US aid funds gay death penalty fight in Ethiopia
John Kerry is asked during his Ethiopia visit to
act, as US aid funds groups that incite anti-gay hate and call for a
‘Kill the Gays’ bill in the country
While John Kerry, US Secretary Of State is visiting Ethiopia, local
LGBT activists say US aid money sponsors organizations whose anti-gay
stance led to recent attacks on Ethiopian gays and call for the death
penalty against homosexuality to be passed in the country.
Kerry's three-day visit begins Friday (24 May) in Addis Ababa, where he will meet with senior Ethiopian officials to discuss ‘bilateral issues’ and celebrate the 50th anniversary celebration for the African Union.
Ethiopian LGBT rights activists, however, have called him and the US to account by pointing out that US aid is financing organizations that are actively calling for Ethiopia to introduce the death penalty for gays, inciting hate and encouraging assaults against them.
A recent article by Gay Star News revealed how USA aid money is benefiting local organizations such as the Ethiopian Interfaith Forum for Development, Dialogue and Action (EIFDDA) that are spreading anti-gay hate in Ethiopia causing a climate of moral panic and forcing the LGBT community to flee the country.
EIFDDA in partnership with United for Life Ethiopia (ULE), a local Pro-life Evangelical group have held several joint workshops and conferences, including at the newly built African Union headquarter, to pressurize the Ethiopian government to legislate a ‘Kill the Gays’ style bill in the country.
During such workshops attended by Ethiopian government officials, EIFDDA, ULE and other organizations have demonized gays saying homosexuality is a ‘western import’ and has ‘disastrous effects in Ethiopia.’
According to Mercy, director of Rainbow Ethiopia, a group offering HIV and social support services, these workshops are designed to propagate such anti-gay hate ‘across churches, mosques, schools and even healthcare facilities all over the country.
‘This is causing a growing trend of verbal/physical abuse and life threatening violence by friends, family members, teachers, mobs and in worst case by the law enforcement officers from time to time.’
Helen and Ruta, a young lesbian couple studying in a private collage in Addis Ababa told Gay Star News: ‘We are really worried about the pressure coming from our parents to marry both of us to wealthy older men. We're afraid this may lead to forced marriage soon, which is the fate of many Ethiopian lesbians.
‘Our other grave concern is the growing hunting down and beating of gays and lesbians because of the false and disgusting newspaper/magazine propaganda by some protestant pastors and Orthodox priests.’
Alex, a 23 years old HIV positive gay man working in coffee shop in Awassa, in the south of Ethiopia was viciously beaten by a mob while meeting a friend in a local bar.
A man followed the two into the bar and called Alex ‘bushti’ (roughly translated into faggot) and attacked him while others joined in.
While last week, Mohammed, a 28 year-old transgender man who sometimes likes to wear women’s clothes and make up was blackmailed and attacked because of his preferences.
Mercy told GSN: ‘We commend some of the work of EIFDDA and affiliated organizations in the areas of HIV Prevention, helping orphan, vulnerable children and women.
'However, we strongly object to the recent growing anti-homosexuality hate campaign and respectfully request the government, the EIFDDA and others development partners to carefully research and avoid the confusion of homosexuality with paedophilia.
‘We further note that the dangerous consequences of their campaigns on LGBT people in the country.
‘Rainbow-Ethiopia strongly encourages Secretary Kerry to use his platform to condemn the actions of these American and Ethiopian organizations which are working in concert to demonize LGBT people and distract citizens of Africa nations from finding solutions to the real problems they face.
'The US public must know that their tax money is used to foment hatred against LGBT people in Africa, and literally put people’s lives in danger.
‘Kerry must act to end this importation of radical evangelical anti-gay hate into Ethiopia.’
Kerry's three-day visit begins Friday (24 May) in Addis Ababa, where he will meet with senior Ethiopian officials to discuss ‘bilateral issues’ and celebrate the 50th anniversary celebration for the African Union.
Ethiopian LGBT rights activists, however, have called him and the US to account by pointing out that US aid is financing organizations that are actively calling for Ethiopia to introduce the death penalty for gays, inciting hate and encouraging assaults against them.
A recent article by Gay Star News revealed how USA aid money is benefiting local organizations such as the Ethiopian Interfaith Forum for Development, Dialogue and Action (EIFDDA) that are spreading anti-gay hate in Ethiopia causing a climate of moral panic and forcing the LGBT community to flee the country.
EIFDDA in partnership with United for Life Ethiopia (ULE), a local Pro-life Evangelical group have held several joint workshops and conferences, including at the newly built African Union headquarter, to pressurize the Ethiopian government to legislate a ‘Kill the Gays’ style bill in the country.
During such workshops attended by Ethiopian government officials, EIFDDA, ULE and other organizations have demonized gays saying homosexuality is a ‘western import’ and has ‘disastrous effects in Ethiopia.’
According to Mercy, director of Rainbow Ethiopia, a group offering HIV and social support services, these workshops are designed to propagate such anti-gay hate ‘across churches, mosques, schools and even healthcare facilities all over the country.
‘This is causing a growing trend of verbal/physical abuse and life threatening violence by friends, family members, teachers, mobs and in worst case by the law enforcement officers from time to time.’
Helen and Ruta, a young lesbian couple studying in a private collage in Addis Ababa told Gay Star News: ‘We are really worried about the pressure coming from our parents to marry both of us to wealthy older men. We're afraid this may lead to forced marriage soon, which is the fate of many Ethiopian lesbians.
‘Our other grave concern is the growing hunting down and beating of gays and lesbians because of the false and disgusting newspaper/magazine propaganda by some protestant pastors and Orthodox priests.’
Alex, a 23 years old HIV positive gay man working in coffee shop in Awassa, in the south of Ethiopia was viciously beaten by a mob while meeting a friend in a local bar.
A man followed the two into the bar and called Alex ‘bushti’ (roughly translated into faggot) and attacked him while others joined in.
While last week, Mohammed, a 28 year-old transgender man who sometimes likes to wear women’s clothes and make up was blackmailed and attacked because of his preferences.
Mercy told GSN: ‘We commend some of the work of EIFDDA and affiliated organizations in the areas of HIV Prevention, helping orphan, vulnerable children and women.
'However, we strongly object to the recent growing anti-homosexuality hate campaign and respectfully request the government, the EIFDDA and others development partners to carefully research and avoid the confusion of homosexuality with paedophilia.
‘We further note that the dangerous consequences of their campaigns on LGBT people in the country.
‘Rainbow-Ethiopia strongly encourages Secretary Kerry to use his platform to condemn the actions of these American and Ethiopian organizations which are working in concert to demonize LGBT people and distract citizens of Africa nations from finding solutions to the real problems they face.
'The US public must know that their tax money is used to foment hatred against LGBT people in Africa, and literally put people’s lives in danger.
‘Kerry must act to end this importation of radical evangelical anti-gay hate into Ethiopia.’
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