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Tag: gay sex

  • Namibian court overturns ban on same-sex acts; rights activist rejoice

    Namibian court overturns ban on same-sex acts; rights activist rejoice

    In a historic victory for gay rights activists, Namibia has declared laws banning same-sex acts between men unconstitutional.

    Although convictions for “sodomy” and “unnatural sexual offences”—remnants of colonial rule—were infrequent, these laws perpetuated discrimination and instilled fear of arrest among gay men.

    There are no existing laws in Namibia that prohibit sexual relations between women. While same-sex marriage remains illegal within the country, Namibia does recognize the unions of same-sex couples married abroad, provided one partner is not a Namibian citizen.

    Following the high court’s decision in Windhoek on Friday, members of the LGBTQ group Equal Namibia shared images of celebratory embraces in the courtroom.

    “Welcome to a new Namibia. A born-free Namibia,” the group said on social media.

    The term “born-free” was most famously used in neighbouring South Africa to describe the first generation of children growing up in the dawn of democracy after white-minority rule ended in 1994.

    ‘I no longer feel like a criminal’
    This court case was brought by a Namibian activist called Friedel Dausab, with backing from the British charity Human Dignity Trust.

    “It won’t be a crime to love anymore,” Mr Dausab said, reacting to the verdict. “I no longer feel like a criminal on the run in my own country simply because of who I am.”

    Expressing his feelings, he simply said he was “just happy”. The United Nations has also praised the ruling, describing it as a “powerful step” towards a more inclusive society that would enhance access to health services and HIV treatment.

    Amnesty International, fearing backlash from the ruling, has called on the Namibian government to safeguard the safety and dignity of LGBTQ individuals.

    The organization noted it had already observed instances of “alarming” and “threatening” rhetoric in the lead-up to the court case.

    Namibia, which was first colonized by Germany, achieved independence from South Africa in 1990 after a long and difficult war.

    In recent years, several African countries have repealed anti-LGBTQ laws, but South Africa remains the only nation on the continent where same-sex couples can marry and adopt children.

  • Gay sex is a sin- Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the global Anglican church confirms 1998 pronouncement

    The Guardian reports that he told more than 650 bishops attending the once-a-decade Lambeth conference that, for “a large majority” of conservative Anglicans, questioning biblical teaching was “unthinkable”.

    Welby said: “In many countries, [it] would make the church a victim of derision, contempt, and even attack. For many churches, to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.”

    In a letter sent to bishops shortly before what was described as a “robust discussion” on sexuality, Welby said the 1998 resolution, known as Lambeth 1.10, was “not in doubt”.

    But he also indicated that he would not seek the authority to discipline or exclude churches including those in Scotland, Wales, and the US that conduct or bless same-sex marriage.

    And in a hint at a possible future change in the Church of England, he told the conference that for churches in liberal democracies, not updating traditional teaching could also challenge their very existence. They, too, could be “a victim of derision, contempt and even attack”.

    His comments come nine months after he expressed grave concern about a proposed law in Ghana, which would impose harsh penalties on the LGBT community.

    The bill is supported by the Anglican Church of Ghana, despite a previous agreement by all Anglican churches not to support discriminatory legislation.

    Gay sex is already punishable in Ghana with a prison term of three years.

    The bill seeks to increase jail terms to up to a decade and force some to undergo “conversion therapy”, where attempts are made to change people’s sexuality.

    It also makes cross-dressing and public displays of same-sex affection punishable by fines or detention and makes the distribution of material deemed pro-LGBT by news organizations or websites illegal.

    Christianity is the largest religion in Ghana, with about 70% of the population belonging to various Christian denominations.

    Source: graphiconline.com

  • Lawrence Ray: US student’s dad charged for sex trafficking

    A man accused of abusing his daughter’s university roommates has been arrested in the US and charged with extortion, sex trafficking and forced labour.

    Prosecutors say Lawrence “Larry” Ray extorted some $1m (£771,000) from students at New York’s Sarah Lawrence College, abusing them “emotionally, physically, and sexually”.

    The charges were prompted by a story in New York magazine, which detailed the alleged workings of Mr Ray’s “cult”.

    Mr Ray, 60, has denied the allegations.

    He was arrested on Tuesday in the state of New Jersey.

    “For the better part of the last decade, we allege there was no limit to the abuse Ray’s victims received, and there is no way of knowing the amount of damage he may have caused them in the years to come,” said FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney.

    What are the accusations?

    According to New York magazine, the abuse started when Mr Ray showed up at his daughter’s university in 2010, after being released from prison, where he had been serving time on charges related to a custody dispute.

    The publication said his daughter described him to friends as a “truth-teller” who had been unjustly imprisoned. A former FBI informant, Mr Ray had been a close associate of former New York police chief Bernard Kerik. The pair fell out and Mr Ray cooperated with authorities in a high-profile corruption case against Kerik.

    Mr Ray moved into his daughter’s dormitory, where prosecutors say he presented himself as a father-figure and began conducting “therapy” sessions.

    During the sessions, he allegedly learned intimate details about the students’ private lives and mental health struggles. He alienated several of them from their parents, persuading some to move into a Manhattan apartment and convincing them that they were “broken” and needed his help.

    After gaining their trust, prosecutors say Mr Ray subjected his victims to interrogation sessions in which he falsely accused them of harming him by attempting to poison him or damage his property. He allegedly demanded confessions, using tactics including sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation and physical violence.

    On one occasion, after accusing a male victim of damaging his property, Mr Ray brandished a knife and threatened to dismember the victim with it, forcing a false confession, the indictment says.

    He is accused of using the false confessions to extort money, which the victims attempted to pay by draining their parents’ savings and opening credit lines, among other means. Authorities say he collected more than $500,000 from one woman after forcing her into prostitution, while several were forced to perform unpaid labour.

    In total, he is accused of extorting about $1m from at least five victims.

    Authorities say he laundered the proceeds of his crimes through an internet domain business.

    Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said: “College is supposed to be a time of self-discovery and new-found independence. But as alleged, Lawrence Ray exploited that vulnerable time in his victims’ lives through a course of conduct that shocks the conscience”.

    Mr Ray has denied the charges, claiming they are the result of a conspiracy against him.

    In a statement reported by US media, Sarah Lawrence College described the charges as “serious, wide-ranging, disturbing, and upsetting”.

    It said it launched an internal investigation after the New York magazine story was published, which it said “did not substantiate those specific claims”.

    Source: bbc.com