LGBT in Africa: Persecution and Persistence
July 5, 2013
2:01AM
Post by Peter Montgomery
While some LGBT equality advocates settled in for a night on the sidewalk in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on the eve of its marriage rulings, others gathered in the Capitol Visitors Center for a screening of Born this Way, a new documentary about LGBT people in Cameroon, a country with laws that criminalize homosexuality.
The documentary introduces viewers to several courageous gay men and lesbians willing to go on camera to share their stories and the lives that leave them vulnerable to threats of violence, arrest, and jail time for the crime of being gay. Also prominently featured is Alice Nkom, a prominent human rights lawyer who advocates on behalf of people who are prosecuted under anti-gay laws.
Unlike God Loves Uganda, Born This Way does not make its primary focus the religious component of the homophobic culture and legal system of Cameroon, though there are glimpses of it: a debate opponent of Nkom thunders, “You put homosexuality above Jesus Christ, the son of God.” A young lesbian says she is accused of being a witch.
Nkom told the screening audience that gays in Cameroon can lose everything, including their mother’s love and God’s love, because “religions are the first to oppress and persecute gay people in Cameroon.” During a Q&A period following the Capitol screening, Nkom said the Catholic Church in Cameroon is a driving force for anti-gay sentiment in the country, citing an archbishop who referred to homosexuality as a plague. In addition, she suggested, government officials use homophobia to distract from failures in basic functions of governing, such as providing drinking water and energy.
http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/petermontgomery/7165/lgbt_in_africa__persecution_and_persistence/
Born This Way trailer.
God Loves Uganda trailer.
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