logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2023
24m 36s

Being gay in Africa

Bbc World Service
About this episode

It’s illegal in around 30 countries in Africa to be in a same-sex relationship and recently there’s been political debate in places such as Uganda and Ghana around stricter laws. We’ve also reported on the BBC in the past few months about violence against LGBT people in Kenya and Egypt, for example. The proposed new law in Uganda is awaiting the president’s assent, and if approved, it may see people who identify as gay, lesbian or queer imprisoned for life. We’ve spent the past few weeks making contact with some of those who are affected.

Up next
Today
The Facebook grifters making money off AI Holocaust victims
In Early June, the Auschwitz Memorial posted a warning about AI-generated Holocaust victims flooding Facebook. BBC Trending has since tracked several accounts pushing these false narratives and other pages posting so-called ‘AI slop’. The investigation has uncovered how these “di ... Show More
21m 45s
Yesterday
Suing 'Alligator Alcatraz': Immigration in the US
President Trump has called illegal immigration an “invasion” and what has followed is a huge rise in the arrest and detention of migrants. Some have ended up in ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ - an immigration detention centre that was speedily constructed in June, deep in the Florida swamp ... Show More
26m 47s
Aug 25
Adeju Thompson: Taking fashion label Lagos Space Programme to the world
Adeju Thompson, the founder and creative director behind the Nigerian fashion label Lagos Space Programme, attempts to establish the label on the global fashion scene. Lagos Space Programme blends Yoruba heritage (notably Adire dyeing) with queer and futurist aesthetics, taking i ... Show More
26m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2022
How safe is the internet for gay people in Africa?
Tanzania’s Information Minister Nape Nnauye has warned against the dissemination of online messages, cartoons and short videos which he claims promote same-sex relationships. He said anyone posting such messages risked prosecution. And it’s not just Tanzania. In Kenya and Uganda ... Show More
17m 42s
Mar 2023
Uganda to make identifying as LGBT illegal
Rights groups in Uganda have expressed concern about a new draft law which would make it a crime for people to identify as LGBT. Also on the programme, the UN has warned of a looming global water crisis because of pollution and excessive consumption, ahead of its first big confer ... Show More
50m 30s
Sep 2022
The online community supporting queer Africans | Okong’o Kinyanjui
Feeling safe is a human right -- but in many African countries, colonial-era laws make it dangerous for LGBTQIA+ people to gather and share their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Creating a space that leaves no room for discrimination, pan-African LGBTQIA ... Show More
9m 34s
Feb 2014
Kenyan Author - Binyavanga Wainaina
In a host of African countries, homosexuality is a crime. From Nigeria to Uganda, politicians seem to believe persecuting gays is a vote-winning strategy. As part of the BBCs Freedom season, Hardtalk speaks to Kenyan writer Binyavanaga Wainaina. He knew it would be big news when ... Show More
23m 25s
May 2023
En Ouganda, la vie cachée de la communauté LGBT
Violences, arrestations, thérapies de conversion, rejets des membres de leur famille… En Ouganda, déjà considéré comme l’un des pays les plus répressifs envers la communauté LGBT, le Parlement a validé le 2 mai 2023 une proposition de loi anti-homosexualité, allant jusqu’à la pei ... Show More
19m 30s
May 2023
Ugandan president signs anti-gay law
Activists in the country have called it a “dark day”. We speak to one LGBT activist about how the community will be affected. Also on the programme: Russia launches a daytime attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv; and Turkey wakes up to five more years of Erdogan. (File photo shows pr ... Show More
48m 56s
Aug 2021
Homosexualität in Deutschland – SG #240
In den vergangenen Monaten wurde in Deutschland viel über Homosexualität gesprochen. Der Grund war vor allem die Fußball-Europameisterschaft. München wollte zum Beispiel sein Fußballstadion in den Regenbogenfarben beleuchten, als die deutsche Mannschaft gegen Ungarn spielte. Um e ... Show More
10m 42s
Aug 2021
Homosexualität in Deutschland – SG #240
In den vergangenen Monaten wurde in Deutschland viel über Homosexualität gesprochen. Der Grund war vor allem die Fußball-Europameisterschaft. München wollte zum Beispiel sein Fußballstadion in den Regenbogenfarben beleuchten, als die deutsche Mannschaft gegen Ungarn spielte. Um e ... Show More
10m 42s
Nov 2019
Honduras: Esdra Sosa dénonce les assassinats des personnes LGBT
Le Honduras est l’un des pays d’Amérique latine les plus violents avec plus de 3 000 homicides depuis le début de l’année pour une population de 9 millions d’habitants. Dans ce contexte, les femmes et les hommes LGBT (lesbiennes, gay, bi ou transsexuels) sont particulièrement cib ... Show More
3m 36s