The rise in murders of LGBTIQ+ persons in Africa: A need for greater interventions and protections

Johannesburg May 5th, 2022. Pan Africa ILGA (PAI) joins the LGBTIQ+ community and activists to call upon authorities across the region to investigate the killings of LGBTIQ+ persons throughout  the continent. PAI  acknowledges the incredible efforts of  partners and governments towards the decriminalisation of homosexuality regionally. However, despite these efforts, we are continuously faced with perpetual human rights violations targeted at our LGBTIQ+ community on the continent.

In this short year already, we as a community have been helpless as we have had to witness multiple murders (reported and unreported) of our fellow kinfolk. For example;

1. Sheila Lumumba (They/Them), 25, Kenya: Murdered in April 2022. Justice is yet to be served.
2. Pinky Shongwe (She/Her), 32, South Africa: Stabbed to death in March 2022. Justice is yet to be served.
3. Dr Obisike Donald Ibe (He/Him), 31, Nigeria: Murdered in January 2022. Justice is yet to be served.

“LGBTIQ+ persons deserve to thrive without fear of being persecuted. The recent murder of Sheila in Kenya reflects the realities of the LGBTIQ+ community in Africa. It bears mentioning that unfortunately, these are not isolated incidents. They are part of a pattern of attacks, violence and murders against LGBTIQ+ persons across the continent.” Nate Brown, the Executive Director of Pan Africa ILGA  mentioned.

PAI continues to document these injustices against the LGBTIQ+ community across Africa. The organisation is in the process of developing a crisis reporting centre that will be documenting violations against the LGBTIQ+ community in Africa to advocate for increased protection and respect of the community.

“The inhumane violations and slaughter of LGBTIQ+ persons should prompt thorough investigations, aimed at prosecuting those responsible,” stated Star Rugori, PAI Board Co-Chair. “Government needs to protect activists and the greater LGBTIQ+ community and to call a halt to the impunity that links this chain of vicious murders. LGBTIQ+ lives matter and should be protected at all costs just like the rest of our African citizens” Barbra Wangare, PAI Board Co-Chair added.

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In the process of drafting this statement, we spoke to members of our community who offered their reflections on the state of LGBTIQ+ lives and our subsequent safety on the continent.

How do you react when you wake up to photos of your trans friend’s body dumped on the street?  Before you can begin to heal, you see other photos on Twitter of another queer person sexually assaulted and murdered.

A part of you dies. Your heart shatters. You start living in fear. You could be next, you know that.

The worst bit about it is knowing that barely anything will be done to the perpetrators. The punitive laws that criminalize sexual and gender minorities in Kenya promote violence. If anything, the abusers (and their supporters) believe and say that they’re doing the Lord’s work by ridding the society of queers’. There’s no getting used to it.

-Billy Hani (they/them) Queer Artist and Activist, Kenya

In a conversation with an acquaintance, we’d talk about Gay Hunters (another phrase coined by this acquaintance, which I’d add to the many phrases or words used to describe such homophobic people in Nigeria). He talked about how, once, he had a conversation with someone on Grindr. The type of conversations anyone-those who use hook-up apps- could have, free of weird expectations and absurd dogmas. They would agree to meet in a hotel room, to explore their bodies. What followed afterwards was a cursory exchange of punches and verbal attacks when he walked through the door of the room. He was kitoed, caught by heterosexual men who had pretended to be queer (or were gay men battling with self-acceptance and internalized homophobia). This happens often- in towns, rural places, and metropolitan areas of Nigeria. 

Did he survive? Yes, he did- with bruises and mental trauma. Gay people, if not rich or famous, suffer if caught or perceived as queer individuals. Either they learn to perfectly camouflage with the rest of society or leave home.

-Onyedikachi Chinedu (they/them), Poet, Nigeria

Today, May 5th 2022, signifies African World Heritage Day. In reflecting on the recurring violence that our LGBTIQ+ community across the continent faces- we hope that journeying further into the future, new and inclusive cultural norms and heritages can be created. We hope that in creating these new future realities, LGBTIQ+ persons can live freely and safely throughout the continent.

Editor’s note

About Pan Africa ILGA

Pan Africa ILGA (PAI) is the African region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA). It gathers approximately 268 organisations throughout the region working for human rights and equality for LGBTIQ+ people in Africa.

For more details please contact us via comms@panafricailga.org or visit our website www.panafricailga.org