LGBTQIA+ - The African Mirror

Jun

30

2021

‘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

02

2021

By The African Mirror

Aston Martin team to promote LGBTQ+ awareness in F1

LGBT+

ALAN BALDWIN THE Aston Martin Formula One team announced on Tuesday a partnership with the Racing Pride movement and said it will work through June to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ diversity in the male-dominated sport. Racing Pride was founded in 2019 to create visibility for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in motorsport and challenge negative stereotypes and misconceptions. Aston Martin said the campaign will run across Pride Month, aligning with Formula One's #WeRaceAsOne initiative. Racing Pride logos will appear on the race cars at the June 20 French Grand Prix. "I congratulate the people who have pushed the…

May

29

2021

By The African Mirror

Call for the release of 21 LGBTQI+ arrested in Ghana

LGBT+

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER ACTIVISTS and members of the LGBTQI+ community in Africa are calling for the release of 21 people who were arrested in Ghana during an LGBTQ+ conference. Volta Police Command in Ghana arrested 21 LGBTQI+ activists in the suburb of Ho. The police said those who were arrested were partaking in an LGBTQI+ workshop at a recreational centre in Godokpui, in the suburb of Ho, in the country's southeastern region. The arrested are members of Rightify Ghana, an organisation that put together an event to train attendees on paralegal services for vulnerable groups, including documenting instances of abuse…

May

26

2021

By The African Mirror

Major donors urge Ghana to respect LGBT+ rights amid crackdown

LGBT+

NITA BHALLA Major foreign aid donors called on Ghana on Tuesday to respect LGBT+ rights following a crackdown including arrests of people from sexual minorities and an increase in homophobic persecution. In the latest incident, police in the West African country arrested 21 people last week for promoting LGBT+ rights during a training workshop at a hotel in Ghana's southeastern city of Ho. The United States and the World Bank told the Thomson Reuters Foundation they were closely watching the situation in the country, where gay sex is punishable with up to three years in jail. "We urge national leaders in Ghana…

Aug

06

2020

By The African Mirror

Nigerian’s first lesbian love story goes online to beat film censors

LGBTQIA+

VINCENT DESMOND TWO naked women lie in bed, stroking each other's hair and talking about coming out to their parents in Nigeria, where they could be jailed for 14 years for having a lesbian relationship. The trailer for Nigeria's first lesbian feature film, "Ife" - which means love in the Yoruba language - has been watched thousands of times since its was uploaded to YouTube in July, with viewers commenting on their excitement over its release. "In Nigeria, there has never been a film like 'Ife'," said its producer Pamela Adie, one of Nigeria's most prominent LGBT+ activists, who has…