I`m excited to update our donors and suppoters, thanks for your support . Safety of LGBT individuals has become the proirity since the stuation is worsening as the arrest of LGBT is increasing. We at LGBT Voice have been working hard to ensure the safety of LGBT individuals whose lives are threatened by relocating them to safe places.
We are now forced to work underground due to the current political situation in the country LGBT individuals are regarded as criminals they are hunted by authorities, arrested, tortured and forced to undergo anal test. Some Health care providers are afraid to provide services to LGBT people because of the fear that the government may close down their business and that puts the LGBT community at high risk.
We are currently conducting indoor safety training and documentation of incidences of violence to LGBT individuals in thre regions. The training offering individuals with skills on how to stay safe, including avoiding confrontations with authorities and any other homophobic people or groups but also reporting any incidence of violation of their rights as many incidences remain unreported. We have successfully trained 43 individuals in Arusha, 17 in Dar es salaam and 20 in Tanga where recently moved our offices.
Our organization is still in consultation proces with our lawyers on how file a litigation against the government for harassment and violation of LGBT rights. Because all the arrests that happen have no legal basis and not accetable and that is why the authorities have failed to find proper charges against those who they arrest.
Defending and protecting LGBT rights in Tanzania has become the most dengerous job as all activists are threatened by authorities,, "Those who want to campaign for gay rights should find another country that allows that"' a statement made by the minister for Home Afairs.
Thanks for your continued support that has brought us to this moment, please continue standing with us as we continue the fight for #EqualityinTanzania, the struggle has just begun and it will take a long time and alot of resources, we can`t give up now.
''There is no Freedon to those who fight for the freedom of their brothers and sister"
We feel not safe. But we refuse to be invisible.
The country’s attempt to attack LGBTIQ organizations and individual activists who are spearheading the fight for #EqualityinTanzania is just one reminder that the fight for LGBTIQ rights is at risk and LGBIQ individuals are not safe in this country.
“I would like to remind and warn all organizations and institutions that campaign and pretend to protect homosexual interests … we are going to arrest whoever is involved and charge them in courts of law,” the Interior Minister said
“Those who are interested in homosexuality should go and live in countries that entertain such businesses. If there’s any organization in the country that supports and campaigns for homosexuality … it shall be deregistered.”
After the minister making all the statements our organization decided to hire some experts to sturdy the currently laws and find if there is any possibility of litigating our government, after the sturdy we discovered that:
Now we have have a good start since we have established that our government is wrong and also have the sections that protect us. This government is violating our rights, so we are taking action to show our government and the world that what is going on in this country is wrong. We are seeking your support and partnership in the fight to show our government that the LGBTIQ community is as valuable as any other individual; we are now ready to use the judiciary system to seek justice and make sure the destructive agenda is stopped.
Due to regular threats we have been forced to relocate to a smaller town to ensure the safety of our staff and the individual we serve, but still we need a better place.
We urgently request for your support to ensure the fight for #EqualityinTanzania is a reality before things are worse, we do not have to wait for tomorrow the time is now. Please pitch in right away to support LGBT Voice and fight back against the hateful agenda of this government?
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The situation is getting worse in Tanzania as the government has threatened to arrest and deport those campaigning for gay rights and de-register organizations protecting homosexual interests
On 25th June 2017 the minister for Home Affairs made a statement and said that those who want to campaign for LGBT rights should leave Tanzania, he went on to stress that the country would be pursuing legal action if we establish that any organization registered in the country is campaigning for gay rights will be deregistered
The government began targeting our organization in July 2016 because we defend the general wellbeing of LGBT people in Tanzania, which has resulted in several attacks on our members and rejection in the community. A number of Gay and Transgendered people have suffered violence on the streets including police harassment. Last week a gay man was evicted from his residence because his landlord is afraid of the government.
LGBT Voice Tanzania is now using Judiciary to ensure the safety of LGBT people in Tanzania, but unfortunately the legal framework is not friendly to us. We want our government to respect human rights and protect LGBT people not to violate our rights. It is our duty to protect all LGBT individual and make sure no one is in jail because of who they are, we cannot stand to see LGBT people persecuted in this unfair country.
We are going to the High Court and then East Africa legistilative Assembly and will move to the Commonwealth secretariat,
There is an urgent need for financial support to cover the legal fees and the general running of the organization, please help us so that we can be able to stop this anti-LGBT movement before it is too late, we need to continue our work and increase our capacity to serve more people countrywide.
There is an urgent need for financial support to cover the legal fees and the general running of the organization, please help us so that we can be able to stop this anti-LGBT movement before it is too late, we need to continue our work and increase our capacity to serve more people countrywide. With your past gifts LGBT Voice Tanzania has been there to ensure equality and justice, defend LGBT individuals in court, advocate for access to free or affordable quality health services and the recognition of LGBT rights in the new constitution.
Thanks for your continued support
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