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London: Gay couple threatened with death in violent late night homophobic assault
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Government considers watered down same-sex marriage bill to minimise Tory rebellion
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Tory MP Gerald Howarth: 'There are plenty in the aggressive homosexual community who want more than just same-sex marriage'
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France: Far right activist commits suicide in Notre Dame following legalisation of equal marriage
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Philip Hammond: 'No great demand for gay marriage and it's upsetting vast numbers of people'
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Government to consider abolishing civil partnerships or opening up to straight couples
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Norman Tebbit: David Cameron has 'f**** things up' with his equal marriage bill
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David Cameron: Gay teenagers will stand that bit taller following equal marriage vote
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Lib Dem Deputy Leader Simon Hughes: 'Marriage should be between one man and one woman'
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Tory MP Sir Gerald Howarth defends 'aggressive homosexual community' equal marriage slur
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Robert in S. Kensington 705
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I think that should be “declaration”, not “deceleration”.
It makes me happy when someone ‘gets it’. :)
Hilary Clinton addresses the UN in a strong support of LGBT rights, gay members of the US House of Representatives stand up and be counted and make a film to say “it gets better”, and now the Secretary General of the UN admonishes African nations too. Not so long ago, such people standing on our side would have been unthinkable – progress is being made, and there is hope for eventual change, but it will take time to alter deeply entrenched attitudes.
There are barely women’s rights in most of Africa and middle east. This is a step in the right direction but we have a long way to go.
I strongly believe the two are linked…
wherever women are disrespected and subjugated because of their gender we also have oppression of LGBT minorities.
Str8 men have traditionally been fvkced up in this regard…
There certainly do appear to be some links in many cases …
Thankfully some straight men (and others) are opening their eyes to fairness …
Well spoken!
So good to hear from the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on this matter.
As Nigel rightly says we have had Camerons promotion of LGBT rights, Clintons historic speech on LGBT issues at the UN in Geneva, the US House of Representatives standing up and being counted, the US government pursuing an LGBT friendly foreign policy and now the UN Secretary General chastising Africa … alongside this there have been moots of progress in Malawi, Rwanda, Mozambique and Mali …
There is a long way to go – but we are shifting up a gear, people are starting to realsie that LGBT people are human (no matter where they are) and deserve fairness …
We need to sustain the pressure and encourage those who advance …
Good luck …
I love this quote from African Union chairman Tedoro Obiang Nguema:
“Africa should not be questioned with regards to democracy, human rights, governance and transparency in public administration,”
Hmmm. Seems to me those are the very things that need to change to make life immeasurably better for the majority of Africans.
But maybe worse for the select few evil dictators and their clans. Can tell who he’s speaking for…..
All countries should stop all economic aid to all African nations until they can force this discrimination to stop once and for all.
It is HUMAN RIGHTS! When will people get it? We don’t ask for any special rights. Love is love.
He needs to have a word with the Archbishop of York. What an embarrasing situation for the uk to be put in, having a homophobic second in command of the C of E.
stupidity in d highest order, you dnt dictate heresy 2 africans:(
Should learn to read and think for yourselves then …
Understandable spelling and grammar would be nice.
Do you even know what ‘heresy’ means, ribble dibble?
Its means ‘choice’ of beliefs
If only we COULD ‘dictate’ ‘heresy’ to ‘Africans’…ie give them freedom of CHOICE as opposed to the idiotic leaders of so many African nations instead giving them only lies and disinformation based on Laws based on British Colonial Rule…
Progress is slowly being made on the human rights front as more and more persons of influence speak out in defense of LGBT rights as merely ordinary human rights. A major thank you to all those speaking out in favor of the respect of human rights around the world…
This is so much more important than Ugandan/Anglican, bigot/bishop Sentamu’s recent anti-marriage equality blatherings.
Great news!
A bold step and eloquent words. Sad they will fall on so many deaf ears.
There’s no such thing as deaf ears when its the leader of the UN speaking…they will all hear it very loud and very clear..
they will also have to address is too
Because they know what it means…
Aside from everything else, it means that people questioning the stance which is held by (in this case African) leaders and religious leaders can now know that these people do not have a God-given right to oppress people for reasons of sexuality and that no matter what lies those leaders tell their people, that there is a strong International voice of condemnation for their bigotry.
That alone breaks the perception of truth that these leaders seek to bring to bear on their people.
Bless you Mr Moon! :o)
Thankyou
Being an African, i think you guys don’t no these leaders so well… Their bigotry can only be compared to that of Hitlers’ more so, thier ignorance and a claim to bible and Quaranic principles on the issue of homosexuality is simply outstanding. The majority of the present generation of African leaders can’t entertain that proposition for now.. I live in a continent with wide spread hunger,poverty, a very courrupt society.. Subjugation of women is always in tandem with homophobia, cos from my interaction with all my straight friends, it’s simply too woman and weak for two men to fall in love, thus the hatred.. How wrong they are…. Northern African nations are more reasonable in matters of sexuallity, owing to thier more education.. But the bulk of homophobia lies in the regions East Africa, West Africa and Some Southern African nations, and they have one thing in common,, low level of Education, poverty and wide spread discrimination… I wish as an African, i shall have the freedom to walk down the street, holding the hands of whom i love, without any hindrance… Born this way…
Ikenna David,
I hope I (I’m 64) live to see that and that especially that you get to experience that breath of freedom. I already feel privileged to have lived to see and hear Hillary Clinton’s magnificent speech to the UN, backed up by President Obama’s instructions to the State Department to implement policy and foreign aid based upon, among other things, how various countries treat their citizens including their GLBT citizens. “We’ve come a long way baby.”, but there still is a long way to go for all minorities. Human rights now and forever!
What’s needed is more African’s speaking out. I’m currently living in Rwanda, where aside from one brave under-funded LGBTI organisation http://www.hoca4rwanda.9f.com/ that tries its best, the issue is rarely discussed. The few gay Rwandan’s I have met have said that they have to keep their sexuality secret, except for close friends, for fear of verbal or physical abuse. I too have been advised (by the international NGO I work for) to go back in the closet while I am here, because of the prevalent anti-gay hate messages spread by the churches.
We must remember that homophobia is a western import – in centuries gone by Rwanda and Ugandan kings had well documented homosexual relationships, its only with the arrival of the colonisers and missionaries from Europe that homophobia took root. That damage is beginning to be unpicked in India, but I fear it will take much longer in Africa.
What else do you expect from African countries many of which still sacrifice animals and even children in the name of religion or witchcraft! We have a very long way to go.
Ikenna is right: whats needed is more education: with a particular focus on gender equality (the need for which is accepted by many African governments). Once countries start publicy debating and questioning gender issues – the meaning of masculinity and femininity, male and female roles and norms etc – in schools, offices, the media and living rooms – the space for discussing and questioning attitudes to LGBTI people becomes bigger. But there is bound to be a reactionary backlash:
As Peter Tatchell put it
…as LGBT people come out and make a claim for equality, assert the right to protection against discrimination and for the repeal of ant gay laws, this does inevitably provoke a backlash and that’s what we’re seeing in many parts of the world. But as Martin Luther King said, backlash is part of the process of winning freedom and equality. You have to go through that trauma in order to emerge on the other side with a state of freedom
The situation for LGBT people in African states seems to be going from bad to worse and, as in the rest of the world, it is clear that much of the hostility they face stems from religious teachings. Examples are the Anglican Church of Uganda’s support for the Anti-Homosexuality Bill and the Anglican Church of Nigeria’s support for a similar bill. With Islam now becoming more dominant in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, the prospect for improvement in these North African countries seems bleak indeed. Whilst the support of such a prominent figure as Ban Ki-Moon is very welcome, will politicians and religious leaders in these countries, in which homophobia is so entrenched, take any notice?
It seems they are and things are beginning to improve a bit.
Now that the UN secretary had told Africa to respect gays rights the UN needs to put their troops to work enforcing what they say and sending the UN Troops to countries who violate gay rights to stop them from violating gays rights. LGBT people now is the time to tell the UN to go into action to protect our gay brothers and sisters in Africa.
Believe me when i say that whatever moon, nobody took note of that… The only hope for we gay Africans is the AU(African Union) but with the likes of mugagbe amongst the head of states, any hope is just an illusion…. With highly powerful and influential bishops interfering in politics these days… Hmmm, our lgtb folks across the ocean can only pray for us…
What about the more wilfully ignorant but more developed countries too?
When will Singapore decide to bite the bullet and scrap it’s laws against homosexuality. As one of the Tiger economies and most modern societies I am surprised that they have chosen to hold on to such outdated legislation even if they do not enforce it. Having been there as a child I was amazed at the diversity of culture there.
Every action has a reaction. As some of the African countries seem helbent on making lives more difficult for gays, our voices grow louder and now the United Nations has joined our chorus of disapproval.
I hear that Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe will be stepping down as President after this year’s ‘elections’. Will he be crawling back under that stone from where he came or will he continue playing an active part in Zimbabwean politice, pulling the strings of whichever puppet replaces him?