Mahojiano: WanaLGBT Tanzania

đŸ‡ē🇸 Please click here to find an English version of this interview.

Wasagaji, mashoga, wapenda jinsia mbili na wabadilisha jinsia (LGBT) wanakumbwa na ubaguzi na vurugu ambazo zimesababisha madhara makubwa pamoja na ubinywaji wa haki zao za msingi. Niliwahoji wanaharakati watatu wa LGBT wa Tanzania ambao ni wanachama wa jamii hii ili kujua zaidi kuihusu. Lulu ni msagaji mwenye zaidi ya miaka ishirini, Grace ni mwanamke aliyebadilisha jinsia mwenye umri wa kati ya miaka ishirini na Baraka ni shoga mwenye umri wa miaka thelathini na nusu. Haya sio majina yao halisi, maana wanaishi Tanzania na hawahisi salama kujitokeza hadharani. Wanayopitia ni ya kuhuzunisha kwakweli. Nawashukuru kwa kuwa na ujasiri wa kuhojiwa. Natumaini kusoma kuhusu gharama ya maovu ya chuki dhidi ya wapendao jinsia moja na wabadilisha jinsia itamsaidia msomaji kuelewa umuhimu wa kupigania haki za wanaLGBT nchini Tanzania.

Continue reading “Mahojiano: WanaLGBT Tanzania”

Interview: The LGBT community in Tanzania

🇹đŸ‡ŋ Tafadhali bonyeza hapa kupata toleo la mahojiano haya kwa Kiswahili.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Tanzania experience substantial prejudice, discrimination, and violence, which has a significantly negative impact on their well-being, and are being denied their most basic human rights. I talked to three Tanzanian LGBT activists who are themselves members of Tanzania’s LGBT community to learn more about the lives of LGBT people in Tanzania. Lulu is a lesbian woman in her late twenties, Grace is a trans woman in her mid-twenties, and Baraka is a gay man in his mid-thirties. These are not their real names, as they live in Tanzania and do not feel safe coming out to the general public. Their experiences, however, are painfully real. I am grateful to them for having the courage to speak up, and I hope reading about the human cost of the evils of homophobia and transphobia will help the reader better understand the urgency of LGBT rights advocacy in Tanzania.

Continue reading “Interview: The LGBT community in Tanzania”

Let Paul Makonda come to America

Should active enemies of freedom be allowed into free countries? In 2007, speaking at Columbia University in New York City, then-President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad memorably declared that there are no homosexuals in Iran, drawing derisive laughter from the audience. He also made similarly outrageous remarks about the Holocaust and women’s rights in Iran. Thousands protested, and the world saw him for what he is – an ignorant bigot who as president exhibited “all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator,” as the university’s president put it in his introduction. Untrue and immoral speech tends to discredit itself, especially under scrutiny, and that is precisely why it should not only be permitted but welcomed.

Secretary Mike Pompeo last week declared Paul Makonda and his wife, Mary Massenge, ineligible for entry into the United States. In a statement released by the U.S. State Department, Pompeo said he was banning Makonda “due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights, which include the flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, or the security of persons.” He did not state which right violations specifically led to the decision. I say, let him come, and treat him to some good old American free speech. Continue reading “Let Paul Makonda come to America”

Kile Unapaswa Kujua Kuhusu Mapenzi ya Jinsia Moja

Bonyeza hapa kupata mahojiano na mwanamme shoga na mwanamke msagaji kutoka Tanzania.

Mwelekeo wa kimapenzi ni nini?

Mwelekeo wa kimapenzi humaanisha muundo wa kudumu wa kimhemko, kimahaba, na/au mivuto ya kimapenzi kwa wanaume, wanawake, au jinsia zote. Mwelekeo wa kimapenzi unaweza kuwa wa toka kuvutiwa na jinsia tofauti tu hadi kuvutiwa na jinsia moja tu. Japokuwa, mwelekeo wa kimapenzi kwa kawaida hujadiliwa katika makundi matatu: mpenda jinsia tofauti (kuwa na mvuto kwa wahusika wa jinsia nyingine), shoga/msagaji (mwanaume anayevutiwa na wanaume/mwanamke anayevutiwa na wanawake), na mpenda jinsia mbili (mwanaume au mwanamke anayevutiwa na jinsia zote mbili; “bisexual”).

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Kill Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” bill: Love is not a crime

Last Thursday, Uganda announced plans to resurrect the infamous “Kill the Gays” bill, possibly within weeks. A version of the bill was first signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni, and then ruled invalid on a technicality by the courts, in 2014. If passed by the parliament, the new bill would impose the death penalty not only for gay sex, but also for “promotion and recruitment,” effectively criminalizing vital rights and health advocacy work. This will only serve to increase anti-gay hate and violence in a country where acceptance of homosexuality is already much lower than in most parts of the world, and cause suffering for thousands of innocent Ugandans. Continue reading “Kill Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” bill: Love is not a crime”

Marriage equality in Bangladesh

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Last month, the United States Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states of the Union, and the District of Columbia, adding the United States to the list of nearly two dozen countries, mostly in Europe and the Americas, that recognize marriage between a man and a man, and between a woman and a woman. The decision, which is nothing short of historic, made waves around the globe, including in Bangladesh, and is a cause for celebration for everybody who believes in equal human dignity. Continue reading “Marriage equality in Bangladesh”

Ehe fÃŧr alle

„Alle Menschen sind vor dem Gesetz gleich.“ So steht es im Grundgesetz. Das heißt auch, dass niemand wegen seiner sexuellen Orientierung benachteiligt werden darf. Die sucht man sich nämlich genauso wenig aus wie sein Geschlecht oder seine Hautfarbe. Es ist also eigentlich ganz einfach: Die Ehe fÃŧr alle muss kommen (nicht die „Homo-Ehe“, die es genauso wenig gibt wie die „Homo-Geburt“ und den „Homo-Mietvertrag“). Continue reading “Ehe fÃŧr alle”

Masud: “I am a woman”

For better or for worse, people think in boxes. They have boxes for things, and they have boxes for people: Bengali, westerner, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, Asian, White, Blackâ€Ļ Curiously, one pair of boxes seems to play a particularly important role in people’s lives: Think about it… What was the first-ever question that anybody has asked about you? Likely, the answer is: “Is it a boy or a girl?” And, likely, that question was asked before you were even born. But does it really matter whether you are a man or a woman? And should it matter? Continue reading “Masud: “I am a woman””

āϏāĻŽāĻ•āĻžāĻŽāĻŋāϤāĻž : āϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāĻž āĻŦāύāĻžāĻŽ āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ā§āϤāĻŦāϤāĻž

āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦ⧇āϰ āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āϝāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻĻ⧇āĻļ⧇āϰ āĻŽāϤ⧋ āĻŦāĻžāĻ‚āϞāĻžāĻĻ⧇āĻļ⧇āĻ“ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āĻŽāĻžāύ⧁āώ āύāĻŋāϜ āϞāĻŋāĻ™ā§āϗ⧇āϰ āĻŽāĻžāύ⧁āώāϕ⧇ āϝ⧌āύāϏāĻ™ā§āĻ—ā§€ āĻšāĻŋāϏ⧇āĻŦ⧇ āĻŦ⧇āϛ⧇ āύ⧇āύāĨ¤ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻ­āĻžāĻŦāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύ āĻ­āĻžāϞ⧋āĻŦāĻžāϏāĻž āϤ⧋ āĻ­āĻžāϞ⧋āĻŦāĻžāϏāĻžāχ- āĻ•āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āϤ⧁ āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧāϟāĻž āĻ•āĻŋ āĻāϤ āϏāĻšāϜ? Continue reading “āϏāĻŽāĻ•āĻžāĻŽāĻŋāϤāĻž : āϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāĻž āĻŦāύāĻžāĻŽ āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ā§āϤāĻŦāϤāĻž”

āϏāĻŽāĻ•āĻžāĻŽāĻŋāϤāĻž āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻŋ āϜāĻžāύāĻž āωāϚāĻŋāϤ

āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤ āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āφāĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤ āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻĨāĻžāĻ•āĻŦā§‹āĨ¤

āϝ⧌āύ āĻĒā§āϰāĻŦ⧃āĻ¤ā§āϤāĻŋ āĻ•āĻŋ?

āϝ⧌āύ āĻĒā§āϰāĻŦ⧃āĻ¤ā§āϤāĻŋ āĻŦāϞāϤ⧇ āĻŦā§‹āĻāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻĒ⧁āϰ⧁āώ, āύāĻžāϰ⧀, āωāĻ­āϝāĻŧ āϞāĻŋāĻ™ā§āϗ⧇āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°Â¯āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋāĻ• āφāĻŦ⧇āĻ—, āĻĒā§āϰāĻŖāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ /āĻ…āĻĨāĻŦāĻž āϝ⧌āύ āφāĻ•āĻ°ā§āώāĻŖāϜāύāĻŋāϤ āĻāĻ• āĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāϝāĻŧā§€ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ•āĻžāĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāĨ¤ āĻāχ āϝ⧌āύ āĻĒā§āϰāĻŦ⧃āĻ¤ā§āϤāĻŋāϰ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϤ⧇ āϕ⧇āω āϕ⧇āω āĻļ⧁āϧ⧁ āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āϰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻĒāϰ⧀āϤ āϞāĻŋāĻ™ā§āϗ⧇āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋ āφāĻ•āĻ°ā§āώāĻŖ āĻŦā§‹āϧ āĻ•āϰ⧇, āφāϰ āĻ…āĻĒāϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϤ⧇ āϕ⧇āω āϕ⧇āω āĻļ⧁āϧ⧁ āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āϰ āϏāĻŽāϞāĻŋāĻ™ā§āϗ⧇āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋ āφāĻ•āĻ°ā§āώāĻŖ āĻŦā§‹āϧ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĨ¤ āϤāĻŦ⧇ āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāϤ āϝ⧌āύ āĻĒā§āϰāĻŦ⧃āĻ¤ā§āϤāĻŋāϕ⧇ āϤāĻŋāύāϟāĻŋ āĻ­āĻžāϗ⧇ āĻ­āĻžāĻ— āĻ•āϰāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāσ āĻŦāĻŋāĻĒāϰ⧀āϤāĻ•āĻžāĻŽāĻŋāϤāĻž (āĻŦāĻŋāĻĒāϰ⧀āϤ āϞāĻŋāĻ™ā§āϗ⧇āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋ āφāĻ•āĻ°ā§āώāĻŖ), āϏāĻŽāĻ•āĻžāĻŽāĻŋāϤāĻž (āϏāĻŽāϞāĻŋāĻ™ā§āϗ⧇āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋ āφāĻ•āĻ°ā§āώāĻŖ) āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āωāĻ­āĻ•āĻžāĻŽāĻŋāϤāĻž (āωāĻ­āϝāĻŧ āϞāĻŋāĻ™ā§āϗ⧇āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋ āφāĻ•āĻ°ā§āώāĻŖ)āĨ¤ Continue reading “āϏāĻŽāĻ•āĻžāĻŽāĻŋāϤāĻž āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻŋ āϜāĻžāύāĻž āωāϚāĻŋāϤ”

Bangladesh’s LGBT Community and the UPR 2013

“Ever since I was in first grade, I was teased by my classmates for my girlish behavior. Back then, I didn’t even know I was gay; and being called gay was quite offending. I used to get teased, bullied and even took a few hits for my ‘inappropriate’ behavior. Continue reading “Bangladesh’s LGBT Community and the UPR 2013”

What You Should Know About Homosexuality

Amra Chhilam. Amra Achhi. Amra Thakbo.

What is sexual orientation?

Sexual orientation refers to an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, or both sexes. Sexual orientation ranges along a continuum, from exclusive attraction to the other sex to exclusive attraction to the same sex. However, sexual orientation is usually discussed in terms of three categories: heterosexual (having attractions to members of the other sex), gay/lesbian (men attracted to men/women attracted to women), and bisexual (men or women attracted to both sexes). Continue reading “What You Should Know About Homosexuality”

āĻŦāĻžāĻ‚āϞāĻžāĻĻ⧇āĻļ⧇āϰ āĻ…āĻĻ⧃āĻļā§āϝ āϏāĻ‚āĻ–ā§āϝāĻžāϞāϘ⧁

āϛ⧇āϞ⧇āĻŦ⧇āϞāĻž āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇āχ āĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧁ āĻ“ āφāϰāĻŋāĻĢ⧇āϰ āĻŽāĻ§ā§āϝ⧇ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĨ¤ āϤāĻžāϰāĻž āĻāĻ• āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āĻ¸ā§āϕ⧁āϞ⧇ āϝ⧇āϤ, āĻāĻ•āχ āĻ•ā§āϰāĻŋāϕ⧇āϟ āĻĻāϞ⧇ āϖ⧇āϞāϤ⧋ āφāϰ āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āύāĻŋāĻœā§‡āĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻŽāĻ§ā§āϝ⧇ āϕ⧋āύ āĻ—ā§‹āĻĒāύ⧀āϝāĻŧāϤāĻž āĻ›āĻŋāϞ āύāĻž- āĻ…āĻŦāĻļā§āϝ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻ›āĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻž, āϝāĻž āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤ āĻāĻ•āĻĻāĻŋāύ āϝāĻ–āύ āϤāĻžāϰāĻž āĻĸāĻžāĻ•āĻž āĻļāĻšāϰ⧇āϰ āϕ⧋āĻĨāĻžāĻ“ āĻĻāĻžāρāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĢ⧁āϚāĻ•āĻž āĻ–āĻžāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāϞ⧋, āĻāĻŽāύ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āφāϰāĻŋāĻĢ āĻšāĻ āĻžā§Ž āĻ•āϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ• āĻŽā§āĻšā§‚āĻ°ā§āϤ⧇āϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻŦāĻŋāĻŦā§āϰāϤāĻ•āϰ āĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āύāĻŋāĻļā§āϚ⧁āĻĒ āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ Continue reading “āĻŦāĻžāĻ‚āϞāĻžāĻĻ⧇āĻļ⧇āϰ āĻ…āĻĻ⧃āĻļā§āϝ āϏāĻ‚āĻ–ā§āϝāĻžāϞāϘ⧁”

Bangladesh’s invisible minority

Babu and Arif have been friends from childhood. They went to school together, played on the same cricket team and had no secrets – except one, but only until recently. While they were out having phuchkas at a street stand somewhere in Dhaka, Arif suddenly slipped into an awkward silence for a couple of seconds. Continue reading “Bangladesh’s invisible minority”

LGBT āĻ—ā§‹āĻˇā§āĻ ā§€āϰ ā§Šā§­ā§­ āϧāĻžāϰāĻž āĻĒā§āϰāĻ¤ā§āϝāĻžāĻšāĻžāϰ⧇āϰ āφāĻšāĻŦāĻžāύ

āĻ¸ā§āϝāĻžāĻŽ ⧍ā§Ģ āĻŦāĻ›āϰ⧇āϰ āωāĻšā§āϚāĻļāĻŋāĻ•ā§āώāĻŋāϤ āĻāĻ•āϜāύ āϝ⧁āĻŦāĻ•āĨ¤ āϏ⧇ āĻĸāĻžāĻ•āĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻŦāϏāĻŦāĻžāϏāϰāϤ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦāĻŦāĻŋāĻĻā§āϝāĻžāϞāϝāĻŧ⧇āϰ āĻāĻ•āϜāύ āĻļāĻŋāĻ•ā§āώāĻ•āĨ¤ āĻ›āϝāĻŧ āĻŦāĻ›āϰ āφāϗ⧇, āωāύāĻŋāĻļ āĻŦāĻ›āϰ āĻŦāϝāĻŧāϏ⧇ āĻ¸ā§āύāĻžāϤāĻ• āĻĄāĻŋāĻ—ā§āϰ⧀ āĻļ⧇āώ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻĒāϰ āϏ⧇ āφāĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ•āĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāϞ⧋ āϝ⧇, āĻŦāĻžāĻ‚āϞāĻžāĻĻ⧇āĻļ⧇āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ āĻŋāϤ āϏāĻžāĻ‚āĻ¸ā§āĻ•ā§ƒāϤāĻŋāĻ• āϰ⧀āϤāĻŋ āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇ āϤāĻžāϰ āϝ⧌āĻŖ āĻĒā§āϰāĻŦāύāϤāĻž āφāϞāĻžāĻĻāĻžāĨ¤ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤāĻŽāĻžāύ⧇ āĻāĻ•āϜāύ āĻĒ⧁āϰ⧁āώ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āϤāĻžāϰ āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϟāĻŋāĻ• āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ• āϰāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤ āφāϗ⧇ āϤāĻžāϰ āύāĻžāϰ⧀āĻĻ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇āĻ“ āϝ⧌āĻŖ āϏāĻ‚āϝ⧋āĻ— āϘāĻŸā§‡āĻ›āĻŋāϞ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āύāĻŋāĻœā§‡āϕ⧇ āϏ⧇ āωāĻ­āĻ•āĻžāĻŽā§€ (Bisexual) āĻšāĻŋāϏ⧇āĻŦ⧇ āĻŦāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āϚāύāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āĨ¤ āĻ¸ā§āϝāĻžāĻŽ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āϤāĻžāϰ āĻĒ⧁āϰ⧁āώ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ⧁āϟāĻŋ āĻāĻ•āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āϘ⧁āϰ⧇ āĻŦ⧇āĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϝāĻŧ, āĻĸāĻžāĻ•āĻžāϰ āϰāĻžāĻ¸ā§āϤāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻšāĻžāϤ āϧāϰāĻžāϧāϰāĻŋ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻšāĻžāρāĻŸā§‡ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āϝāĻ–āύ āĻāϕ⧇ āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āϝ⧇āϰ āĻŦāĻžāϏāĻžāϝāĻŧ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ āϤāĻ–āύ āĻāĻ•āχ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ›āĻžāύāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻļā§‹āϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āϝ⧇āĻšā§‡āϤ⧁ āĻŦāĻžāĻ‚āϞāĻžāĻĻ⧇āĻļ⧇ āĻĻā§â€™āϜāύ āĻĒ⧁āϰ⧁āώ⧇āϰ āĻŽāĻ§ā§āϝ⧇ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦ āϐāϤāĻŋāĻšā§āϝāĻ—āϤāĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āϖ⧁āĻŦāχ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ­āĻžāĻŦāĻŋāĻ• āĻšāĻŋāϏ⧇āĻŦ⧇ āĻŦāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āĻšā§āϝ, āϏ⧇ āĻ•āĻžāϰāϪ⧇ āĻāχ āĻ—ā§‹āĻĒāύ āϚāĻ°ā§āĻšā§āϚāĻž āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻ…āύ⧁āĻŽāĻžāύāĻ•ā§ƒāϤ āĻŦāĻŋāώāĻŽāĻ•āĻžāĻŽāĻŋ (Heterosexual) āĻĒāϰāĻŋāϚāϝāĻŧ⧇āϰ āωāĻĒāϰ āϕ⧋āύ āϏāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧇āĻšā§‡āϰ āĻ›āĻžāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāϤ⧇ āĻĻ⧇āϝāĻŧ āύāĻžāĨ¤ āĻ¸ā§āϝāĻžāĻŽ āĻ“ āϤāĻžāϰ āĻĒ⧁āϰ⧁āώ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ⧁āϟāĻŋāϰ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ•āϕ⧇ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻžāϰ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ⧁āϰāĻž āϘāύāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ  āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦ āĻšāĻŋāϏ⧇āĻŦ⧇ āĻŽāύ⧇ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĨ¤ āĻ¸ā§āϝāĻžāĻŽā§‡āϰ āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž, “āϝāϤāĻ•ā§āώāύ āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϝāĻ¨ā§āϤ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻžāϰ⧇āϰ āĻ•āĻžāĻ› āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇ āĻāϟāĻž āϞ⧁āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϰāĻžāĻ–āĻŦ⧇āύ, āϤāϤāĻ•ā§āώāύ āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϝāĻ¨ā§āϤ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āύāĻŋāϰāĻžāĻĒāĻĻāĨ¤â€ āĻ¸ā§āϝāĻžāĻŽ āϤāĻžāϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻ•ā§ƒāϤ āύāĻžāĻŽ āύāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āϏāĻŽā§āĻ­āĻžāĻŦā§āϝ āϏāĻžāĻŽāĻžāϜāĻŋāĻ• āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āφāχāύāĻŋ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŖāϤāĻŋ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇ āĻ­ā§€āϤ āĻ¸ā§āϝāĻžāĻŽ āĻļ⧁āϧ⧁āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āϰ āĻ›āĻĻā§āĻŽāύāĻžāĻŽā§‡āχ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāϤ⧇ āϰāĻžāĻœā§€ āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤ Continue reading “LGBT āĻ—ā§‹āĻˇā§āĻ ā§€āϰ ā§Šā§­ā§­ āϧāĻžāϰāĻž āĻĒā§āϰāĻ¤ā§āϝāĻžāĻšāĻžāϰ⧇āϰ āφāĻšāĻŦāĻžāύ”

British Empire’s homophobic legacy eroding in South Asia

Great empires may come and go, but like the tides, they leave behind a tangled assortment of flotsam and jetsam. In the case of the British Empire, that included much that one might admire, but also a British Protestant morality that was codified in laws that persist to this day. Section 377 of the colonial Penal Code is a striking example. It classed consensual oral and anal sex as “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” and made it a crime punishable with imprisonment for life. When the British administrators withdrew, they took their soldiers, but left their law books behind. Section 377 was recently repealed in India, but it is still very much on the books in Bangladesh. Continue reading “British Empire’s homophobic legacy eroding in South Asia”