LGBTQI+ repression in East Africa: ‘They say that Westerners are turning us gay’

 | 
05/18/2023

Koei lives in a permanent state of tension. A baby-faced young man in his early-20s, he works in an insurance agency on the outskirts of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. But he carries a secret, a part of his identity. Koei is actually a trans man. But, except for a couple of close friends, the people around him — friends, neighbors, coworkers, clients — have no idea. And he intends to keep it that way. “I worry that my friends will slip up,” he admits. He worries constantly that someone will share his secret. His country’s political climate invites people like Koei to hide and not attract too much attention. His social life doesn’t include bars: he only goes to some LGBTQ collective parties, occasional “safe spaces” in Nairobi. Meanwhile, in other, smaller cities across Kenya, the idea of a rainbow-decorated party is a far-off dream.

Regions: , , ,

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 04/23/2024
04/22/2024
Louisiana’s top education official on Monday instructed schools to ignore new Title IX rules unveiled by the Biden administration, warning that extending the civil …
Added on: 04/23/2024
04/22/2024
Grindr faces the prospect of legal action by hundreds of users who will allege that the dating app shared highly sensitive personal information, including …
Added on: 04/23/2024
04/22/2024
The High Court of the Caribbean island nation of Dominica has ruled that Dominica’s law against consensual same-sex intimacy is unconstitutional. The judgement against …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from , , ,

Added on: 04/20/2024
The airwaves buzz with a new and exciting podcast called ‘LivenInspirewithMathabatha’ hosted by an advocate for the LBGTQ+ community Mathabatha Joba every Wednesday from …
Added on: 04/19/2024
Burundi’s president said gay people should be stoned, amid a larger crackdown on the LGBTQ community in the East African country. “If you want to …
Added on: 04/19/2024
ACCRA (Reuters) – Members of Ghana’s LGBT community and activists are waiting to see whether the West African country’s president will sign into law …