rwandan gay and lesbian people are short-changed due to a repressive environment

By Jean-Luc

June, 27, 2005: Johannesburg - It was a great opportunity to spend time with Eric, a gay man from Rwanda. I first met him in Johannesburg in early 2005. He told me that he is gay. He lives in Kigali, is married to a woman and has one child.

The information he offered about gay life in Rwanda covered a wide spectrum of topics ranging from gay life in Kigali, the constitution, and the concerns about HIV/AIDS.

"In my country there are a lot of gay people, but they have to live in hiding and they can't come out to embrace their sexual orientation, because they are afraid of rejection by their families, friends and the society. Being queer in my country is not an easy life.

"People call you names and, until now, there is no NGO or organization that supports the rights of gays in Rwanda."

Eric is very knowledgeable about the law. He said that the constitution doesn't say anything about whether it is illegal to be gay. "Many gays leave the country and go to Europe or America, where they will be far from their families and where they can feel free.

"Last year two women were arrested, but after three days they let them free, because there was no proof. But they were really abused verbally, until they left the country. Now the poor girls live somewhere in Europe. There are many gays abused verbally, because of their sexual orientation which is very bad."

Eric's decision to live a double life is not something that he is particularly proud of

"I discovered that I was gay at the age of 15, and until now I am still in the closet. I really don't enjoy my life, because I am living a lie, to myself and my wife. But I have the hope that one day I will live a normal life. I have to live as a gay man."

Eric is very optimistic that homosexuality will be legal, not only in his country but all over the world.

We turn our attention to HIV/Aids and he said the problem is that many people don't want to speak about it. Some NGOs are keen to avoid the subject at best of times.

"I know that many gays are engaged in risky sexual practices because they haven't been taught. We need health organisations who can teach people, because the more people don't speak about it the more people die. Many LGBT people are afraid to be tested, because of the automatic blame," said Eric.

Uncharacteristic of someone who is living in relative enclosure from homophobic attacks because of his marital status, Eric has a strategic plan for Rwandan LGBTI community. He cites lack of human rights groups, unbalanced media coverage, weak local NGOs (and those that deal with HIV/Aids) as the reasons why mobilization of the LGBTI sector in his country has not materialized.