Fighting HIV/AIDS ain't cut and dry.

There are countless factors to be considered when combating the epidemic, especially in a continent as complex as Africa - and particularly with regard to homophobia:

The persistent and increasing outbreaks of violence against members of the gay community in Africa are jeopardising efforts undertaken to combat HIV, both within this group and across the population as a whole, Aids activists warned at a recent meeting in Limb, Cameroon.
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According to IGLHRC, 38 of the 53 countries in Africa still consider homosexuality as an offence punishable by sentences ranging in severity up to imprisonment.
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Even when MSM are aware, their exclusion from the majority of health policies on the continent means that it is difficult for them to obtain what they need to protect themselves from infection.

The most frequent problem is access to lubricating gel, explained Monvoisin. “Many [MSM] use butter or oil, but unfortunately this damages condoms.”

Well, they're using condoms - that's a step in the right direction.

Poetic injustice?

Three men have been sentenced to six month hard labour for being homosexual.
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The three men's lawyer said she would appeal the convictions and none of the men had been found guilty of homosexual acts.

Article 347 of the country's penal code prohibits consensual same-sex relationships. The men have been held in jail since August.

People currently detained on grounds of homosexuality all have cases riddled with irregularities and have been subject to procedures that are inconsistent with the new Cameroonian code of penal procedure.

Those procedures, however, are consistent with Cameroon's protest-worthy anti-gay politics.

Cameroon's queers can't speak out for themselves, so international protesters gathered outside the African nation's embassies to protest the government's protracted anti-gay repression.

More than 30 people have been arrested in Cameroon in the last two years on charges of homosexuality, despite an October 2006 ruling by the United Nations that termed such arrests to be arbitrary and unfair.

Dozens of students, particularly girls and young women, have been expelled from schools as result of their real or perceived sexual orientation.

"Challenging the legal system that continues to criminalise homosexuality must be a top priority for all human rights organizations," said Paula Ettelbrick, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC).

French, South African and other activists say the government puts accused homos through a seemingly endless series of trials simply as an excuse to imprison them without an actual verdict.

Nice, huh?

Some good news out of Africa: the Cameroonian High Court has released a man named Alexandre after detaining him for two years. Though no official charges were ever filed, coppers took Alexandre into custody on suspicion of homosexuality. Of his new freedom, Alexandre said:

I am really happy to be free and wish to thank those organisations who have been fighting for the protection of my fundamental rights.

Unfortunately not all Cameroonian queers are so lucky - homosexuality carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.

Alexandre would still be in prison if it weren't for International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, which rallied their forces and got him legal representation. Of course, there's still more to be done. IGLHRC's Cary Alan Johnson says:

Alexandre is the seventeenth Cameroonian person in the last year to have been released after spending time in jail or charged with homosexuality. Clearly there is a continued attack on gay men and lesbians that must be brought to an end.

The battle's just begun…

• The man who murdered prominent Jamaican gay rights leader Brian Williamson has pleaded guilty, but the police refuse to call it a hate crime, saying it was a "robbery gone wrong." We are unsure why a robber would bother stabbing someone 70 times in the neck if they didn't have another agenda. [365 Gay]

• Mary Cheney supports gay marriage! Who knew? [ABC]

• Cuba gets its own Queer As Folk, except there is only one queer and he's not shown kissing or touching his partner. But they talk about it, and that's enough to offend some Havana residents. [BBC]

• A gay London police officer may run for mayor, but only if asked. How polite of him. [Pink News]

• Nine men are being held in a Cameroon jail for being gay. The government refuses to release them despite international protest. [UK Gay News]

Recently, Queerty reported on a disturbing trend in virulent anti-gay African nation Cameroon where newspapers were publishing names of suspected homosexuals. But in a slight reversal, a government court has sentenced the publisher of L’Anecdote to four months in prison for claiming a government minister was gay.

Owona's lawyers said their client denied ever indulging in homosexual practices. The publication of his name in the list had seriously damaged his reputation and exposed his family to ridicule, they said.

L'Anecdote was one of three newspapers in Cameroon which published lists and photos of allegedly gay politicians, businessmen and musicians. Street vendors were forced to sell photocopies of the weekly papers, which sold out within hours.

But the ruling is a double-edged sword. On one hand it’s comforting to know the government is going after those papers that viciously out prominent figures who may or may not be gay. On the other hand, the idea that it’s ‘defamation’ to call some one gay just further illustrates that many African nations have a long way to go toward enlightenment.

Cameroon gay list publisher jailed for defamation [Reuters UK]

Hot on the heels of the publication of a list of Hottest Gays by one of the country’s tabloids, Cameroon is now jailing its citizens for doing the nasty. Two male Cameroonians went to the police department about an argument regarding a cell phone. While there, one of the ticked off ‘mos claimed he was tricked into having sex on the false promise that he would be given help getting to Europe in return.”

Sounds more like a lover’s quarrel than anything else. Unfortunately, neither are on their way to Europe as the guy’s plan backfired and both men have landed behind bars. And worse, without cell phones.

Cameroon jails two men for gay sex [Independent Online]

One would think the leaders of the poverty stricken Cameroon would have more pressing things to worry about than what two men do behind closed doors, but their version of The National Enquirer, Le Meteo, has decided to out prominent gays (and some that may not be) in the virulent anti-gay nation. One celeb on the blacklist is former French Open tennis star (and famed womanizer), Yannick Noah.

Most of those “outed” (Noah included) vehemently deny the allegations, which they say are based on rumours spread by enemies. The wave of homophobic articles has created an unprecedented boon for the tabloid press, which are running headlines such as “The queers are among us.” The issue has sparked a furious debate about privacy and gay rights. In Cameroon, as in most of Africa, homosexuality is illegal and punishable by six months to five years in prison.

Of course, the proper U.S. response to such nonsense is to approach the U.N. and give the Cameroon delegation a little talking to. But we know that ain’t gonna’ happen considering we have an anti-gay leader over here, too. We guess we’ll just have to send Angelina to handle the diplomacy. She may even get an outed orphaned child out of the deal.

Star 'outed' in anti-gay frenzy [Times of London]

Pack your bags, we're going to Cameroon! Not.

One of the country's tabloid paper has printed a list of 50 athletes, politicians, and singers it believes to be pink card carrying homos. It's being called a gay witchhunt.

The tabloid La Meteo launched the campaign to "out" gays in Cameroon at the end of January with the publication of a three-page dossier of names, following a vehement denunciation by the Roman Catholic archbishop, Victor Tonye Bakot, at Christmas.

Archbishop Bakot criticised the European Union for giving legitimacy to homosexuality. He lashed out at those calling for same sex marriages and derided gay people who wanted to adopt children.

Cameroonians had "resorted" to homosexuality in order to advance their careers and earn more money. The archbishop's arguments were largely repeated by the newspapers.

Right. Because homosexuality gets you so far in a country where, if caught performing a gay act, people are fined and given a 5-year jail term.

But we have more in common with the people of Cameroon than you'd think. You just know we'll be first in line to snag a copy of The National Enquirer's semi-annual "Who's Gay Who's Not" issue.

50 public figures named in gay witchhunt by Cameroon's papers [The Guardian]
Row over Cameroon 'gay' witchhunt [BBC]