In a week that saw Uganda’s Minister for Ethics and Integrity order the break up of a workshop for young LGBT activists; ten women suspected of lesbianism arrested in Cameroon; and, the proposal of “strengthened” anti-gay laws in Liberia – LGBTI communities across the African continent are increasingly at risk for harassment, violence and even death. “The thing is that to be gay in Uganda, you can die,” says JASS Southern Africa’s Hope Chigudu, who was participating in the workshop in Entebbe. “I wonder if people are willing to take these risks.” But even in the face of intense homophobia sweeping across the continent, LGBT activists are speaking up and building strategies for their safety and security.
