For 41-year old James Wandera Ouma, LGBT activism has become his life’s work. As the executive director of LGBT Voice Tanzania , Ouma works to advance equality, diversity, education and justice for LGBT people in Tanzania. Recently, Ouma was in attendance at the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association’s ( OPALGA ) annual awards
Pictured right: Mohamed Mbata, Deputy Director of LGBT Voice Tanzania This past November, I sent my associate Chris Westling to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to meet with LGBT activists and discuss the lack of progress in the area of human rights as related to LGBT issues. Currently, it is a crime punishable by imprisonment to
By James Wandera Ouma, Executive Director LGBT Voice Tanzania Introduction Homophobia against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and activists in Tanzania (LGBT) in Tanzania is well known. The challenges vary from everyday personal hardships to high-level factors such as hostility from civil society organizations, religious bodies, government, and law enforcement. In
A little over a year ago, during the June 2013 Gay Pride celebration in San Francisco, California, it was announced that that the same-sex marriage ban in California would officially be repealed. The sense of relief and celebration was palpable. A cheer went soaring through the streets and the Castro District (San Francisco’s historically gay
The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) releases a map which shows gay rights by country. The countries with the most homophobic laws are shown in red and the countries with the most open laws are green. In between are various shades of orange, yellow and light green. Tanzania is colored a bright red, indicating
LGBT VOICE TANZANIA`S STATEMENT ON THE 63RD HUMAN RIGHTS DAY 10TH DECEMBER 2011 Today the Tanzanian LGBT community joins millions of other people in commemorating the International Human Rights Day. This day is a time for people worldwide to reflect about the meaning, importance and need for human rights. It is an occasion for the
MORE UNORTHODOX JAMES OUMA -YES MINISTER James James Wandera Ouma wants you to imagine that someone you love is seriously ill. Now imagine taking your loved one to a hospital or clinic where care is readily available, but being turned away because he or she happens to be LGBT. For Ouma, who identifies with this
LGBT VOICE Tanzania held a press conference and issued a statement in response to Minister Bernard Membe’s comments of on 3rd November 2011 Read the statement: We would like to thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Honorable Bernard Membe, for demonstrating in his statement to the press on 3 November 2011
I’ve got something to tell you… Telling people about your sexuality is called coming out. Lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) people may ‘come out’ many times throughout their lives, whenever they meet new people. But the first time you consciously tell people you are lesbian, gay or bisexual can be daunting, especially if it’s close
ILGA members, partners and States urge the Human Rights Council to act on the need to ensure that the UN pay systematic attention to the violence experienced based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Two years ago, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a groundbreaking Resolution on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity”. It
