RESEARCH PUTS RWANDAN GAYS UNDER SPOTLIGHT

Mongezi Mhlongo (BTM Reporter)

RWANDA – 03 August 2009: Research conducted by the Rwandan Ministry of Health together with UNAIDS and the Centre for Non Linear Studies has revealed a high number of men who have sex with men (MSM), a study that closes a gap of lack of information about this group in Rwanda.

The research, according to Naome Ruzindana of Horizon Community Association (HOCA), shows a large number of gays and heterosexual men, some married with children, who have tendencies of having sex with men.

Ruzindana says this research has put the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community at a positive forefront in Rwanda.

“It really means a lot to all LGBTI people of Rwanda because it increased our visibility and awareness.”

MSM are, according to a 2006-2007 HIV and AIDS report by UNAIDS to the UN General Assembly Special Session, a group that has long been overlooked with no documented evidence to confirm their existence, particularly in Rwanda.

Reports indicate that in 2007 Rwanda was ranked number 20 on the top 20 African countries with large numbers of people living HIV and AIDS.

Currently Rwanda has about 150.000 people living with HIV and AIDS while South Africa tops the list with 5,700,000 people infected.

Despite the absence of specific laws regarding homosexuality in Rwanda, LGBTI people seem to be silent on their rights too, something that could be attributed to society’s hostility towards homosexuals.

“Lots of debates have been done, articles have been published about the general situation of LGBTI, there’s a mixture of negative and positive attitude from the public”, says Ruzindana.

She also says that “there’s no study that has been carried out about the WSW”, a group that remains marginalised on HIV and AIDS prevention strategies across Africa. 

Even though there are no laws criminalising homosexuality in Rwanda Section 322 of the Penal Code prohibits sexual relations with persons under the age of 18.