Topic: US Ambassador in Nairobi Hosts Gay Pride Event, then resigns after the fact.

United States ambassador to Kenya Scott Gration has resigned citing differences with Washington over his leadership style June 28, 2012

NAIROBI - On Tuesday, the U.S. embassy in Kenya's capital hosted a gay pride event, believed to be the first of its kind in the country. The event is as part of the Obama administration’s policy to fight prejudice against lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

On Tuesday morning the embassy presented what is thought to be the first LGBT Pride celebration in Kenya, where homosexual acts are punishable by law. Similar events are being held at U.S. embassies around the world. The push to promote global LGBT rights follows several victories for gay rights advocates in the U.S. over the past year.

These include President Barack Obama’s decision to repeal "don’t ask, don’t tell" that kept gays from serving openly in the U.S. military, and his public endorsement of same-sex marriage earlier this month.

John Haynes, a public affairs officer at the U.S. embassy, introduced the event. "The U.S. government for its part has made it clear that the advancement of human rights for LGBT people is central to our human rights policies around the world and to the realization of our foreign policy goals," he said.

Last December in Geneva, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the United Nations in honor of International Human Rights Day. She called for a global consensus recognizing the human rights of LGBT citizens.

"Some have suggested that gay rights and human rights are separate and distinct, but in fact they are one and the same. Like being a woman, like being a racial, religious tribal or ethnic minority, being LGBT does not make you less human and that is why gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights," said Clinton.

“Pride” events are celebrated this month to commemorate the Stonewall riots in New York City in late June of 1969, widely regarded as the beginning of the gay rights movement.

In the U.S., marches and public events promoting gay rights pack the month of June. In Nairobi the embassy opted for a small invite-only forum to introduce "Gay Pride" in Kenya. Concern surrounded public reaction to the event, as Kenyan culture frowns upon homosexuality.

In a 2011 human rights report, the U.S. State Department found that LGBT persons in Kenya are discriminated against, citing cases of police detention, evictions and anti-gay messaging.

Kate Kamunde, a Kenyan LGBT activist, described her experience. "I identify as a queer woman who is an activist. If I had an option not to live a life that is free of being evicted from homes, facing all of these kinds of violations, if I had an option out of the situation that I live with as a lesbian, first and foremost as a woman, I would have already opted out. There is no way I would choose to live a life that is totally discriminatory for me, one as a human being, as a woman and as a lesbian identifying individual. If I had an option out I would definitely take it, but I don't have that option, this is who I am. Think about that," she said.

MaqC Gitau, general manager of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, believes Tuesday’s event, however quiet, is a milestone. "What makes this day stand out for us here in Kenya however is that more than anything else, it is about visibility," said Gitau.

The activists, allies, and diplomats present at the U.S. embassy Tuesday morning are part of a coalition fighting for LGBT rights in Kenya.


source - VOA " http://www.voanews.com/content/us-embassy-in-nairobi-hosts-gay-pride-event/1252825.html#relatedInfoContai ner "

geza, before you tell me more bullshit, i recommend you tell this forum your reasons for Grations exit, makes more sense than screaming like a biatch on each and every Kenyan related thread.

By Geza Ulole

ur coconut head needs to understand any diplomatic office has a duty to alert its citizens about the danger of visiting kenya regardless of whether its office or any of its worker has been attacked or not!

responsibilities, YES! False alarm, NOPE!!!, get that to your brawn or nutcase.

By livefire

responsibilities, YES! False alarm, NOPE!!!, get that to your brawn or nutcase.

false alarm my foot






Africa



29 June 2012 Last updated at 12:58 GMT Aid workers kidnapped from Kenya's Dadaab camp near Somalia

Four foreign aid workers and a Kenyan national have been kidnapped from a refugee camp in Kenya close to the border with Somalia, police say.
A driver was also killed in the ambush on a convoy by gunmen in Dadaab camp, home to more than 450,000 Somalis.
The foreign workers were from Norway, Canada, Pakistan and the Philippines, the region's deputy police chief Philip Ndolo told Reuters news agency.
Several aid workers have been kidnapped from Dadaab in the last year.
Many aid groups have withdrawn from the camp as a result.
Mr Ndolo said two vehicles in the convoy had come under attack - and one had managed to get away.
A spokesman for the Norwegian Refugee Council said its secretary general, Elizabeth Rasmussen, was in the convoy that was involved in an "incident", but she was fine.
No further details were available, he said.
Somalia has had no effective central government since 1991, and has been wracked by fighting ever since - a situation that has allowed piracy and lawlessness to flourish.
Islamists from the al-Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab control large swathes of the country.
"We suspect this could be the work of al-Shabab sympathisers," Mr Ndolo said.
Last October, Kenyan troops entered Somalia in pursuit of al-Shabab militants accused of being behind various kidnappings on Kenyan soil and of destabilising the border region.
Earlier that month two Spanish doctors working for the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres were kidnapped from Dadaab and are still being held hostage.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-afri...745?print=true

By Geza Ulole

ur coconut head needs to understand any diplomatic office has a duty to alert its citizens about the danger of visiting kenya regardless of whether its office or any of its worker has been attacked or not!

How I wish there was some vaccine/medicine against stupidity because you seriously deserve some intervention..

By Geza Ulole

false alarm my foot

what a dumb pullout!!!! Lemmie call you out again, bullshit!!! Differentiate between Kidnap/Bomblast. Have you ever been to Daadab? You are naturally dumb!!!

I thought the US president was 'Kenyan'!

By livefire

what a dumb pullout!!!! Lemmie call you out again, bullshit!!! Differentiate between Kidnap/Bomblast. Have you ever been to Daadab? You are naturally dumb!!!

so kidnap by terrorists means security situation is good....

By SMU

I thought the US president was 'Kenyan'!

Just some donated sp***

By Geza Ulole

so kidnap by terrorists means security situation is good....

dude you are one useless man, get to ''Daadab Refugee Camp'' before starting to comment on security matters, its a world of its own thats why aid workers are assigned security personelle as escorts, why didnt this ones wait? I am not happy anyway and what happened is saddening; but get sober in your head. We were talking about Gration, tell us more bullshit from where the above nonsense came from..

By livefire

dude you are one useless man, get to ''Daadab Refugee Camp'' before starting to comment on security matters, its a world of its own thats why aid workers are assigned security personelle as escorts, why didnt this ones wait? I am not happy anyway and what happened is saddening; but get sober in your head. We were talking about Gration, tell us more bullshit from where the above nonsense came from..

but within Kenya borders....no excuses

By geza ulole

but within kenya borders....no excuses

hahaha we are dealing with a delinquent!

By Geza Ulole

ur coconut head needs to understand any diplomatic office has a duty to alert its citizens about the danger of visiting kenya regardless of whether its office or any of its worker has been attacked or not!

geza ulole! why when it comes to kenya & kenyans comments zako zinakuwa loaded na hate inside

geza ulole is xxxx!

By Mekatilili

What do you know about the Kenyan constitution? The supreme law of the land is categorical! Everyone is equal under the law and no one will be discriminated on the basis of sex, tribe, religion, sex, affiliation......

This is great news! We are all equal!

Stop the obsession with what consenting adults do with their genitals!

You keep repeating yourself with the same MANTRA!! How do you mean "disciminated on basis of SEX" you know precisely what that implies, lakini hapa inajitia kugeuza ili ionekane inahusu GAYS na LESBIANS, ni nchi gani za Africa zina-support (constitution) mambo ya kishenzi kama hayo Kenya notwithstanding.

Binadamu wanashindwa wanyama wa Masia Mara/Tsavo/Serengeti ambao wana ufahamu wa ku-distinguish between a HE and a SHE, nashukuru GOK imefanya kila liwezekanalo kumuondoa Barozi huyu Bubonic Plague nchini mwao. That SERVES him RIGHT, hiyo itakuwa a wake up call kwa wazungu wengine ambao ni LIKE MIND watafikilia mara mbili kabla hawajaja AFRICA na ushezi WAO.

By Bukyanagandi

You keep repeating yourself with the same MANTRA!! How do you mean "disciminated on basis of SEX" you know precisely what that implies, lakini hapa inajitia kugeuza ili ionekane inahusu GAYS na LESBIANS, ni nchi gani za Africa zina-support (constitution) mambo ya kishenzi kama hayo Kenya notwithstanding. Binadamu wanashindwa wanyama wa Masia Mara/Tsavo/Serengeti ambao wana ufahamu wa ku-distinguish between a HE and a SHE, nashukuru GOK imefanya kila liwezekanavyo kumuondoa Barozi huyu Bubonic Plague nchini mwao. That SERVES him RIGHT, hiyo itakuwa a wake up call kwa wazungu wengine ambao ni LIKE MIND watafikilia mara mbili kabla hawajaja AFRICA na ushenzi WAO.

the said ambassador wasnt supporting whatever happened as new data reveals. He even didnt attend the LGBT occassion and is said to be a God fearing man with a strong christianity background.

As I said before and i will say it again, this was the best ambassador from US to Kenya. He really struggled to fend off Americas subversive interests in Kenya, the famous clause ''difference with his masters'' tells it all. Prior to being an ambassador to Kenya after Sudan; he was the F5 jet trainer to KDF (before the failed 82 coup attempt), her parents were then staying in Kenya on missionary duties till they relocated to DRC couple of years back.

I dont believe he did Kenya wrong, washington did, from travel advisories (which GoK audibly protested) to this gay/lesb manenos all of which he seems to have distanced himself from. Piecing various articles together from different authors, cadres including serving men, all seem to say he took the falling to save Americas image in Kenya (very unfair) ....call it sacrificial falling....but hope the next amb.

Takes a cue from him to respects the Kenyan citizenry. Kenya protested on Americas ignorance (travel advisory), this other stuff too but it was americas policy, not Grations.

"In Kenya, many of his underlings at the American Embassy said he was remote and imperial. He also did not seem to be engaged in Kenyan politics as the country heads into one of the most anticipated presidential elections in its history, the first since 2007, when the country exploded in ethnic violence. But some State Department and embassy staff members said they were reluctant to press their criticisms of him because of his close ties to the president.

People familiar with the disputes confirmed reports on Friday that Mr. Gration preferred to use Gmail for official business and set up private offices in his residence — and an embassy bathroom — to work outside the purview of the embassy staff."



http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/world/....kenya.html?_r=1



"The audit by the State Department Office of Inspector General found that Gration repeatedly violated diplomatic security protocols at the embassy by using unsecured Internet connections despite warnings, according to a former State Department Africa Bureau official who has seen a draft of the report.

Embassy staffers complained about his lack of interpersonal skills and confrontational style, which generated low morale, the former official said..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/afri....QEBW_story.html

Mr Scott Granton a retired Airforce commander is a trained soldier and this occurence is just an exposition of the bigger plot that the ambassaduer declined to re-align himself with kenyan politics and concetrate on his diplomatic mission. The US wanted to mould him to become a politican and that is why he could not stomach such hypocracy. And this is what african nations have failed to stop. Giving flimsy reasons and other petty nonsense about breaking protocol is just an expression of how low this "ally" has sank.

By livefire

the said ambassador wasnt supporting whatever happened as new data reveals. He even didnt attend the LGBT occassion and is said to be a God fearing man with a strong christianity background. As I said before and i will say it again, this was the best ambassador from US to Kenya. He really struggled to fend off Americas subversive interests in Kenya, the famous clause ''difference with his masters'' tells it all. Prior to being an ambassador to Kenya after Sudan; he was the F5 jet trainer to KDF (before the failed 82 coup attempt), her parents were then staying in Kenya on missionary duties till they relocated to DRC couple of years back. I dont believe he did Kenya wrong, washington did, from travel advisories (which GoK audibly protested) to this gay/lesb manenos all of which he seems to have distanced himself from. Piecing various articles together from different authors, cadres including serving men, all seem to say he took the falling to save Americas image in Kenya (very unfair) ....call it sacrificial falling....but hope the next amb. takes a cue from him to respects the Kenyan citizenry. Kenya protested on Americas ignorance (travel advisory), this other stuff too but it was americas policy, not Grations.

Thanks for the INFO - LIVEFIRE, 'am sorry for my outburst.

By Bukyanagandi

Thanks for the INFO - LIVEFIRE, 'am sorry for my outburst.

anytym buddy, no need for apologies. Been a while....stay alive!

Yesterday I went to church - Emmanuel Baptist - and the American pastor gave a sermon in which he explained that the Ambassador is a 'born again' christian who felt he had to resign because he could not stand with the American position (read Obama's Administration) on homosexuality.

What rubbish.

This is called being disingenuous.
You cannot be an Ambassador of a country whose position you will not stand for.

I am tired of people blaming Obama.

First of all, I think he's right on his personal stand that homosexuals in the society deserve the same rights as everyone else, regardless of whether they are agreed with or not.

But this position is a natural extension of America's vision of democracy and the Ambassador should not be demonising Obama for it. It is cowardly to blame the Black man for something your own people are voting for.

Further, Kenya will have it's own constitution...we are not fools, and our own constitution will reflect the rights and make up of everybody in this country.

I get so angry with Kenyans who run around saying that this is a Christian nation. It is not. It is Kenya. If I want to pray to a mask with maize husks for hair in my back yard, I can.

We ourselves have to wake up on the right side of History.

We're not going Uganda's way and ending up fools three decades down the line. We are not going to learn that the world was made in Seven Days and teach it as an applied science.

And we will not spend our time sleeping under our neighbours beds.

We have better things to do.

Kenneth Olembo, gay Kenyan christian
Short Poetry