Freedom in Speech

Written by Immah REID Thursday, 28 June 2012 12:39

The Kenyan LGBTI and the American embassy in Nairobi marked the pride for the first time in Kenya’s history on Tuesday 26th June 2012.

The meeting/assembly was marked by re-airing of the Obama and Clinton speeches on the LGBT speeches, after which there was a discussion platform where attendees asked questions, and discussed issues they picked and a moving speech by The Gays and Lesbians Coalition of Kenya General Manager MaqC Eric Gitau.

The event was open to the media who were offer an opportunity to record the discussion and even conduct a few interviews after the event was over.

The American embassy hopes to get more involved with the Kenyan LGBT movement as they do their part in the promotion of equality and respect for all human rights as it is in the universal declaration of human rights signed by majority of the global sovereign states, Kenya included.

The organization of the meeting was met by opposition by the Kenyan public and some members of the gays and lesbian community but the overall attitudes by the attendees is that, the meeting was a good step in this movement where we know equality may not be achieved by alienating the rest of the world.

Working with the allies and partners to make a Kenya in which the LGBT community can live without the social stigma they go through. So we all sit waiting to see if a partnership with the American government will take us a step closer to our goal or one back.

Either way it is encouraging to see that we have allies out there as said by John Haynes, the public affairs officer at the U.S. embassy.