activism

African academics have used scientific evidence to argue against such laws and to urge African nations to abandon them. In a report published on 10 June by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAF), the academics, most of whom are scientists, make the case that laws criminalizing homosexuality have no basis in science and hamper efforts to prevent and treat HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Today marks what would have been the 90th birthday of El-Hajj Malik el Shabazz—the black revolutionary most commonly known as Malcolm X. Here are five of his quotes to celebrate his incredible life.

In "Esquire"'s July 1968 issue, published just after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., the magazine talked to James Baldwin about the state of race relations in the country. In light of recent events in Baltimore, the magazine republished the interview in full, to demonstrate how relevant it still is today.

Kenya's High Court has ruled that the government can no longer block LGBT groups from formally registering their organisations. A pro-gay group in the country, the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, has fought a long-running legal battle after being blocked from registering as an NGO – leaving them without a number of legal protections.

My friend asked me if I’d participate in a Pride parade if it was held in Nigeria. He’s a fellow Nigerian who has never been abroad but has watched videos of various Prides. I told him I couldn’t imagine Pride in Nigeria without the thought of people dying. In Nigeria, whenever people gather to protest against an act of the government, police officers attack them with tear gas and sometimes shoot at the crowd.

LGBTI and sex worker activists in Uganda are preparing for a celebration of solidarity, with an emphasis on developing self-sufficiency in their community. The local Youth on Rock Foundation is organizing the event in conjunction with the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) on May 16. Organizer Frank Kamya labels this event the second annual LGBTQ and sex worker pride celebration, following last year’s Kuchus’ Day Out. It is in addition to the Ugandan pride celebrations that the country’s LGBTI community has held for the past three summers.

Gay Nigerian man living with HIV, Kenny Brandmuse, has congratulated Muhammadu Buhari on his win in the presidential elections. He also urged the president-elect to do good by the gay people in Nigeria by striking out the anti-gay laws introduced by the Jonathan administration. Brandmuse said in his Facebook post: "Now, the real hard work begins. Let's test our democracy and make real demands like electricity and good roads.

Bayard Rustin was the brain behind Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement in 1960s America. Rustin was one of the driving forces behind the Congress for Racial Equality and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Most significantly, Rustin organized the 1963 March on Washington — where King gave his legendary “I have a dream” speech.

What’s it like to be part of a Ugandan minority – of less than 20 – living as openly gay? Frank Mugisha agreed to answer questions about his experiences.

Q: How can we support progressive Ugandan faith leaders to work with their peers to be more accepting?

Two studies of PrEP in gay men and trans women have demonstrated that the availability of PrEP reduced the rate of infection by 86%. This amounts to the highest effectiveness yet seen for PrEP and is superior to most other HIV prevention interventions. Extraordinarily, two separate studies which provided PrEP in very different ways found exactly the same level of effectiveness. The PROUD study was conducted in England and the IPERGAY study in France and Canada.