Tanzania pushing out Maasai to attract rich tourists.

This week, we start in Burkina Faso, which has joined the list of African countries banning homosexuality. Next, we travel to Tanzania, where the government is displacing Maasai herders to expand nature reserves. And finally, we stop in Japan, where queer couples are opting for photo weddings to celebrate their commitment and raise awareness of LGBT+ issues.

But first, in Eswatini, scores of Swazis supported Pride celebrations in the tiny Southern African kingdom. The event started with a march through Manzini city centre to the Swaziland National Association of Teachers Centre (SNAT Centre), featuring contemporary dances, hugs, and kisses. The celebrations took place against a hostile government attitude. About three hundred people participated in the Pride March, defying the morning’s cold winter weather. Permission for the march was granted at the eleventh hour after tough negotiations from the gender consortium.

And despite the early start, attendance improved as the day warmed up. Many LGBTIQ members saw the early morning Pride march as a government ploy to minimize public attention. An anonymous member claimed, “This was intentional. The management was strict that we start the Pride march early when it was still cold and when many members and people, in general, were still few in the city. It was sabotage in disguise” The government had previously refused permission for the gender consortium to march, wanting celebrations behind closed doors.? Sisanda Mavimbela, Executive Director of Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities (ESGM), highlighted the importance of the 7th annual Pride celebrations. “This is our second parade since 2018.

The city centre march raises awareness of LGBTIQ rights and shows we are here and happy. It emphasizes our rights to associate and assemble,” she said. ESGM is still pursuing official registration, which the government refuses under the Sodomy Act. The Supreme Court deemed the refusal unconstitutional, but the Minister of Commerce and Trade denied registration again. The case is now back in the High Court. Director and founder of Parents United Care for All Children, Sibongile Mnisi, stressed the importance of parental support. “Parents need to understand and love their LGBTIQ children. It’s not a choice to be gay or lesbian. Our children need love just like any other,” said Mnisi.

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