zimbabwean lesbian activist to give public addresses in north america

By BtM staff reporter

May 24, 2005: In New York to accept International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)'s Felipa de Souza Awards that GALZ won earlier this year, Fadzai Muparutsa, the programme manager for gender, is set to tour the USA and Canada giving public lecturers on Zimbabwe human right debates in Zimbabwe and Africa.

Her public address tour, to focus on the struggle to achieve basic human rights for sexual minorities Zimbabwe and on the African continent, will take Muparutsa first to New York, then onto Halifax, Toronto and Ottawa in Canada.

"Our work to improve the lives of sexual minorities in Zimbabwe is extremely challenging but critically important," Muparutsa said.

Her tour is organized by ARC International, an organization that advocates for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons in international fora such as the United Nations.

Kim Vance, ARC's Co-Director is thrilled to host Ms. Muparutsa while she visits North America. "It's humbling to hear about the work of GALZ. It makes you appreciate living in Canada, and at the same time, compels you to extend your efforts beyond Canadian borders."