More Needs To Be Done On Sexual Minority Rights In Zimbabwe

 Sexual Minority Rights in Africa and Zimbabwe are a big thing with many people still very much uncomfortable, or scared to discuss their sexual orientation especially if one is considered not be “straight”.

You can not publicly declare your sexual inclination in Zimbabwe under such circumstances and you will be fortunate if all you get is a derogatory statement and it ends without physical abuse.

These sexual orientations in Zimbabwe are not legalized and they have faced strong societal resistance with little support for legislative input as Zimbabweans at large shy away from the topic.

By Pauline Mapuvire

The SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics) concepts and a thematic and geographical exposition of challenges faced by LGBTIQ+ persons in Africa are doing a lot of word to dispel the mystery on these issues and more importantly to break the ice rom a strong societal cultural belief that is a complete no no to these values.

In a recent workshop organised by the Voluntary Media Council Of Zimbabwe  in  partnership  with Friedrich Naumann Foundation, there was a strong emphasis and deliberation on these very sensitive issues t break societal limitations.

A more technical session designed to train LGBTIQ+ activists on how to engage with the African Union and United Nations human rights bodies – understanding the history, composition and working of these supra-national bodies, as well as how to bring cases/communications before these bodies. The workshop examines case law as well as legal and political strategies used in the past. This helps participants formulate their own strategies and develop networks. The workshop is interactive and includes practical exercises where participants receive training on the processes and procedures of AU and UN human rights bodies. They are also able to share experiences and inspire each other. Participants for the workshop typically include LGBTIQ+ activists and human rights defenders in general who, at least, have some experience of working at the national level. More information on applying for this workshop will be published on the Centre’s website in due course.

On May 13, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR) issued a historic new rule that codifies nationwide nondiscrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in health facilities, programs, and activities receiving federal funding. This rule confirms that Affordable Care Act Section 1557 prohibits discrimination against LGBT people in health insurance coverage and health care.

Key provisions of the final rule that relate specifically to LGBT people include:

1. Interpreting Section 1557’s sex nondiscrimination protections to include explicit protections for transgender individuals on the basis of gender identity
2. Interpreting Section 1557’s sex nondiscrimination protections to include explicit protections for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals on the basis of sex stereotypes
3. No new religious exemption

These protections are critical because, despite advances in public acceptance of LGBT issues over the past decade, LGBT people and their families continue to encounter discrimination when seeking health coverage and care. As then-Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius noted in 2012: