Just as strange people around the world celebrate Pride Month, their Kenyan and Ugandan counterparts are also marking it with a strong message of rebellion and resistance.
Their upset over “dignity, security and liberation” in a homophobic environment follows the second Pan-African Conference on Family Values ​​in Nairobi last month. It’s resolved resist.
For example, Kenyan LGBTQ rights groups, an equality and non-discrimination initiative, cite the founding spirit of pride that resists attempts to “eliminate, silence and suppress” strange people.
“In a world that seeks to reduce our presence, choosing joy is a radical act. Queerjoy is not just a celebration, it is resistance. It is healing. It is a bold declaration. situation.
The strange people make sure they have space for anger, resistance, softness and joy to respect the roots of pride, packed with different activities for the group throughout the moon.
“We demand that it be included, we immerse ourselves in our vision and dance through the fire. This is a revolution too,” says Inend.
At the Pan-Africa Conference of the Family Values ​​Conference, delegated from national governments, anti-LGBTQ lobby groups, academic and religious institutions, and international partners, Kenya National Speaker Moses Wetangala confirmed the state’s position on marriage between men and women, as the Constitution states. Wetang’ula defends laws protecting “traditional families” and cultural values ​​from what he described as Western imports.
“It urges our legislators to protect our constitutional good provisions regarding families from redefining the ideology of marriage that seeks to recognize illegal same-sex relationships,” Wetangala said.
He also asks lawmakers to enact laws to ban comprehensive sexuality education in schools, simply allowing a science-based curriculum suitable for school children’s age, development level and cultural background, without normalizing same-sex sexual behavior or relationships.
“In modern times, in every country, two powers have emerged: one fighting, the other pursuing ideology, position and acts that go against traditional families,” Wetang’ula said.
Representatives during the meeting have promising criticism from queer groups in Kenya and have committed to resisting the imposition of LGBTQ rights and other so-called external values ​​under development assistance, international agreements, or donor partnerships that contradict the laws and cultural integrity of the state. They also committed to establish, strengthen and coordinate a multi-sector coalition of “parent families” advocacy platforms and multi-sectoral coalitions at the national, regional and continental levels to engage with policymakers, lawmakers and public education players.
The pledge responded to representatives’ concerns over the external manipulation of the national legislative process through secret or explicit efforts to influence or decouple the country’s parliament in adopting judicial decisions that redefine family, life and gender. They were also concerned about the global push for normalizing gender mobility and “nonbiological” sexual identities in biology, education and healthcare.
The representatives urged the African government, parliament, the African Union and local economies to urgently undertake legislative reviews and reforms to ensure constitutional protection of the rights of families, lives and parents and the laws of all countries. However, the initiatives of equality and non-discrimination argue that describing queerness as Africans is a lie and a tool of imperialism used as a weapon to justify violence, exclusion and elimination, and should be rejected when enacted by colonial powers.
Nevertheless, Kenya’s strange communities line up a month’s worth of pride events across Nairobi, the country and across the country. Some locations are not publicly available for security reasons.
GALCK, a group of 16 LGBTQ rights organizations, has an event calendar release Every Friday evening, it includes entertainment and socialization at various locations for queer party enthusiasts. Celebrations include queer community networking events that empower each other, safe place meetups for soft, acoustic jam sessions and reflection, and queer community day where days of queer community come together to bring together and celebrate queer lives.
The calendar also invites queer people to join open conversations with Galck, Trivia and Karaoke events, open conversations with the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, supportive healing circles called “healing loud outs” for tormented queer people, and a potluck in the queer community where groups can enjoy food, fun and connection.
Other pride events include Queer Love Edition for Singles, art exhibitions that include rainbow themed paintings, healing-centric therapy workshops called “Choosed Family, Chosen Self,” a film bug literature forum for film lovers, and film nights for film lovers.
The Cosmopolitan Affirmation Community, a Nairobi-based church for queer people, organized the Gospel on Sunday. Outdoor Activity Organizer, trekking, Kenya hosts activities such as climbing Mount Kenya, the second-highest mountain in Africa, hiking the canyons of Hellsgate National Park, and enjoying the “park’s pastel” wellness streets.
“We respect the space you attend as we are safe, environmentally affirmed, and take care of ourselves and each other during the joyous fare celebration of pride,” urges Galck.
“Pride is not just about parades and celebrations.”
Their strange counterparts in Uganda have an eventful month of pride despite enduring challenges.
“Pride isn’t just about parades and celebrations. It’s solidarity for many who can’t celebrate or march. It means refusing to erase it and simply choosing who you are,” said Uganda, a sexual minority led by LGBTQ activist Frank Mugisha.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
