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Security and Support: Doing No Harm

The backlash on Ethiopian LGBT community following the AMSHER MSM pre conference and 16th ICASA What really happened

A widely disseminated message of protest against the conference

The cancelled religious leaders meeting to condemn the AMSHER MSM pre conference and the existence of LGBT groups in Ethiopia

We were prompted to sound this alarm after this group launched immoral activities that would tarnish and dirty our culture, read part of the dossier which was distributed to Journalists prior to the cancellation of the conference.

The views of the religious leaders in the local and international media to provoke the public against the LGBT community
Ethiopian Orthodox leader bishop Paulos condemned gay sex saying that for people to act in this manner, they have to be stupid, like animals, they have to be punished and give them a lesson Reverend Iteffa has stated that homosexuality is unnatural. He stated that The Protestant church teaches about homosexuality that it is not Gods creation. God had created man and woman. So that is the proper creation and it continues to be there, and the Bible explicitly says in many parts of the Bible, so we claim that to be our faith as a Protestant.

The sensationalists The local media and political leaders


It is only natural for such a society to refuse this behaviour that is unnatural to its fundamental identity. Our society knows and recognizes the individuals who are actively homosexual, but no one demands that they be brought to justice according to the laws of the country, said Ato Moshe Semu President of the Ethiopian Democratic Party. in an opinion published in Negdras Newspaper on

Ethiopian Reporter..
A local local newspaper published an article during ICASA which said that Rainbow Ethiopia and Engender Health had gone to Kenya learn how to promote and spread homosexuality in Ethiopia. These claims came after a PEPFAR (the U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) funded study tour sponsored by EngenderHealth, a leading international reproductive health organization working to improve the quality of health care in the worlds poorest communities that sought to learn more on MSM access to HIV prevention and treatment.

Translated as.
Agenda of the Meeting at Jupiter hotel revealed.

For the World HIV conference which will be held at millennium hall, the main point of the agenda is To stop the spread of HIV AIDS and homosexuality as a solution another objective of this meeting is to influence the Ethiopia government to make a supportive law to accept this extremely bad practice which leads to corrupt families and the country. To do this, they are trying spend a lot of money and plead support of the international organizations. Well respected, rich and educated people in Ethiopia are actively participating in this as if this is the peak of their knowledge and wisdom. And anyone who believes in the existence of God . anyone who knows how to live in a society should object/protest this bad practice which spoiled Europe and the Western world.

Homophobia in Ethiopia
According to Pew Global Attitudes Project, 97% of Ethiopian residents said that homosexuality should be rejected by society, which was the second-highest percentage rejecting homosexuality among the 44 countries surveyed, exceeded only by Mali at 98%. Still we need much more effort to stop the discrimination against GLBT. http://www.pewglobal.org/2007/10/04/chapter-3-views-of-religion-and-morality/

The Criminal Code of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Proclamation No. 414/2004 130 Article 629.- Homosexual and other Indecent Acts. Whoever performs with another person of the same sex a homosexual act, or any other indecent act, is punishable with simple imprisonment.

Continued..
Article 630.- General Aggravation to the Crime. (1) The punishment shall be simple imprisonment for not less than one year, or, in grave cases, rigorous imprisonment not exceeding ten years, where the criminal: a) takes unfair advantage of the material or mental distress of another or of the authority he exercises over another by virtue of his position, office or capacity as guardian, tutor, protector, teacher, master or employer,or by virtue of any other like relationship, to cause such other person to perform or to submit to such an act; or

This article is taken from the criminal code of Ethiopia


b) makes a profession of such activities within the meaning of the law (Art. 92). (2) The punishment shall be rigorous imprisonment from three years to fifteen years, where: a) the criminal uses violence, intimidation or coercion, trickery or fraud, or takes unfair advantage of the victim's inability to offer resistance or to defend himself or of his feeblemindedness or unconsciousness; or b) the criminal subjects his victim to acts of cruelty or sadism, or transmits to him a venereal disease with which he knows himself to be infected; or c) the victim is driven to suicide by distress, shame or despair.

Continued.
Article 106.- Simple Imprisonment. (1) Simple imprisonment is a sentence applicable to crimes of a not very serious nature committed by persons who are not a serious danger to society. Without prejudice to conditional release, simple imprisonment may extend for a period of from ten days to three years. However, simple imprisonment may extend up to five years where, owing to the gravity of the crime, it is prescribed in the Special Part of this Code, or where there are concurrent crimes punishable with simple imprisonment, or where the criminal has been punished repeatedly. The Court shall fix the period of simple imprisonment in its judgment. (2) The sentence of simple imprisonment shall be served in such prison or in such section thereof as is appointed for the purpose.

A poster of call for a rally by a local NGOs called United for Life Ethiopia, Bright children voluntary association and the religious anti homosexuality task force.

The information above is translated as..


Mass anti-LGBT protest in Ethiopia a week after the completion of ICASA.the above Amharic is translated as Ethiopian religious leaders group, an anti-LGBT organization called "United for life Ethiopia", and other organizations call for a mass antihomosexuality rally in the coming Sunday from Meskel square to the office of the prime minister to urge the government to take serious constitutional and punitive measure on the practice of homosexuality and the recent small scale effort on Men who have sex with men (MSM) and HIV by some LGBT human right and HIV activists in Ethiopia.

Blackmail, intimidation and violence


We received a lot of death threat phone call and text messages several times during ICASA and after wards intimidating to stop this work or leave the holy country other wise we will be killed.

Some of LGBT community members suffered the backlash and attacked and robbed by an organized groups. Become a victim of police corruption and mob violence .

A poster widely distributed by the rally organizers to provoke the public against Ethiopian LGBT community

The AMSHER MSM pre conference at UNCC

Some of the demonstrators in front of the United Nation Convention Centre during the AMSHER MSM Pre conference.

Participants of the conference leave the UNCC building on the afternoon of Friday December 2,published in the local news paper called Capital.

Conclusion
The work of MSM and HIV in Africa in general,inEthiopia in particular by itself needs a lot of support other than the HIV and other related supports. These include a safety and security training and equipments ,relocation and safe house and other related supports when it is necessary to help us pass the homophobic mob violence and public outrage.

Acknowledgment
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our comrades and partners who gave us their helping hands during the difficult times following the AMSHER MSM pre conference and 16th ICASA in Ethiopia.

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