Kenyan Newspaper Prints The Names Of ‘Top Homos’
Weekly Citizen, a tabloid newspaper in Kenya, printed a list of “top homos” in an attempt to out gay people in the country. Several were previously in the closet. While some are known internationally as proud spokespeople for the community, others include a senator and a gospel singer.
Gay rights groups have expressed concern that the publication of the list of fourteen people will increase the persecution of LGBT people in Kenya and incite mob violence, similar to when Ugandan activist David Kato was killed after being ‘named and shamed’ on the front page of a tabloid in 2010.
The Ugandan tabloid, Red Pepper, in 2010 first published a list of gay people under a banner stating “hang them”. The paper included a photo of activist David Kato who was murdered within three months. Then, in 2014, the Red Pepper published a list of what it called “200 homos” – a day after President Yoweri Museveni signed a tough anti-gay bill into law.
Although the Weekly Citizen’s article does not include calls for violence or to kill the gay people listed, there are still concerns that it could place people in danger. Gay rights activists are reaching out to the people on the list in an attempt to ensure that they are all out of danger.
This comes just a month after Kenya’s High Court ruled that the government can no longer block LGBT groups from formally registering their organisations. The three judge panel made clear the country’s constitution is supreme and the government had no case to discriminate against LGBTI people in this instance.
This article, an activist fears, could be part of the campaign to further turn the public against the LGBTI community.
“If homophobes were looking to target people, if the police were looking to arrest people, if anti-gay youths were looking to attack some teen they assume is gay, they now have a face and a name,” Denis Nzioka, one of the names mentioned, reportedly said. “We are now walking targets. While some of the people on the list are open about being gay, some are not. It is putting every person’s career, life and family at risk.”
Working together with fellow Kenyan LGBTI activist Eric Gitari, Nzioka is reaching out to every person mentioned in order to ensure they are out of danger.
They are currently considering a class action lawsuit against the newspaper for endangering the lives of the people listed in the article.
“I would not be surprised if we see other names exposed,” Nzioka added. “Right now, everyone in the community is a target. With the media ready to incite violence like this, we can’t think about the laws right now, we just have to ensure everyone stays safe.”
In December last year, a court in the country established a precedent that affirms basic rights for intersex people. Last year, the president of Kenya signed a law legalizing heterosexual polygamy, while maintaining a ban on gay sex.
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29 Comments
Khristine
May 14, 04:07Cultures are so different and diverse!
Peak
May 14, 04:25This is just wrong!
After, you would have people chanting ” gay ppl are forcing themselves down the general public’s throat”. What do we call a situation like this where group of people, have their privacy being unlawfully violated, endangerment of their lives, careers, family and property, just to score some cheap points, garner notoriety and make quick money.
I still don’t get the fixation on anything gay by the media and the general public. I hope necessary actions are taken to ensure the safety of the parties involved. That should be the primary concern right now.
Dennis Macaulay
May 14, 06:151 million kisses for you oga
trystham
May 14, 06:15Their fixation? To hide the failures of govt and provide distractions for a bored ppl. I thot we established that. The Print Media has FAILED in its responsibility aswear
Personally, I’m against outings, but publicly homophobic homophiliacs and the person(s) who are/were in the senate houses when the bill was put up shud be the ones outed.
Carl
May 14, 04:34Utterly wrong, and disgraceful
Brian Collins
May 14, 05:01Ofcourse Dennis Nzioka would be mentioned. I totally love that guy. I have him as a friend on FB and he is just an inspiration. Me i have been fearing for him since tey tey. I feel like the outing might have been politically or ‘homophobically’ motivated. The media house didnt have to do it but they did. Kinda like that manjam fiasco then. Silly journalist looking to score cheap points by outing people. Me i even blamed the editor for running the story.
shuga chocolata
May 14, 05:14BC! I’m also scared for Dennis Nzoika, a good lad he is and always ready to proffer solutions to troubled and probing minds. Just praying that all my kenyan friends are all in safe hands.
Dennis Macaulay
May 14, 06:21Dennis Nzioka
One of my favourite africans!
This kind of list was published in uganda too and people died. Why does africa keep going backwards?
wildero64
May 14, 05:34So messed up!
pinkpanthertb
May 14, 05:35Indeed it is.
A-non
May 14, 05:41This is something a few soft sells in Nigeria might be tempted to pull off.
Smh
Chris
May 14, 06:17I can envisage this one day happening in Nigeria. Infact the thought of it
happening in Nigeria cross my mind since almost ten years ago. Reason
why i will advise for discretion of lgbtqi gatherers in climate such as Nigeria.
If one is out to neccessary people, it’s okay, but if you aint out and you know
that the involuntary outing will literarily or otherwise kill your parents/guardian,
i will say be cautious and be mindful of the company you keep.
Some of us have nothing to lose at all or we dont care; some of us have a
lot and more to lose by involuntary outing especially by the media.
Nigeria is still highly homophobic and public gathering of lgbtqi is stll i guess
illegal here.
Have a good day co readers.
Sinnex
May 14, 06:13This right here is my greatest fear.
Dennis Macaulay
May 14, 06:22If this happens in Nigeria na city people go do am. Pink Panther will be on the cover page and smiling with that porcelain skin
kacee
May 14, 06:28Countries in Africa are turning into something else, someone needs to remind them that we are in the 21st century. When I ist saw this story on gaystarnews 2days ago I was like WTF. The LGBT in Africa have a right to be heard cos we aint doing anything wrong…homophobics shuld go and hug transformer(see if I care).*mtchewwwww*
Chris
May 14, 09:25rants….rants….rants
#TeamKizito
May 14, 06:33Hmmm.
Oluwadamilare Okoro
May 14, 07:13i honestly used to think that Kenya was more tolerant than Nigeria.
About the heterosexual polygamy … i guess the counsel FOR the motion argues that they are helping the single ladies in this time of rampant gay men. #IRANU #ABASHA
Sage
May 14, 07:31I cover and soak our gaybourhood wyt the precious blood of Jesus mixed wyt the holy ghost fire…..
Chris
May 14, 09:26it is a matter of OYO.
Chuck
May 14, 07:46Coming Soon To Nigeria. And it will be one of these Student Entertainment Journalists. He’ll just list all his facebook friends.
pinkpanthertb
May 14, 07:47Lol. Student. Lol. Chuck, you and this your not-so veiled aversion for students.
Chuck
May 14, 08:13I’m not averse to students – you can’t reduce anyone to only one characteristic. However, there are many desperate, untrained “entertainment writers” out there. How long before one writer for 360nobs lists all the people he’s seen on manjam?
Brian Collins
May 14, 11:38Aha, were is chestnut with those LASTMA jackets when you need him. Someone already did that. Created a profile on Manjam and started digging real deep, fingers and all. Then posted pictures and names and what not.
lluvmua
May 14, 09:11*enters trance* I see this happening in Nigeria soon …. since we like to dey copy copy. Smhhhh. *shudders and withdraw into my fabulously designed closet* we all need to b vert careful though……. hello DENNIS …. got my mail??????
IVANKO
May 14, 11:13Evulllllllllllllllll
Khaleesi
May 14, 12:05disgusting!!! and to think i imagined Kenya was a few steps ahead of Nigeria. Well, well, i’ve been proved wrong.Ample evidence of why Africa with its so called “cultural norms and values” is backwards as ever … #DeathToHomophobes
Teika Bonka
May 14, 14:02This is so happening in Nigeria sooner than later. i won’t be surprised if the face of those who were raided at a party in Ibadan over the weekend becomes the headline of a major newspaper….
OAN: anybody has update on the Ibadan situation?
Khaleesi
May 14, 16:51Hi Teika, can you please email Pinky with details and perhaps contacts of anyone who was affected during this raid. We need to see if theres anything that can be done to help the victims …