new website will launch soon

August 13, 2004: When newspaper editors refused to place a M2M personal ad in a Kenyan newspaper it inspired the creation of gaykenya.com "an accessible medium for self expression" for gay Kenyans.

Behind the Mask spoke to one of the creators of gaykenya.com to ask why they feel there is a need for such a website. "The immediate reason for making this website is to give the LGBT community in Kenya an accessible medium for self expression. We were inspired by a young man, who wanted to place his advertisement in the Kenyan dailies - the personals/dating section - and in spite of the fact he was willing to pay double the amount that straights paid, all the editors turned him down because ostensibly they could not carry a gay-related ad."

But while the refused ad may have been the spark of inspiration, the website creators also have a more serious agenda. "In Kenya there is not a single HIV/Aids prevention campaign that even remotely mentions gay related concerns, or even mentions same-sex activity. As a result many young people have a false belief that homosexual activity has no danger whatsoever related to HIV."

The spokesperson for the site emphasises that while not all homosexual sex is dangerous in regard to HIV/Aids there is a need for information that is gay specific. "This site hopes to bridge the gap not just on HIV but also on other health concerns important to LGBT people. We shall seek to establish links with more specialized health sites to enhance synergy in information provision."

The site also hopes to provide news, articles and stories from around Kenya so
that LGBT people may be kept informed; also providing a platform for Kenyan LGBT people to be news makers in their own right - a message that gaykenya.com are keen to get across. "As such we shall strive to keep a relevant and updated news section. This will also provide a platform for human rights activism especially by the various LGBT groups in Kenya whose activities continue to be fragmented."

As it is so difficult for gay Kenyans to meet, and considering the difficulty with personal ads in newspapers the site will also be something of a dating service. "We shall also provide a dating forum for LGBT Kenyans. Given that the major newspapers in Kenya have deliberately chosen not to serve this segment of society, its only right that we move in to fill the gap. Unfortunately we have to move in such a cautious manner because of the stiff penalties that gay people are legally subjected to in the country. Our "terms" appear to be very defensive, yet this is because our site is really the first in the country and we are testing the waters as it were - we thought it's better to err on the side of much caution.... We shall charge a small subscription fee for the dating service in order to be sustainable and to keep the site attractive and continuously updated."