This Week at Pan Africa ILGA

23/04/2012

Dear Members of Ethiopian Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transsexual Community Ethio LGBT We hope this email finds you well! It's time to give you a heads up on what's happening on ilga.org. This weekly newsletter is sent to 3285 LBGTI and allied organizations in the world, in English and French. To post an article on ilga.org, update your groups page, add pictures and a logo on ILGAs directory, apply to become a member of ILGA or renew your membership fees, please log in using peaceseeker@ethiolgbt.com, the email we have for the person acting as contact between ILGA and your group: Selam

NEWS/ACTUALITIES

A diary of 'gays' in Nigeria The African society views same-sex relationships as repulsive. Yet in Nigeria, homosexuals live among us. A few hide their status from the world's prying eyes, while the majority however do not care. Some of them take Ruth Olurounbi through their worlds, insisting that they have been unfairly judged and misunderstood. Her report: http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nv781u51Ev: http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nv781u51Ev The State of Gay and Transgender Communities of Color in 2012 Three years after the Great Recession, the American economy is on the upswing. But while many Americans find more opportunities everyday, gay and transgender communities of color still face economic challenges and fewer opportunities than their white counterparts. Policy changes are needed to prevent employment discrimination that keeps gay and transgender workers of color out of the workplace, and family policy is needed to safeguard these families. http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nv79wmr1m5 Ghanaian Activist Defends Gay Community against Charges of Recruiting Mac-Darling Cobbinah, a Ghanaian HIV activist and human rights defender, last week attacked as misleading the methodology of a 2011 study of MSM in Ghana which accused gay men of recruiting heterosexual men for sex. http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nuQxVzr1NX Investigations into Death of Kenyan LGBTI Activist Found In Vacant House NYAWEK, the Nyanza Western Kenya LGBTI coalition has announced the death of LGBTI activist Robert Anthony Odhiambo, 24, who was found dead in an empty house belonging to a relative in Kisumu, western Kenya. http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nuQwWZy1qC Liberia: Being Tolerant Is African, Too! This week, homophobic rhetoric in Liberia once again reared its ugly head when a flier publicizing a "hit list" of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals was distributed in Monrovia. It appears that "kicking gays out of Liberia" as the flier said, is the latest pre-occupation in a country that has survived almost 20 years of violent internal conflict that claimed many lives and devastated the economy. One would think there would be more pressing concerns in Liberia. http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nuQzEYx1t3

Judge Named In Activist Case against Anti-Gay Cabinet Minister Ugandan High Court judge Justice Eldad Mwangushya has been named as the trial judge in a case brought by four gay rights activists against a government minister. http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nv2CmeY135 African Microbicides Call at Conference A newly launched African-led initiative will call on African leaders to face up to the reality that people are having anal sex in their countries and engage in research and programs that will lead to new ways to prevent the spread of HIV. http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nv25QsV1PP International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia It is now just one month until the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17! As the countdown begins in earnest, people and organisations throughout the world are gearing up for what we hope will be the biggest and best IDAHO yet. http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nuVTFcO1p2

Care of the HIV-Infected Transgender Patient: Expert Commentary HIV-infected transgender people experience stigma on many levels. They are frequently the victims of violence and other forms of discrimination. The Care of the HIV-Infected Transgender Patient guideline walks providers through a psychosocial and mental health assessment specific to transgender-related issues. http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nuWcOi41tK Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir invites the world to sing as OutPostChoir goes live Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir has launched a unique website which aims to create the worlds largest virtual choir. You Make Me Proud is the stirring song at the heart of OutPostChoir, an online project which celebrates diversity and speaks out against discrimination and violence towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people. http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nuQu2hx1Mm TOOLS FOR CHANGE New ORAM Publication - Rainbow Bridges ORAM is proud to release its newest publication, Rainbow Bridges: A Community Guide to Rebuilding the Lives of LGBTI Refugees and Asylum Seekers. Rainbow Bridges is the first guide of its kind directed at US LGBT and accepting communities. http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nv24pf91as

MA for LGBT Studies Scholarship Dreilinden gladly announces the third consecutive scholarship available for MA in Development Studies with focus on decent work for lesbian, gay, trans- and intersexual (LGBTI) persons from the Global South and East. Below please find the public announcement. The application deadline for the 2012/13 academic year is on July 1, 2012. For more information, please follow this link.