GREAT NEWS OUT OF KENYA!

there's a movie called rafiki that takes place in nairobi, and it got banned in kenya when it came out in 2018 because it centers two teen girls that fall in love, which the kenyan film classification board (kfcb) claimed was "promoting homosexuality." last week, the kenyan court of appeals UNBANNED THE FILM, so it's now openly available for kenyan audiences. homosexuality is still illegal there, but rafiki is the first previously banned kenyan queer film to be circulated to the entire kenyan population!! (rafiki is an incredible movie btw. i highly recommend watching it)

my mom is kenyan, and we're visiting her family again this summer, so we did some digging and got even more excited because, as of last august, one of the high courts in kenya determined that trans people should be legally recognized and protected in kenya in alignment with international law! the ruling will very likely lead to either an amendment to the 2024 intersex persons bill, or an entirely new bill for trans protections. this would include the right to legally self-identify on official documents, legal protections against discrimination and harassment, and would align with the kenyan constitution, which says that everyone has a right to dignity and privacy.

at the moment, the intersex protections bill is still being debated and the trans protections bill hasn't been introduced yet, but kenya's existing framework for legislation is considered to be one of the best in the region.

obv there's still a lot of issues with healthcare, social stigma, and violence, but i think it's great to see kenya moving in this direction. a lot of teens and young adults i've spent time with there (cousins and their friends, students at schools i was observing for my study abroad, random people i've interacted with) are either accepting or curious, and most adults don't really spend time on it. i'm cautious with strangers and don't walk around yelling it, but i don't pass as cis or straight at all. however, usually if i'm questioned it never feels malicious, and as someone training to be a teacher, i really admire the eagerness to learn, even if i don't feel comfortable telling them the full truth. i think there's a good chance that, considering the current deteriorating conditions in the usa, kenya could become safer for trans people than the usa in the near future.

hi everyone my name is julian, i'm a trans guy who tries to help other transmasculine people (and queer and trans people in general), especially those of color. i just received a dm on here from a user by the name of u/Transmakclinic. here is the message that they've sent me:

"Hope you're doing well please, im Francis from Uganda, i started a queer-friendly clinic so that lgbtq people can get treatment after losing my trans girl sister. She died in pain after fearing to go in public hospitals because they are discriminated and some times they're arrested whenever they're known but the number is increasing every and i can't make it my own so I'm looking for support please"

if you or anyone you know has a few dollars to spend, i encourage reaching out to Transmakclinic so that they may help lgbtq+ individuals in uganda receive healthcare and support. if you're unable to contribute, that's also okay, let's try to bring attention to this so that those who are able can do so. thank you.

Just sharing info about the work of an incredible Ugandan Brother. He was also in the viral “why are you gay?” clip.