Category: United State of America

Unreported! Sexual Abuse & Exploitation of LGBTIQs Seeking Asylum, UK

Post author By African Rainbow Family
Post date August 7, 2018
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Unreported! Sexual Abuse & Exploitation of LGBTIQs Seeking Asylum, UK

It is happening in our community! We can’t turn a blind eye and pretend there is/are no problem(s) of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, domestic abuse/violence, trafficking and domestic servitude – modern day slavery in the LGBTIQ asylum seeking and refugee community.

As ‘Experts by Experience’, our wealth of personal and direct experiences through the asylum and immigration system for over a decade, campaigning for a social change in this draconian, toxic system and hostile environment; we know that our community is constantly oppressed as a result of what people believe is our vulnerability; hence a pocket-full the mainstream population capitalise on this and exploit us. After all, we are not victims but survivors! #MeToo is unreported in our community, African Rainbow Family is shining the light on this at our 2018 annual conference in Manchester on 11/08/2018.

If you’ve not yet registered to attend African Rainbow Family’s second Annual Conference titled Unreported! Sexual Abuse & Exploitation of LGBTIQs Seeking Asylum, UK in Manchester on Saturday, 11th August 2018; now is the time to do so! Register free here. Read about our incredible speakers here and information about our last year’s stall bookings here. Book your stall here.

African Rainbow Family has been incredibly blessed by the generosity of The Federation, Co-op Digital , Olimpia Burchiellaro, Kirit Patel, through funding the Co-op Foundation has received from Omidyar Network and UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group whom are sponsoring different parts of our Unreported! Sexual Abuse & Exploitation of LGBTIQs Seeking Asylum, UK 2018 Annual Conference! You and or your organisation can still join our valuable sponsors this year to sponsor other bits of the conference. Contact info@africanrainbowfamily.org on how you can be involved this year or for 2019.

As you are aware, African Rainbow Family is a non-for profit charitable movement supporting over 250 LGBTIQ people seeking asylum (and still counting) in the UK whilst intensifying our work of global equality campaign for ‘A World Without Prejudice’. We operate with little or no money but rely on people like you.

Can you help? Will you chip in £5, £10 or more every month to help our work? We would remain grateful for that. Contact us or visit our website for details of how to set up a monthly standing order, make one off donation and other ways to support to us.

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My Country Shut Her Doors Against Me!

Post author By African Rainbow Family
Post date October 9, 2015
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On Wednesday, 30th September 2015, Aderonke Apata, a Nigerian lesbian, global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) equality advocate, feminist and human rights activist was joined by many LGBTI activists in a rally to deliver petition signatures of over 70,000 demanding the repeal of Nigeria Anti Gay Laws to the Nigeria High Commission in London. The rally was organised by African Rainbow Family and supported by Peter Tatchell Foundation and Out and Proud.

Aderonke, leader of the campaign and rally recounts her experiences at the rally attended by over 100 people including leading human rights activist, Peter Tatchell of the Peter Tatchell Foundation thus:

“My country, Nigeria shut her doors against me just because I am a lesbian! Today, I am joined by nearly 80,000 freedom lovers all over the world including those present here to deliver this petition signatures calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to repeal Nigeria’s toxic and harshest same-sex marriage and relationships laws; what did I get? Shut doors!”

The rally had a turn out of over 100 people, and attracted many media reports both local and international news. News coverage could be found in Gay Times Magazine, Gay NewsNetwork, Diva Magazine and ERASING 76 CRIMES. Even the leaders of the Catholic church in Nigeria were quick to react to our call to repeal Nigeria antigay laws. In The Tablet News published on 1st October 2015, they said: “We do not advocate punishing gays, say Nigerian bishops” .

It wasn’t business as usual at the Nigerian Embassy when activists arrived around lunchtime on Wednesday, 30th Sept. All of their doors were shut. No movement in and out of the building was allowed the minute Aderonke requested to see a senior official of the embassy whom she could hand over the petition to en route delivery to the Nigerian President.

Everyone present at the rally in front of the Nigerian embassy was on the look-out for any of the three doors leading into the building that could be accidentally opened, just so we can request entrance. The minute we are made aware of any opened door, we would approach the guard; but get a rebuff. Eventually all movements were suspended till we left at about 3pm.

“What amazes me most was that, one of the embassy staff who was returning from his lunch break told me the reason why the embassy didn’t want to collect the two boxes containing the petition signatures was because the embassy wasn’t informed of such delivery prior to the day of the rally. However when a friend of mine that came to support me at the rally later took the boxes to the door, a guard at the embassy collected them from her and even signed a sheet of paper as proof of receipt!” continues Aderonke.

Other Nigerian media that covered the event include: Naij.com, Cotonou9JA.com, nairaland.com, LailasBlog, Afikpochicupdates.com, NigerianNation

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President Buhari Prefers The Terrorists – Boko Haram!

Post author By African Rainbow Family
Post date July 27, 2015
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Does President Buhari Prefer The Terrorists – Boko Haram?!

The newly elected president of the most populous nation in Africa, president Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria has accepted the continuous onslaughts of his country’s citizens as opposed to promoting freedom, equality and the human rights of the LGBTIQ minority of Nigeria.

During Buhari’s visit to the US last week between Sunday, July 19 and Wednesday, July 22; the need to repeal Nigerian Anti Gay law as contained in an open letter to President Obama requesting that he intervenes and pressures Buhari to repeal the Nigerian Same-sex marriage prohibition law was raised. Unfortunately he rejected to do so; this leads to missing a milestone which would have been a huge landmark in equality and human rights for all Nigerians and indeed the whole of Africa.

The Washington visit was meant to discuss the U.S government supports for Nigeria. President Obama was said to have told Buhari that: “The destiny of the continent was tied to Nigeria’s, he said, pledging that America would continue to support, as long as Nigeria does the right things”.

It beggars good reasoning and the worth of humanity what the priorities for Nigerians are from their newly elected president!

“A president who prefers the continuous maiming, mass massacre, torture, displacement and gruesome raping of his country’s citizens to LOVE needs to reconsider his or her position in my view” says Aderonke Apata, founder of African Rainbow Family.

Fair enough president Buhari has shown his commitment to combat and rid Nigeria of her number one spiral historic endemic ‘disease’ – bribery and corruption. He also promised to retrieve Nigerian looted money starched away in foreign countries. This is a welcome move and hopefully he achieves it.

However, it’s beyond imagination that the rights of ordinary harmless minority group in Nigeria who only shows love towards each other in consensual relationships could be traded off for the daily mayhem caused by Boko Haram. Read about the February 2015 Africa Rainbow Family’s candle lit vigil in solidarity with victims of Boko Haram massacre in Baga here.

Other benefits for Nigeria’s advancement were also rejected by her custodian all in the name of culture and religion.

We call on president Buhari to take a better inward reconsideration of his stand and move away from being ‘cowed’ by the so called religious leaders who only care about themselves under the pretence of upholding God’s commandments.

For further information:

Aderonke Apata

info@africanrainbowfamily.org

www.africanrainbowfamily.org

To support our work, please contact us here.

27th July 2015.

Tags Africa, BokoHaram, Equality, freedom, Gay, Human Rights, LGBT, LGBT Rights, Nigeria, President Barack Obama, President Buhari, sexual orientation, sexuality, Solidarity, USA

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President Buhari supports continuous criminalisation of his country’s LGBTI community!

Post author By African Rainbow Family
Post date July 23, 2015
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Press Release – 23rd July 2015

Repeal Nigerian Anti-Gay Law Now!

During his visit to President Barack Obama in the U.S.A this week, our open letter of 17th July 2015 to President Obama requesting that he intervenes and pressures Buhari to repeal Nigerian Anti Gay Law was raised in a discussion as confirmed by Femi Adesina, spokesperson for President Buhari. Unfortunately, he rejected to do so hence he is in support of the continuous inequality, discrimination and criminalisation of this Nigerian minority group.

“It’s a shame. President Buhari’s rejection to repeal the Same-Sex Law marks the continuous dark age of hostile and toxic environment against LGBTIs and any support organisation of this community in Nigeria” said Aderonke Apata, founder of African Rainbow Family.

Adesina said: “The issue of gay marriage came up here yesterday. President Muhammadu Buhari was point blank. Sodomy is against the law in Nigeria, and abhorrent to our culture.”

Over 70,000 equality lovers all over the world signed the petitions to the Nigerian president asking that he upholds the human rights of the LGBTI community in Nigeria. Details of petitions here and here.

President Buhari missed the golden opportunity to be a custodian of human rights and democracy in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa; especially at a time when Americans are enjoying an historic marriage equality, continues Aderonke.

In her open letter to President Barack Obama on 17th July 2015, Aderonke highlighted the plights of her community in Nigeria. The enormous state sponsored violence and inhuman degradation treatments such as arbitrary police arrests, torture, extortion and blackmails against this minority Nigerians would know no end. The magnitude of state and non-state discrimination they face in their own country such as jungle justice, homelessness, lack of access to: healthcare, employment, political opinions have just been sanctioned by the newly elected president of Nigeria.

It should be noted however, that our resolute persistent push and call for the decriminalization of this punitive law must be unwavered. African countries such as Uganda and Mozambique recently decriminalise homosexuality. Nigeria needs to be more forward looking and protects all of her citizens against violations of their human rights.

For further information:

Aderonke Apata

info@africanrainbowfamily.org

WWW.AfricanRainbowFamily.org

To support the work of African Rainbow Family, contact us here.