US reports harassment and rape of gays in Zimbabwe
(Harare, Zimbawe) Gay Zimbabweans face widespread harassment and some have even been raped by those intending to convert their sexuality, the U.S. State Department said in a discussion of its annual human rights report in Zimbabwe.
Gay men were forced into heterosexual acts and lesbian women were raped, sometimes by male relatives, to teach them to change their ways, said Amanda Porter, political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Harare and compiler of the report.
“Some families reportedly subjected men and women to corrective rape and forced marriages to encourage heterosexual conduct,” she said Tuesday.
Homosexuals reported widespread discrimination in 2009, the year under review. But the report notes that the conservative southern African country has long frowned on homosexuality.
Hate speech by politicians against the nation’s small gay community fueled social pressures on families, Porter said. And crimes against human rights and sexual abuse against gays were rarely reported to police.
“Victims are afraid to speak out,” she said.
Same-sex acts are illegal in Zimbabwe and while there have been no reported prosecutions related to consensual homosexuality in recent years, the offense carries a penalty of up to a year in jail or a fine of up to $5,000.
President Robert Mugabe last month vowed gay rights would not be protected in a new constitution being drawn up under a power sharing deal ahead of new elections, possibly next year. Mugabe once described homosexuals as “lower than pigs and dogs.”
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said he personally shared an abhorrence of homosexuality, but called for tolerance toward all minority groups.
“There can be no place in the new Zimbabwe for hate speech or the persecution of any sector of the population based on race, gender, tribe, culture, sexual orientation or political affiliation,” he said in debate on constitutional reform earlier this month.
Condemnation of gays is common in Africa. In Africa, only South Africa has legalized same-sex marriage, and even so the gap between the liberal constitution and societal attitudes can be wide.
Ugandan lawmakers have proposed imposing the death penalty on some gays. A gay couple is on trial in Malawi, charged with unnatural acts and gross indecency and face up to 14 years in jail.
Ugandan clerics have accused President Barack Obama of “exporting” homosexuality to Africa under the guise of human rights.
Porter said the annual U.S. rights review presented to a discussion group in Harare late Tuesday gave greater emphasis to gay rights than in previous years, reflecting concerns in Obama’s administration about homophobia.
She said attitudes and laws in Zimbabwe made gays feel unsafe. Many did not seek medical care, for fear of being shunned by health providers and others who were stigmatized, reported abandoning their education early and suffering higher rates of unemployment and homelessness than other groups.
Virginia governer says no need for LGBT protections
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said Thursday he doesn’t see a need for protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
During a regular appearance on WRVA [1], McDonnell said, “I don’t know that we need it based on the numbers that I’ve seen,” when asked if he would sign a bill with LGBT protections.
[2]
“There really isn’t any rampant discrimination on any basis in Virginia,” he said. “If you’re going to have a law, it needs to actually address a real problem.”
McDonnell issued an executive directive banning workplace discrimination, but the directive is not law. Nevertheless, McDonnell said it must be obeyed because discrimination is prohibited in the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions.
[1] http://www.wrva.com/cc-common/mediaplayer/player.html?redir=yes&mps=WRVANewsPodcast.php&mid=http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/18227/1h/cchannel.download.akamai.com/18227/podcast/RICHMOND-VA/WRVA-AM/ASK%20THE%20GOV%203-25_1.mp3?CPROG=PCAST?CCOMRRMID&CPROG=RICHMEDIA&MARKET=RICHMOND-VA&NG_FORMAT=newstalk&NG_ID=wrva1140am&OR_NEWSFORMAT=&OWNER=&SERVER_NAME=www.wrva.com&SITE_ID=1249&STATION_ID=WRVA-AM&TRACK=#
[2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-bob-mcdonnell-top.jpg
Tour says it is not discriminating against Weir
Claims that Olympian Johnny Weir was not included in the “Stars on Ice” cast because of his sexual orientation are not true, the figure skating tour said.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation started an online petition last week, saying Weir was being excluded from the tour because he was …
Virginia AG seeks to cut gays from higher ed discrimination policies
Virgina’s attorney general sent a letter to state colleges and universities asking officials to end policies banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, The Washington Post reported.
Ken Cuccinelli II, a Republican, wrote that it is up to the discretion of the General Assembly to offer protections to gay and lesbian state …
Albanian law bans gay discrim
An Albanian law bans discrimination based on sexual orientation, doesn’t lift marriage ban.
NOM says gay Prop 8 judge is biased
We saw it coming.
Not long after the San Francisco Chronicle revealed the “open secret” that Prop 8 trial Judge Vaughn Walker is gay, the National Organization of Marriage freaked out.
In response to the news, they basically called Judge Walker biased and incompetent.
This is nonsense.
If sexual orientation automatically creates a bias …
More anti-gay crimes reported
(Washington) Reports of hate crimes against gays increased sharply in 2008, according to new FBI data released Monday.
Overall, the number of reported hate crimes increased about 2 percent. These same figures show a nearly 11 percent increase in hate crimes based on sexual orientation, and a nearly 9 percent increase …
Film documents Mormon role in gay marriage debate
(Salt Lake City) Reed Cowan’s reasons for making a film about the Mormon church’s activism against gay marriage in California are personal.
Himself gay and Mormon, Cowan clashed with his family over his sexual orientation and the beliefs of their faith, but it was a conversation between him and a sibling …
House committee to hold vote on ENDA
From HRC:
The Human Rights Campaign can now confirm the House Education and Labor Committee will vote on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. on legislation to end the widespread practice of employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The vote was noticed moments ago.
The Employment Non-Discrimination …
Dept. of Justice testimony on ENDA: Pass it now
Thomas E. Perez, head of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, testified before a Senate committee that the Obama Administration supports ENDA.
He said, “The Administration strongly supports fully-inclusive legislation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Perez thanked Congress for passing the Matthew …
