Thirty-five injured in Zimbabwe
Approximately 35 people were injured when a group of men forced their way into a private event that the organization Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe ( GALZ ), according to a BuzzFeed article.
GALZ said that at least one of the attackerswho numbered between 12 to 15carried a gun, and the group beat attendees "using logs, iron bars, empty beer bottles and clenched fists." The men who attacked the event in Harare, the country's capital, also reportedly "demanded cash and gadgets from the members present in the hall whilst attacking them."
The attacks follow an incident in June 2013 in which five men allegedly linked to the youth wing of Mugabe's Zanu-PF party forced their way into GALZ offices.
The original article is at www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/thirty-five-injured-in-attack-on-lgbt-event-in-zimbabwe .
Gambia arrests men for 'homosexual acts'
Gambian authorities arrested three men and accused them of committing homosexual acts, which are punishable with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under a law signed in October, according to Yahoo! News UK.
The arrests followed a security operation and the men have confessed that they are gay; their nationalities are not named.
In a post-event release, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has commended the Obama Administration for taking concrete action against the Gambian government.
The United States has suspended Gambia's eligibility for trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA).
"This decision is an important first step in sending a clear signal to President Yayha Jammeh and his associates about their human rights record, and they cannot be allowed to trample on the rights of LGBT Gambians," said Jean Freedberg, deputy director of HRC Global. "The United States government should not move forward with business as usual with The Gambia when LGBT people are harassed, imprisoned, tortured or even killed because of who they are."