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Community Journalist

Amal Clooney Transcript of UN Speech on Trump and Journalism | Time

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Source: Amal Clooney Transcript of UN Speech on Trump and Journalism | Time

I am writing as a community journalist, who in the past along with Sean McGoruan and others have tried to write and reflect about the LGBTQ community in Northern Ireland.  There were times when it felt an uphill struggle, as we fought censorship and bureaucracy, not to mention the establishment.

We wrote about murders, about police sting operations, about AIDS.

Even today we still have to write about homophobia, how the ‘lockdown’ has and is affecting people; but we are lucky now to not have people thrown into prison without trial.  Though I must say that the government’s current stance on ‘gay cure’ therapy beggars belief – is the Prime Minister trying to go back to the days of Margaret Thatcher?

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney’s speech is thought-provoking, and also worrying, because only this morning I re-published on the NIGRA website about  the film ‘

Welcome to Chechnya: The Gay Purge, review: a heart-stopping account of those fleeing persecution

which was shown on BBC TV this week

Take time to read the articles and watch the film, if you haven’t already.  YOu won’t’ be disappointed.

Homophobic mobs attack LGBT people in Kenya with impunity

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World | Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:00am BSTReuters Logo
BY KATY MIGIRO

 
 
 
NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Homophobic mobs have repeatedly attacked lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Kenya but police are unwilling to even attempt to bring the perpetrators to justice, rights groups said on Monday.
Homosexuality is taboo in almost all African countries and is punishable by up to 14 years in jail in Kenya.
Violence against LGBT people is common in the east African nation, but victims fear reporting hate crimes to the police who, in turn, often refuse to pursue their cases.
There have been at least six incidents since 2008 of mob violence against LGBT minorities on the coast, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and PEMA Kenya, a community organisation in the coastal city of Mombasa, said in a report.
“Religious leaders have often been at the forefront of inciting violence against LGBT people,” Neela Ghoshal, a researcher with HRW, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, referring to both Christians and Muslims.
“The government needs to do more to prevent and respond to violence against LGBT people.”
The police rescued LGBT people in most of the incidents but they have not arrested anyone for the attacks, the report said.
It also documented several cases where the police humiliated, dismissed or refused to take statements from LGBT people who tried to report crimes, such as gang rape.
“Police are meant to protect everybody, and that is what we do,” Francis Wanjohi, coast regional police commander, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“When we receive any report, we must investigate. That is our job… But again, you do not expect to be protected when you engage in criminal and unacceptable behaviour.”
In February, residents of the coastal tourist towns of Diani and Ukunda led vigilante-style hunts for gay men after images of men engaged in sexual conduct were circulated on social media.
Two gay men were attacked by mobs. One was admitted to hospital after his chest was slashed by a broken bottle.
Days later, he was arrested by the police, along with another man. Both were charged with “unnatural offences”.
Doctors conducted forced anal examinations on them to check for ‘evidence’ of homosexual conduct, the report said.
The case is ongoing.
About 50 men living in the area fled following the arrests.
“This particular case has really scared the community and has made them fear there could be a growing wave of arrests, particularly following what’s happening in Uganda and Nigeria,” Ghoshal said.
“Almost everywhere in sub-Saharan Africa, there is some degree of backlash right now against the… growing and increasingly vocal LGBTI rights movement.”
Uganda and Nigeria passed tough anti-gay legislation in 2014 although Uganda’s law was later overturned.
(Additional reporting by Joseph Akwiri in Mombasa; Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women’s rights, corruption and climate change. Visit www.trust.org)

WHAT’S SPARKED THE CORK LGBT ATTACKS?

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Reprinted from The Out Most:

 
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WHAT’S SPARKED THE CORK LGBT ATTACKS?

WE CAN’T KNOW WHETHER THE ‘CATFISHING’ ATTACKS IN CORK ON LGBTS ARE CONNECTED TO THE MARRIAGE EQUALITY VOTE, SAYS ROB BUCHANAN.

 
LGBT people in Cork have been the victims of violent attacks by homophobes using gay dating websites and apps to lure them. It appears the criminals are ‘cat fishing’ LGBT people, using fake profiles on popular dating sites like Grindr and Tinder. Locals in Cork believe the attacks are being orchestrated by the same group in Cork, and if so their activities will probably be known on some level to their friends, girlfriends and families.
While the majority of the reports are still anecdotal, and the motivation of the perpetrators has yet to be established, one thing is for sure: greater caution needs to be exercised by users of dating apps, not only in the Cork area but across the board. The safety of locations for meeting should be considered, along the level of intoxication you are under, before venturing out in to the unknown.
The nature of the beast is that people will continue to use apps out of necessity, despite the associated risk. The odds of us gays finding a one-night stand, let alone a partner, amongst the general public are statistically lower, given our numbers. Many of us don’t live near gay bars or it’s less than easy for us to identify compatible partners at mainstream venues. Dating Apps are sometimes the only way that isolated or shy LGBT people can make any connection at all with members of their community, even if they would never dream of using the resource for sex or dating.
Those of us lucky enough to live in a city with any kind of gay nightlife might still not want to meet people on the scene, and might feel that by using an app they are able to better screen potential partners. However, hook-up sites and apps only provide an illusion of control. They can provide a false sense of security and familiarity, and people tend to shockingly over-share their personal information, not only in chats but in their profiles. The parameters of profile pics are often stretched by even the most honest of users, so it certainly doesn’t take much for an attacker to willfully mislead and waylay someone in order to get a meeting.
Speculation on Facebook is already rampant that these attacks may be in some way connected to the upcoming marriage equality vote. But until
more information is known, or victims come forward, we cannot be certain. I would ask Outmost readers in the Cork area to please keep their eyes open, watch their friend’s backs and report any suspicious activity to the local Gardaí.

Rise in homophobic attacks in London, Greater Manchester, South Wales and Northern Ireland, say police

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Republished from
PSNIPolice forces across the UK have reported a rise in the number of homophobic crimes this year – with the biggest increases in London, Greater Manchester, South Wales, and Northern Ireland. Hundreds of lesbian and gay people have been assaulted so far this year. LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) charities have responded by saying it was “encouraging” that more people were reporting hate crimes, but said many victims felt “silenced” by abuse on the street. Some 19 police forces recorded more attacks which were motivated by a person’s sexuality between January and October 2014, when compared with the whole of last year. In London alone, the Metropolitan Police recorded 1,073 violent homophobic offences between January and October – up 66 from 1,007 last year, a Freedom of Information request by the Press Association uncovered. The overall figure for the capital for 2014 included 315 assaults, and 747 harassment offences – which saw a sharp rise from 693 last year. Greater Manchester Police recorded 278 violent homophobic offences between January and October, up from 231 in 2013; while South Wales Police recorded 162 violent crimes motivated by a person’s sexual orientation between January and October, up from 132 last year. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) revealed that homophobic crimes had increased year on year since 2006/2007. In 2013/2014, 280 incidents were recorded by the force – up from 245 in 2012/2013 and 200 in 2011/2012. This included 133 violent homophobic crimes this year”
There have been over 1000 attacks motivated by the victim’s sexuality in London so far this year
Police forces across the UK have reported a rise in the number of homophobic crimes this year – with the biggest increases in London, Greater Manchester, South Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Hundreds of lesbian and gay people have been assaulted so far this year. LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) charities have responded by saying it was “encouraging” that more people were reporting hate crimes, but said many victims felt “silenced” by abuse on the street.
Some 19 police forces recorded more attacks which were motivated by a person’s sexuality between January and October 2014, when compared with the whole of last year.
In London alone, the Metropolitan Police recorded 1,073 violent homophobic offences between January and October – up 66 from 1,007 last year, a Freedom of Information request by thePress Association uncovered.
The overall figure for the capital for 2014 included 315 assaults, and 747 harassment offences – which saw a sharp rise from 693 last year.
Greater Manchester Police recorded 278 violent homophobic offences between January and October, up from 231 in 2013; while South Wales Police recorded 162 violent crimes motivated by a person’s sexual orientation between January and October, up from 132 last year.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) revealed that homophobic crimes had increased year on year since 2006/2007. In 2013/2014, 280 incidents were recorded by the force – up from 245 in 2012/2013 and 200 in 2011/2012. This included 133 violent homophobic crimes this year