The State We're In - 7 August 2010. A special edition of the program looking at what it is like to be gay throughout Africa with voices from Namibia, Ghana, Uganda and South Africa.
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A giant closet
Africa is not a place to be out and proud. Homosexual acts are illegal in 37 countries on the continent. In Uganda, homophobic legislation is still being considered despite international pressure. Jonathan is joined by Ian Swartz, founder of a gay rights organisation in Namibia, and Scott Long from Human Rights Watch in New York.
Lorenzo’s story
Lorenzo is a hairdresser in Cameroon. He met a man in a bar, they clicked and decided to live together. Lorenzo later spent seven months in prison without trial.
Ian’s story
Ian Swartz founded the Rainbow Project in Namibia at a time when its president began to vilify gays and lesbians. The Home Affairs Minister called for their elimination and became known as the Minister for Homophobic Affairs. Ian talks about both his abuse and his determination to create change.
Prince’s story
Prince Macdonald describes himself as gay, proud and African. He lives in the Ghanaian capital Accra and talks about how he tries to enjoy life as much as possible, despite homosexual acts being illegal in his country,
Steve’s story
Her real name is Mapaseka but everyone calls her Steve. She was young when she came out to her family. It wasn’t easy but they eventually accepted her. But when she was 15, She was raped by a family friend who believed she should be shown what it’s like to be a ‘real’ woman. Despite a constitution protecting gay and lesbians, she still feels unsafe.
Link: Video interviews with South African victims of 'corrective rape' from The Guardian.
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Is this presentation vocal Mr Jonatan Grewbout a gentleman's gentleman? He has a whiff about the voice. I like it very too much. Thank you sirs.
I had a great many hassles about noise in the street outside, late drinking, and all manner of problems that any bar owner was liable to, but nothing from the police overtly about the fact that we were very gay positive and most of the staff were also gay positive or gay, and the public very rarely openly objected, we were the first place I ever heard of to put free condoms on the bar, and push anti-HIV stuff.
I owned Scandals, at the time the biggest gay/mixed nightclub in Africa and the biggest nightclub of any kind on the west coast of Africa in Swakopmund, Namibia in the middle 90's, and had less hassles from anyone than many clubs in Europe or N. America!
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