Cameroon: Anti-gay rally targets bars and schools

Participants call for stricter enforcement of laws criminalizing homosexuality

More than 100 people participated in a rally targeting schools and gay-friendly bars where anti-gay messages were posted, Pink News reports.

Protesters placed signs that read “Homosexuals forbidden” and “No gays in Cameroon” on buildings and distributed T-shirts and pamphlets with anti-gay slogans, the report noted.

“A society without morals and ethics is a lost society. What’s accepted in the West is not necessarily good for everyone,” one leaflet obtained by the Associated Press reads. “Homosexuality is a crime against humanity and a serious violation of human rights.”

Same-sex sexual relations carry a penalty of up to five years in prison in Cameroon.

A human-rights lawyer who represents people prosecuted for homosexuality in Cameroon says that in the aftermath of a prominent activist’s murder in July, life has become more difficult for gay people.

Alice Nkom, who is critical of the way authorities are handling the case of Eric Lembembe, who was found tortured and killed at his home, says young men are receiving death threats on their mobile phones and feel forced to go into hiding, a Gay Star News report says.

Natasha Barsotti is originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. She had high aspirations of representing her country in Olympic Games sprint events, but after a while the firing of the starting gun proved too much for her nerves. So she went off to university instead. Her first professional love has always been journalism. After pursuing a Master of Journalism at UBC , she began freelancing at Xtra West — now Xtra Vancouver — in 2006, becoming a full-time reporter there in 2008.

Keep Reading

Trans issues didn’t doom the Democrats

OPINION: The Republicans won ending on a giant anti-trans note, but Democrats ultimately failed to communicate on class

Xtra Explains: Trans girls and sports

Debunking some of the biggest myths around trans girls and fairness in sports

How ‘mature minor’ laws let trans kids make their own decisions

Canadian law lets some youth make medical or legal decisions for themselves, but how does it work?

To combat transphobia, we need to engage with the people who spread it

OPINION: opening up a dialogue with those we disagree with is key if we want to achieve widespread social change