LGBT+ - The African Mirror

Sep

07

2021

Kabul diary: A gay Afghan tries to flee the Taliban

THE Taliban are expected to announce a new government in Afghanistan on Friday, two weeks after the Islamist militia seized control of Kabul. The militants have promised a softer brand of rule than the radical form of sharia law they enforced from 1996 until 2001 when they were ousted by U.S.-led forces but concern is growing for LGBT+ Afghans, some of whom are on the run fearing death. Even before the Taliban takeover, LGBT+ people said it was too dangerous to live openly in Afghanistan. But under the Taliban's extreme interpretation of Islam, LGBT+ Afghans say they could be punished with death,…

Sep

07

2021

By The African Mirror

LGBT+ Paralympic medal-winner Danz says coming out was ‘liberating’

LGBT+

HUGO GREENHALGH AT an age when many LGBT+ teenagers are coming to terms with their sexuality, gay Paralympic medal-winner Hailey Danz was coping with a bone cancer diagnosis and the decision to have her left leg amputated above the knee. Danz, a triathlete who won her second Paralympic silver medal at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, came out last year at the relatively late age of 29, and said the decision had proved "really liberating". "In the past, (my sexuality) was something I was always thinking about because I was using so much energy hiding who I was," said Danz,…

Jul

30

2021

By The African Mirror

Motor racing-Hamilton calls on Hungarians to protect LGBTQ+ rights

LGBT+

Seven-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton spoke out against Hungary's anti-LGBTQ+ legislation ahead of the country's Grand Prix and urged voters to protect rights by rejecting it in a coming referendum. The sport's most successful driver of all time is racing for Mercedes at the Hungaroring near Budapest this weekend in the 11th round of the championship that could bring him a record 100th career win. "Ahead of the Grand Prix this weekend, I want to share my support for those affected by the government's anti-LGBTQ+ law," the Briton posted on Instagram on Thursday. "It is unacceptable, cowardly and…

Jul

29

2021

By The African Mirror

OPINION: I fled Nigeria for my safety. But many other LGBT+ activists remain under threat in my country

LGBT+

MICHEAL IGHODARO I come from Nigeria, one of the 68 countries that continue to criminalize same-sex relations. I had to flee for my life and seek asylum in the US. I was lucky; most people cannot flee. But I was also unlucky because we should not have to flee. In order to protect LGBT+ people in the most hostile places, the possibility to seek asylum is crucial and has to be protected. But what is more, we have to support activists on the ground fighting for change and for safety, so that LGBT+ people can live as their true selves everywhere, without…

Jul

28

2021

By The African Mirror

Anger and fear in Ghana as bill seeks to criminalise LGBT+ people

LGBT+

NITA BHALLA A bill in Ghana that would make it a crime to be gay, bisexual or transgender has shocked the local LGBT+ community and raised fears over a possible surge in discrimination and violence against sexual minorities in the West African country. Gay sex is already punishable with up to three years in jail in Ghana, where homophobic persecution is widespread, but the draft law would go much further - making it illegal to be LGBT+ or advocate for LGBT+ rights, and imposing longer sentences. "This bill is a homophobe's dream law," said Danny Bediako from Rightify Ghana, a…

Jun

30

2021

By The African Mirror

‘Brave and hopeful’ LGBT+ Rwandans prepare for their first Pride

LGBT+

KIM HARRISBERG WITH football and fashion, Rwanda's LGBT+ activists are planning their first Pride celebration after years of struggling to secure funding or a venue willing to host them in a country where they say coming out can lead to violence and rejection. Navigating COVID-19 restrictions, LGBT+ activists are expecting 200 people to attend the event in the capital Kigali in late July, including government officials and media, and hear testimonies of the stigma LGBT+ people face on a daily basis. "The significance of this event is that we are saying we are here, we need to be treated equally…

Jun

25

2021

By The African Mirror

Why is it so controversial for trans women to compete in sports?

LGBT+

RACHEL SAVAGE NEW Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard will become the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Olympics after being selected for the women's super-heavyweight 87+kg category at the Tokyo Games next month. Hubbard's selection is fuelling a fierce global debate about whether trans women should be allowed to compete in women's sporting events, and - if they are - what the rules should be. Trans rights campaigners say excluding trans athletes is discriminatory and will stoke bias against trans people in general, but critics say trans women athletes have an unfair physical advantage in women's competitions. The issue…

Jun

20

2021

By The African Mirror

U.S. soccer stars tell story of fight for equal pay in new film ‘LFG’

LGBT+

SOCCER stars Megan Rapinoe and Jessica McDonald rested their cleats and walked the red carpet at the premiere of the documentary "LFG" at the Tribeca Film Festival, which tells the story of the fight for equal pay by the U.S. women's national team. The players sued U.S. soccer's governing body in 2019 over allegations of gender discrimination in compensation and nearly every other aspect of playing conditions. Months later, they won a fourth World Cup for the United States as fans chanted "equal pay" during the 2-0 final triumph against the Netherlands. Last year, a judge threw out the players'…

Jun

17

2021

By The African Mirror

EXCLUSIVE-Hungary could be sanctioned over anti-LGBT+ law, warns EU equality chief

LGBT+

HUGO GREENHALGH THE EU could impose funding restrictions on Hungary over legislation that bans the dissemination in schools of content deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change, the bloc's equality chief told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Tuesday. Speaking shortly before Hungary's parliament approved the ban, European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli said Brussels was prepared to take measures similar to those imposed on Polish regions that had declared themselves "LGBT-free". "The message is that if you don't uphold the values of democracy or equality of the European Union, you are not entitled to take money for your project," Dalli said in…

Jun

04

2021

By The African Mirror

LGBT+ conversion therapy: banned on Facebook, but thriving in Arabic

LGBT+

AVI ASHER-SCHAPIRO and MAYA GEBEILY WHEN he was growing up in a small Egyptian town outside Cairo, Omar began feeling sexually attracted to other men. Too afraid to talk to family or friends, he turned to Facebook for help, shielding his identity with a false name. Scouring social media for information and advice is a common recourse for young men and women who think they may be gay and live in socially conservative Arab societies. But it can lead them to therapists, spiritual leaders and influencers promising to "cure the affliction" of homosexuality through so-called conversion therapy - practices that…