reflecting stronger support for LGBT+ rights among Americans that is eroding concerns about the electability of gay, bisexual and transgender candidates. A report by the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which seeks to elect gay, lesbian, bi or trans lawmakers, said this week at least 574 openly LGBT+ candidates would appear on the ballot for the Nov. 3 election. That would be a third more than the number who contested the 2018 midterm elections. "LGBTQ people are running for office in numbers thought unthinkable just…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

America’s ‘Drag Ambassadors’ aim to register voters one brunch show at a time

LGBT+

NATHAN FRANDINO In front of a single lighted mirror, 'Kylie Minono' meticulously applies shades of foundation, powder, and eye and lip liner, transforming into her drag queen persona with each stroke. "It's exciting to be able to step into a world of hope and positivity with my drag," said Minono, a nonprofit worker in San Francisco whose legal name is Kyle Levinger. After years of stepping into drag for benefits and fundraising shows, Minono is bringing her act to the 2020 election campaign, joining the nonpartisan, nonprofit Drag Out the Vote organization to help register Americans to vote. "With so…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

New Zealand ruling party vows to ban efforts to alter sexual orientation

LGBT+

NEW Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's centre-left government vowed on Monday to ban conversion therapy, which aims to change a person's sexual orientation, if returned to power, as widely expected, in polls on October 17. The globally discredited treatment, which harms and stigmatizes members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans community has adherents in New Zealand, however. A recent survey showed more than one in six respondents reported being subjected to the efforts of psychiatrists, psychologists or counsellors to stop them being trans or non-binary, Labour Party leader Tāmati Coffey said. "Conversion therapy has been linked to severe adverse…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Transgender figures in politics around the world

LGBT+

TOM HAYNES PETRA De Sutter, a gynaecologist serving as a Green party member of the European Parliament, was named as deputy prime minister in Belgium this week - becoming the most senior transgender government official in Europe. With LGBT+ rights becoming more accepted worldwide, gay and trans politicians have gained greater prominence in recent years, and Pauline Ngarmpring became Thailand's first trans candidate for prime minister last year. Here are some trans people who serve in high-level politics and government around the world: - Tamara Adrian, alternate deputy in Venezuela's National Assembly Adrian, 66, a member of the small Popular…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Intersex surgery ‘abuses’ condemned by 34 states at U.N. rights forum

LGBT+

RACHEL SAVAGE MORE than 30 countries have condemned "medically unnecessary surgeries" on intersex children as a human rights violation, amid mounting efforts to ban such operations. It is the first time that unnecessary surgeries on children born with an indeterminate sex have been criticised at the United Nations, advocates said, with 34 countries signing the statement at a U.N. Human Rights Council session. "Intersex people - that is, individuals who are born with sex characteristics that do not fit the typical definition of male or female bodies - continue to face serious and widespread human rights violations and abuses," the…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Transgender people still criminalised in 13 U.N. member states, report finds

LGBT+

HUGO GREENHALGH AT least 13 United Nations member states still criminalise transgender people, while others use morality and indecency laws to crack down on the trans community, a report showed on Wednesday. Nigeria, Oman and Lebanon are among the nations with explicit anti-trans laws, according to the latest Trans Legal Mapping Report by LGBT+ rights group ILGA World. The research details trans legislation and policies in 143 U.N. member states and 19 other jurisdictions. Many other countries apply "seemingly innocuous" regulations covering offences such as "public nuisance, indecency, morality (and) loitering" to police trans communities, the report said. However, at…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa opens borders to Africans but bars tourists from high-risk countries

COVID-19

TIM COCKS and ALEXANDER WINNING SOUTH Africa will not allow tourists from countries with higher coronavirus infection and death rates, including Britain, the United States and France, to enter when its borders open up from today, ministers have announced. But business travellers with scarce and critical skills including diplomats and investors from countries considered "high-risk", which also include the Netherlands, Russia and India, can enter, Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said. "We will review the data every two weeks," Pandor told a news conference, saying the government would be guided by epidemiological data when deciding which countries were deemed high-risk. President…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Top ANC politician granted R30 000 bail and vows to prove his innocence

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER VINCENT Smith, who has become the first high profile ANC politician to be arrested for corruption related to the state capture inquiry, has vowed to prove his innocence. Smith (60) was arrested and appeared in Special Commercial Crimes Court in Palmridge, outside Johannesburg, where he was charged with corruption. He was granted bail of R30 000, ordered to hand in his passport and not to interfere with state witnesses. He is a former MP and ex-chairperson of Parliament’s Committee on Correctional Services. The charges relate to amounts totalling R660 000 that he received from Bosasa In an…