THE ELEPHANT IN
THE ROOM
PROTOCOL-MAGAZINE
On the 7 th of April, Zambian gay activist Paul
Kasonkomona was arrested after taking part in a live
television appearance where he called for the
decriminalisation of homosexual acts in his native state.
Officers attempted to arrest Mr Kasonkomona during his
live appearance, but were stopped by the managers of
the television station and were forced to arrest him later
that night.
He was charged with ‘inciting the public to take part in
indecent activities’ and jailed until the 11th of April, when
he was released on bail. This event marks not only the
denial of an individual’s right to free speech, but also
highlights serious and pervasive human rights violations
against the homosexual community in Zambia.
Male-to-male homosexual activity in Zambia is
considered an ‘indecent activity’ and banned nationwide. The 1995 edition of the Zambian Penal Code Act
states that ‘Any person who; permits a male person to
have carnal knowledge of him…against the order of
natures; is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment
for fourteen years’. Individuals are encouraged to report
homosexual behaviour to the police, and according to a
2010 survey, 98% of Zambians disapprove of homosexual
behaviour.
This incredibly entrenched homophobia
within Zambian society allows and encourages
government officials to intrude on the private, intimate
lives of its citizens. Countries the world over have
discriminatory laws against homosexuals. France only
just recently allowed gays to marry and adopt children
(both of which are considered human rights under the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
MARTIN
QUINN
Rights) and many US states still ban same-sex marriage.
Zambia’s case is not only an extreme example of stateencouraged homophobia, but also contributes to the outof-control AIDS problem in the country.
According to the CIA World Factbook, 13.5% of adults in
Zambia have HIV/AIDS, and there are an estimated 200
new cases of HIV every day.
This epidemic has
progressed out of the hands of the Zambian government,
and threatens the lives and livelihood of citizens in all
parts of society. HIV/AIDS is well known for its high
presence in the gay community, and the criminalisation of
homosexual acts only serves to worsen the problem. It is
difficult for gay men to get proper treatment for their
illness, and equally difficult for AIDS groups and
researchers to get accurate infection rates for the
population. The 13.5% infection rate quoted above is
probably much lower than the actual infection rate due to
this issue.
The high infection rate within the gay
community is not isolated, as shown by a survey carried
out by the International AIDS Society, which found
that 50% of men between the ages of 15 and 35 have had
sex with men and women within the last 12 months. This
relatively high percentage lies in stark contrast to the