Research: Magazine Gay Globe
DRC: Authorities and Justice Crack Down on Homosexuality
According to RFI – In the Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities and the justice system are intensifying their stance against homosexuality. Following the directive from the new Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba, the Attorney General of the Court of Cassation instructed magistrates in June to crack down on homosexual acts and other practices, such as group sex. This measure is being implemented in a predominantly Catholic and Pentecostal country, but it is not officially supported by any law.
International Solicitation from a Fake LGBT Group in Uganda
By Gay Globe – Last May, Gay Globe, like hundreds of other international LGBT organizations, received a donation request via email from an alleged LGBT rights support group in Uganda. The group, whose name we will withhold, claimed to be experiencing unprecedented persecution in the country and requested funds to finance legal actions, with the help of involved lawyers, to change the law criminalizing homosexuality in Uganda.
The email was signed by a supposed lawyer, with a phone number allowing transfers via « Sendwave » or « WorldRemit. » However, despite thorough research, it was not possible to confirm the identity of the lawyer who signed the email, nor verify the existence of this group. When questioned about this invisibility, we were told that everything was anonymous for security reasons.
Obviously, this leaves plenty of room for fraud, as it is impossible to verify the destination and use of any donation. As for the phone number provided for a transfer via WhatsApp, written as « Whatsup » in the email, it is non-functional.
We therefore recommend that readers, if they receive such emails, do not respond.
Namibian Court Overturns Law Criminalizing Homosexual Relationships
According to VOA Africa – The colonial-era law criminalizing homosexual relationships in Namibia was overturned on Friday by a Windhoek court, a decision welcomed by the LGBTQ+ community.
« The offense of sodomy is declared unconstitutional and invalid, » emphasized the high court of the Namibian capital in its ruling. It also found « unnatural sexual offenses » to be contrary to the Constitution. « We are not convinced that, in a democratic society like ours, it is reasonably justifiable to consider an activity criminal simply because the citizens, perhaps in their majority, do not accept it, » the judges stated. The sodomy law, which prohibited same-sex sexual relations in Namibia, dated back to 1927 when the country was under South African mandate.