Power

It is illegal for LGBTQ+ Nigerians to gather. This app offers a safe opportunity to form community

Facing discrimination and isolation, online mental health counselling can be a life saver

By Chisom Peter Job

Activism

Queer Ghanaians are hoping they aren’t victimized in 2022

The community is going through an upheaval, but that isn’t killing their hope

By Ugonna-Ora Owoh

Power

Joseph Attar, Canadian imprisoned for 15 years, finally freed by Egyptian authorities

Attar was imprisoned on charges of espionage in 2007. Egyptian authorities claim he worked to recruit LGBTQ2S+ agents

By J.E. Reich

Politics

Senegal rejects proposed law increasing prison sentences for gay sex

The legislation would have increased sentences for same-sex intercourse from five to 10 years in prison

By Nico Lang

Power

Senegal targets LGBTQ+ community with proposed law increasing punishment for homosexuality

Violators would face up to 10 years in prison

By Nico Lang

Justice

Botswana court upholds decriminalization of gay sex in major victory for LGBTQ+ Africans

“The state cannot be a sheriff in people’s bedrooms,” a Court of Appeals justice said in 2019

By Nico Lang

Faith & Spirituality

Queer missionary kids need a community to call their own

The intolerance of Christian missionary communities leaves LGBTQ2S+ children with a lasting longing for a place to belong

By David Cassels

Activism

As anti-LGBTQ+ crackdowns persist across Africa, these activists continue to fight

From Ghana to Uganda, LGBTQ+ people are banding together to counter homophobic and transphobic violence with resilience

By Dika Ofoma

Dispatch

Kenya’s new LGBTQ+ police initiative aims to address homophobic violence

The country sees at least 50 cases of crime against queer people each month

By Gitonga Njeru

Dispatch

Despite ongoing homophobia, Kenya forms an LGBTQ+ state agency

The agency will report back to the government on discrimination faced by marginalized queer and trans Kenyans

By Gitonga Njeru

Dispatch

After a summer of protest, queer Nigerians continue to fight for rights

Whether on the streets or in creative ways online, LGBTQ+ Nigerians are creating community and calling for change in the wake of the #EndSARS movement

By Ugonna-Ora Owoh

Politics

The gay Kenyans trying to fight homophobia from the inside

Why some LGBTQ+ people say running for political office is their best shot at legalizing homosexuality in the country

By Gitonga Njeru

Identity

In Nigeria, podcasts give voice to LGBTQ people

While queer and trans Nigerians remain persecuted, shows like ‘Queercity’ and ‘The Pride Diaries’ create a sense of community among the country’s LGBTQ population

By Nelson C.J

Arts

4 LGBTQ2 happenings to wind you up or down right now

What to watch, read, listen to or look at: August 13

By Sarah Taher

TV & Film

This intimate documentary reveals what it’s like to be gay in Kenya

‘I Am Samuel’ follows a courageous young man, his family and a small coterie of friends over five years

By Tre’vell Anderson

Music

Montreal rapper Backxwash invokes self-altering fury

The trans artist mixes Led Zeppelin and African gospel to create a fierce form of horror-inflected hip-hop

By Jesse Locke

Power

How Nigeria’s COVID-19 lockdown affected queer folks

For some, it was marked by a return to homophobic homes. For others, it was a chance to reflect on their reprieve

By Nelson C.J

Hate Watch

Tanzania is still arresting and persecuting LGBTQ people

Four years ago, the Tanzanian government began targeting queer and trans communities. Since then, life has gotten exponentially more difficult for LGBTQ folks

By Nico Lang