Gabon criminalized homosexuality & two men have already been arrested

[Behind the Aegis]

The central African nation of Gabon passed legislation to ban homosexuality, bringing the total number of countries that ban homosexuality back up to 70.

Reuters reports that the new law in the majority Christian nation will punish “sexual relations between people of the same sex” with up to six months in prison and a fine of five million Central African francs (around $8500).

Gabon is a former French colony and it had no laws to punish homosexuality on the books when it got its independence in 1960.

A government official told Reuters that the bill actually passed quietly in July.

Davis Mac-Iyalla of the Interfaith Diversity Network of West Africa, a Ghanaian organization, said that he knows of two men in Gabon who have already been arrested under the law and had to bribe the police to be let go.

more...

Depressing. One step forward, a leap backwards.

[JoeOtterbein]

1. K n R +

tears

[58Sunliner]

2. Not to mention how suppression breeds acts of violence and silence.

Uganda, African nation that threatened to make homosexuality a crime punishable by death. As of 2015, 34 nations in Africa ban homosexuality. A scary place for LGBTQ.

[Crowman2009]

3. Someone needs to confront the Talabangelical americans who are spreading this horrible legislation..

...in Africa. They needed handfuls of glitter thrown at them at the very least.