The internet and the struggle for equality of LGBTQI people in Africa

[dequeen]

 In the majority of African countries, same-sex relationships are a criminal offence. In some countries, “offenders” can be punished with death; in many more, with harsh jail sentences. Even in South Africa, the only country on the continent that allows marriage between same-sex couples, the constitution’s aspirations for equality and non-discrimination are regularly contrasted with news about violent attacks on black lesbians in townships around the country.

 

Fuelled by the homophobic utterances of political and other leaders of society, opposition to homosexuality and gender nonconformity is often expressed in terms of tradition, religion and culture. Ignoring factual history, non-normative sexual orientations and gender identities are regularly dismissed as Western imports and “un-African”. Unsurprisingly, it has been hard for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) Africans to know where to turn when they have problems, want to openly express themselves, or simply to celebrate.

 

Against this backdrop, the rapid proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) across Africa has provided some welcome relief – at least for those with access to smart phones and computers. The internet in particular has become a space where LGBTQI people can connect with peers and speak openly about their challenges (e.g. Queerlife South Africa, www.queerlife.co.za, or the Nigerian Lesbian Forum, www.naijalez.com). Social media have also facilitated discreet methods of connecting for romance and sexual encounters, such as Manjam (www.manjam.com).

 

Beyond social activities, the internet is also used by LGBTQI groups and individuals to share information on sexual and reproductive health, to form communities of ideas, and to build and strengthen networks and alliances to advocate equality. Even funding is crowdsourced from Africa and the rest of the world through the internet. Money has been raised to support victims of anti-gay laws and homophobic violence in Uganda and LGBT refugees awaiting settlement.

 

Another fundraising programme helped to keep open a safe house in southern Nigeria. Since March 2012, House of Rainbow has provided protection to persecuted LGBTQI people in the country. The demand for this unique service is unprecedented in the wake of a new wave of criminalisation of gay people.

 

It is, however, important to stress that ICTs are a double-edged sword: very real dangers reside within its tools and platforms. There are growing concerns about privacy issues for social network users and owners of online and mobile devices as their online movements are easily tracked and communications intercepted. This poses a general risk to everyone – but more so for advocates of human rights and transparency, journalists, or vulnerable groups such as LGBTQI persons in countries that criminalise sexual or gender non-conformity.

 

Homophobic state administrations and even members of the public are discovering new ways to attack LGBTQI persons using online technology for surveillance, entrapment and extortion, bullying and harassment, and to spread hate and negative stereotypes. Fake profiles on gay dating sites or social networks are used to lure people into compromising situations: believing that they are arranging a genuine meeting, they are in fact being set up for arrest, attack or blackmail.

 

In 2014, a Nigerian newspaper published an article about men who had created a vigilante group to entrap and blackmail gay men on the internet. Shockingly, the story focussed on how these groups helped to “rid society of these ills” rather than the insidious crimes committed. Newspapers and online media in Uganda continue to publish names, photos and addresses of LGBTQI persons to humiliate and incite violence against them, even after the tragic murder of rights activist David Kato in 2011, shortly after he had won a lawsuit against a magazine that had identified him as gay, published his name and photograph, and called for him to be executed. In Cameroon, the arrest of a young man accused of homosexuality put every person on his mobile phone contact list at risk as police systematically tried to profile, investigate and entrap everyone he had been in contact with. In Egypt, police reportedly post fake profiles to entrap gay men and prosecute them with evidence gathered during their staged encounter. Digital messages are also being used against LGBTQI persons. Cameroonian Jean Claude Mbede was sentenced to three years in prison for sending an SMS that said “I’m very much in love with you” to another man in 2011. Just the presence of certain dating apps on ones’ smart phone – like Dattch, Brenda, Purpll, Jack’d and Grindr – can be a potential danger for outing the owner’s sexual preferences.

 

For the full article, please go to http://thisisafrica.me/double-edged-sword-internet-struggle-equality-lgbtqi-people-africa/

 

 

Article by : Azeenarh Mohammed

[ChazBee]

So true, Thank God for internet

[dequeen]

So true, Thank God for internet

Why? Hasn't it brought loads of ills too??

[ChazBee]

I don't argue that part. I only choose to focus on how it has helped my sexuality