SOUTH AFRICA: A stage play aiming to tackle intolerance of gay people in black communities and churches starts at Windy Brow Theatre on 11th March 2010. Titled: Like Cain and Abel, the production of the play was encouraged by the lack of acceptance of bisexual and gay people in black communities.

Despite arrests presently rocking the Kenyan gay community, human rights institutions recently held the first ever public lecture on sexual minority rights aiming to address the rights of gays, lesbians and bisexuals among students and members of faculties of different academic institutions in Kenya. The purpose of the public lecture was to move the conversation on sexual minority rights from acrimonious rhetoric to conscientious and reasoned discourse ...

While South Africa remains one of the countries with highest HIV prevalence rates, gay rights organisations are doing their bit to curb the spread of the syndrome and to ensure that people know their status. OUT LGBT Well-being, a gay health rights organisation in Pretoria, has initiated a campaign called “Know Your Status Day”, which it hopes will effectively respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Supporters of a suspended Minister of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa are confident that her appeal against the verdict forcing her to “continue under suspension”, for marrying a female partner, will be successful. The Methodist Church only recognises marriage between heterosexuals, although homosexual marriage is recognised in South Africa.

Over forty African civil society organizations, in a statement released on the 28th of January 2010, expressed their deep concern at the imprisonment and prosecution of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga under provisions of Malawi's penal code criminalizing private sexual behavior. They called on the Malawian government to drop all charges...

SWAZILAND: The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has accused the media and the public of ‘trying and convicting’ Thulani Rudd, accused of murdering the woman she was engaged to, before the investigation has even been completed. This, after Rudd (37) was arrested while entering Swaziland on 29 December 2009 and charged with the murder of Pitseng Vilakati (22) who was found dead with a stab wound to her neck...

As the 2010 Soccer World Cup approaches, expected to bring an influx of gay tourists to South Africa, Health4Men, a health centre for men who have sex with men (MSM) in Cape Town has urged entertainment venues in all cities to promote responsible sex among gay men. Themed Responsible Sex Promotion by Gay Venues, this initiative is targeting night clubs making available free condoms, lubricant sachets,

With only six months until South Africa hosts the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the nettlesome question of how to deal with sex workers looms. "There are actually almost no sex work programmes in place at the moment," said Marlise Richter, a sex work researcher and member of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC). She was speaking at a recent consultation in Cape Town on HIV, sex work and the World Cup.

"There are clear signs that HIV prevention methods are beginning to make a difference, but we're still not moving fast enough to keep pace with this virus," Paul De Lay, UNAIDS deputy executive director told journalists during a telephonic press briefing from Geneva. Please join us in the forthcoming events. Register for the cyber dialogues where countries are sharing experiences...

On Wednesday afternoon the 25th of November the Kensington 12th avenue community hall in Cape Town, hosted members of the Kensington South African Police station, various Kensington civil society organisations and Kensington residents as they launched 2009’s 16 Days of Activism campaign against the abuse of women and children. This campaign is now an annual global event that seeks to restore women’s and children’s dignity and rights.

As the nation gathers at the Pretoria show grounds today for President Jacob Zuma’s World AIDS Day address, LGBTI organisations country-wide are doing their bit to commemorate this day, raising awareness about the pandemic that has claimed an estimated 25 million lives worldwide. The day is themed, “I am responsible. We are responsible. South Africa is taking responsibility.”

As the country is up in arms against abuse of women and children, sexual minorities are also making efforts to have their voices heard during the period of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign. According to activists, gays and lesbians are targets for corrective rape, emotional and physical abuse by their families, domestic violence by partners, discrimination and murder, due to their sexual identities.

The Glorious Light Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in Pretoria has slammed the Ugandan Anti Homosexual Bill in a public letter to the High Commissioner of Uganda in South Africa on 16 November. A member congregation of Metropolitan Community Churches, Glorious Light said the bill is a gross violation of human rights since it does not afford people the opportunity to live out the gift of their sexuality with dignity and responsibility.

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