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GAY KE N YA
NOVEMBER 2010
KIOS PROJECT
News, stories, articles Gay Kenya is pleased to announce Ten Gay Kenya members will be published in our website.
from the Web that KIOS, the Finnish organization trained on diverse topics e.g.
Gay Kenya is proud to undertake
for Human Rights, has given a total health, security, facilitation skills,
this project and extends its appre-
Advertisements of 8,900 Euros to Gay Kenya for the reporting and evaluation, human
ciation to KIOS for granting the
implementation of a proposal on rights documentation, Yogyakrta
Q-Expressions necessary financial support to un-
capacity building and human rights principles, e.t.c.
dertake this project.
trainings for the next one year.
In turn, these ‘trainers’ will conduct
Asanteni sana KIOS! Thank you
Gay Kenya begins to implement this trainings to LGBTI communities in
KIOS!
project with the Training of Trainers major towns—Nairobi, Mombasa,
that will be conducted from 11th- Kisumu, Eldoret. A tentative calen-
13th, November, 2010 in Nairobi. dar of trainings and activities will be
GAY KENYA Page 2
EDITORIAL—DENIS NZIOKA
National Coming out Day is an internationally observed civil awareness day for coming out and discus-
sion about gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual and transgender LGBTI issues. It is observed by members of
the LGBT communities and their supporters (often referred to as "allies") on October 11 every year and
this year in Kenya this day took on an even greater prominence and center stage with the announce-
ment of political candidacy by an openly gay man.
Coming out has many implications, within and without the individual. As much as its an individual act,
it resonates in the social, economic and political life of the person. And its never easy to come out! But
in such circumstances, it helps if someone else, more daring and some say crazy, comes out and in
effect, encourages, shocks and spurs others to the same. He becomes a figure we can look up to, a
role model and someone who inspires and at the same time proves and lives life the way we would
wish to live as—openly, gay, comfortable and happy! Who doesn’t want that?
I have many icons and role models, ‘saints’ if you can call them that who I look up to and wish to emu-
late. It is a great pleasure for me to introduce you to one. Meet him below.
GAY ACTIVISM
David Kuria is currently the General Manager of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK). GALCK is an um-
brella body of 6 member groups—Gay Kenya, Minority Women in Action (MWA), AFRA-KENYA, Transgender Educa-
tion and Advocacy (TEA), Ishtar MSM, and PEMA-Kenya. David Kuria is the founder of Gay Kenya.
Kuria has steered the gay rights movement in Kenya by bringing together all these groups and forming a formidable
entity. He has been instrumental in the inclusion of sexual minorities in major nations policies e.g. HIV/AIDS, human
rights and media.
He oversees a staff of five people and has the overall responsibility of monitoring the member groups and at the
same time, ensuring each group grows independently and works to fulfill their respective objectives.
He has shown great prudence, judgment, leadership and managerial skills in his work. GALCK is a success story in
Kenya and a poster child of leadership, accountability and completeness among African LGBTI groups and associa-
tions.
ISSUE NO.3 Page 3
Electioneering in Kiambu is about the economy – stupid! Any other considerations are auxiliary – and that is why am confident that they
will become the first political constituency in Africa, out of Cape Town S.A, to elect an openly gay person. Since this publication has an
LGBTI audience, it is important for me to highlight they will benefit from my candidature, not be because am gay, but rather because of
the social economic structures that we shall put in place for the benefit of every Kiambu-ian.
So then what are these social economic structures?
A brief history of what makes the economy of Kiambu tick is necessary to illustrate the need for a new economic deal. The County with a
population of just over 1.6 million people is largely agricultural – but that is being simplistic. The County has some of the largest coffee
plantation farms in Kenya, but is also home to some of the most sub-divided lands in Kenya.
That is why in the 1980 and early 1990s, the people from Kiambu moved to other parts of the country, seeking farming lands, notably in
Rift Valley. But ethnic cleansing that characterised the late 1990s and even 2000s made such migratory ventures unfeasible. The peo-
ple have been left with few options – that is to engage in small businesses (any wonder why the hawkers in Nairobi have become so
desperate as to fight armed police with stones?) or join the dreaded Mungiki, and/or indulge in illicit and highly toxic brews to dull their
senses.
That is why a new economic deal must be put in place – recognizing that Kiambu and its people have capacity to overcome their present
predicament. Unfortunately they also have had a history electing the very same leaders who have entrenched their own poverty, and
entrenching the assumption that moving out of poverty is synonymous to moving out of Kiambu. Yet what is needed is to address the
real drivers of poverty in the region. That is why we propose a new economic deal.
CAMPAIGN SECRETARIAT
David is in the process of setting up a campaign secretariat. This requires not just physical space for the offices
but also an initial campaign staff. To ensure success, he is appealing for support from all well wishers - especially
because this is our collective candidature. He has opened a dedicated Campaigns Fund Account - purely for cam-
paign funds only. This account will be open to external audit, and will be operated by the Campaign Secretariat.
Help expedite the campaign process by donating to:
Gay Kenya, as part of the run- these information will be or researchers who may have
any papers or pieces on HIV/
up to World AIDS Day, is posted on our website.
A I D S a n d
pleased to announce that it
In addition, a link for a Health touch particularly on MARPs
will be holding a 30-day cam-
and Well-being page has to submit them
paign of sensitization and
been set up and will be to info@gaykenya and they
awareness of HIV/AIDS
the forum where health is- will be published for
among 'Most At Risk Popula- our readers, partners, mem-
sues and mental wellness
tions' (MARPs). bers and visitors.
among MSMs and by exten-
The campaign will be website
sion sexual minorities will Gay Kenya is extending an
based and will feature sto- be highlighted and possi- invitation to all to join us in
ries, articles and general bly discussed. the upcoming WAD celebra-
information on HIV/AIDS and
Therefore, we are calling on tions on December 1st at
M A R P s . A l l KICC, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors/individuals or groups
GALCK NEWS
GALCK groups representatives will talk on asylum and refugee to Sister as a part of Gay Kenya.
be attending a Body mapping GALCK member groups on 13th
GALCK met with Ms. Olivier
exercise from 15-19th, November November at the GALCK Center.
Oketch on the communications
at the German Institute.
GALCK attended a Stigma and
strategy for GALCK and how to go
GALCK will conduct networking Discrimination of People living
about creation of messages for
meetings with the member groups with HIV/AIDS workshop organ-
GALCK to aid in various campaigns
this month. Groups are to send
ized by the Kenya National AIDS
representatives. which will aid GALCK in making a
NGOs Consortium.
mark and finding various tag lines
World AIDS Day (WAD) celebra-
GALCK send the Inner Circle report to aid in awareness creation and
tions planning are currently un-
derway and will be communicated to UHAI, which was on Queer the creation of an identity to our
at a later date. Muslim Outreach which saw the members, partners and stake-
inception of Muslim Brothers and holders
Ms. Keisha Adams will be giving a
A Kenyan transsexual blogs can countries to de- being held in Parliament over
and speaks about her life, criminalize homosexuality in a proposed legislation out-
love, work, challenges and order to win the war against lawing homosexuality.
success living as a trans HIV/AIDS.
woman. Meet her here. In Malawi, the government
Recent development sin refuses to recognize homo-
A report by NASCOP (Kenya) Uganda seem to indicate that sexuals as the media contin-
shows that homosexuals and the anti-gay legislation is not ues to highlight on gays.
injecting drug users contrib- yet removed or expunged.
ute to about 30% of new HIV Various reports are that the
infections in Kenya. For proposal may soon be law.
more, go here. Also, attacks on gays contin-
ues.
African scholars and ex-
leaders have petitioned Afri- In Congo, discussions are
ISSUE NO.3 Page 5
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www.gaykenya.com Gay Kenya is a Human
Rights, Media and Reli-
gious Advocacy group
GAY KENYA for LGBTI Kenyans.
Founded in 2004, the
Gay Kenya vision of Gay Kenya is
(Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya) to create an environ-
P. O Box 13005-00100 ment in which LGBTI
NAIROBI, KENYA
persons in Kenya will
E-mail: info@gaykenya.com
not be unfairly discrimi-
Phone: (+254) 700 71 85 85
nated on any grounds
Website: www.gaykenya.com
and especially not on
the basis of their sex-
ual orientation.
B R I D G I N G T H E D I V E R S I T Y G A P