Comments on: Kenya’s Chief Justice: “Gay Rights Are Human Rights” http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/02/01/41513 News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric Thu, 23 May 2013 17:27:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: paul canning http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/02/01/41513/comment-page-1#comment-116400 paul canning Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:57:17 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=41513#comment-116400 His appointment last year, and of his deputy, were major wins for LGBT rights in Kenya, he was widely vilified with much focus on the fact that he wears an earring! Civil society has swung behind LGBT increasingly over the past few years in Kenya and there has been a lot more positive and serious media coverage. The riots you mention - which followed joint Xstian/Muslim incitement over false reports of gay weddings - were one example of how that support helped defeat anti-gay forces. The local state - the police - also came out of it well. Unfortunately this positive outcome was unreported in the west and the false reporting of the riots near Mombassa, by the BBC, NYT etc, who all reported the 'weddings' as fact, was all there was. As Val Kalende was saying of Uganda, there is not enough reporting of the positive developments like Mutunga's appointment. His appointment last year, and of his deputy, were major wins for LGBT rights in Kenya, he was widely vilified with much focus on the fact that he wears an earring! Civil society has swung behind LGBT increasingly over the past few years in Kenya and there has been a lot more positive and serious media coverage.

The riots you mention – which followed joint Xstian/Muslim incitement over false reports of gay weddings – were one example of how that support helped defeat anti-gay forces. The local state – the police – also came out of it well. Unfortunately this positive outcome was unreported in the west and the false reporting of the riots near Mombassa, by the BBC, NYT etc, who all reported the ‘weddings’ as fact, was all there was.

As Val Kalende was saying of Uganda, there is not enough reporting of the positive developments like Mutunga’s appointment.

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