LGBTI Organizing in East Africa: the True Test for Human Rights Defenders

Research Outcome

Publication date: Monday 13 March 2006

This report is the outcome of two processes; an LGBTI research study and deliberations of an international donor roundtable held in Kenya in October 2005. The donor roundtable convening was organized by the Urgent Action Fund-Africa with support from the Ford Foundation Office for Eastern Africa and HIVOS .

The study has reaffirmed that sexuality and sexual matters remain taboo subjects within most of the region. The gradual but slow realization that same-sex relationships are based upon fundamental human rights and freedom is slowly though reluctantly ?seeping? across the region. The cultural and religious biases continue to discriminate and inhibit the full realization of the LGBTI communities. The ?closeted? lifestyle of LGBTI?s transcends the region and is a direct violation of an individual?s right to association and freedom of choice. Notwithstanding the silence surrounding human rights of LGBTI groups, their very existence has facilitated public discourse on the indivisibility of human rights and poses the challenge to human rights activists selectively working around some human rights issues.

This report presents a challenge of our times to human rights activists who are called upon to embrace the whole range of human rights in their advocacy work, if the enjoyment of human rights is to become a reality. The protection of minorities and particularly sexual minorities is a special and significant aspect of human rights work. The research findings, amongst other things have facilitated a closer reflection on the current donor strategies in the East African sub region. It has given rise to the exploration of different avenues for change and improvement, as well as begin a process of designing strategies and frameworks for engaging LGBTI activists in the promotion of sexual rights in the region.
This report captures some of the critical challenges that hinder the advancement of sexuality debate and sexuality rights, including the absence of space for dialogue on the issues of sexuality, the society?s homophobia towards same-sex relationships as well as the capacity gap by mainstream human rights and women?s rights organizations for integrating LGBTI issues within their work and activism. In considering the research findings, there was general agreement that homophobia has significantly contributed towards the publicly exhibited attitudes to any sexual minorities, which ultimately removes them from the protection afforded by law enforcement agencies with accompanied isolation, exclusion and other forms of discrimination. Thus LGBTI groups operate within private and isolated spaces for fear of being threatened by the law and ostracized, thus hampering and infringing on their enjoyment of human rights. Within a region (East Africa) where activism for the respect, protection and promotion of human rights has made advance gains, the silent endorsement that ?sexual orientation? is not considered a human rights issue presents a contradiction and a paradox. This is the unfortunate back drop upon which LGBTI initiatives are to be pursued within the region. This report is one of the strategies through which the space for dialogue on sexuality in East Africa may be expanded.
Kaari B. Murungi
Director, Urgent Action Fund-Africa