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 "

By livefire

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

Cheers.

By kreemer

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...

Start by telling us the relationship between the bible that you read and gayism. You are the one who is posting rubbish. I hate when gays start shouting from rooftops to be recognised and when authorities start viewing sexuality as their business; you are an adult, just do whatever you do in your privacy whether straight or gay.

US envoy to Kenya resigns after 'threatening to shoot staff in head'

The US ambassador to Kenya resigned after complaints he bullied staff and threatened to "shoot them in the head" if they did not comply with his orders, it has been alleged.

Scott Gration, who had led the US embassy in Nairobi since February last year, stepped down late last week, citing "differences with Washington regarding my leadership style".

It is understood that the State Department's inspector general is preparing to release a scathing report on Mr Gration, who is a close ally of President Barack Obama, following an extensive internal inquiry.

The former Air Force major general is said to have shown a "confrontational" and eccentric style of micromanagement that caused low morale and complaints among embassy staff.

Mr Gration repeatedly engaged in battles with employees and, according to a report by Foreign Policy, threatened at one point to "shoot them in the head" if they did not comply.

It is also alleged that Mr Gration might have lost his security clearance after the inquiry found he had used a personal email account for official business and set up an office in an embassy lavatory in order to get around the building's secure network.





Such was his eccentric style that soon after starting the job he also ordered that the heights of all embassy tables be adjusted and demanded that all clocks be recalibrated, according to reports.
The disclosures threaten to embarrass Mr Obama, who previously made Mr Gration his special envoy to Sudan after the veteran diplomat became an early champion of his presidential ambitions.
In his resignation statement last week, Mr Gration said: "I am very proud of my 35-year career of dedicated and honourable service to our great nation, leading at all times with integrity first and the highest ethical standards".
Mr Gration did not respond to an email requesting comment on the new allegations. A State Department spokesman did not return a request for comment.

By kreemer

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

Mr. Olembo........................ .... first let me give you a great welcome to our humble abode.
Secondly,..................... .......... the right to express your individuality does not warrant
your protests for peddling your subverted view of the christian religion. Leave
Obama and America's politics out of Kenya's affairs. And also, which bible in reference
are you basing your protests on. So you believe that the current constitution passed is
still not good enough even after blanket hypoctritical approval of the document
from all corners of the republic.

If you are a gay activist PS use the right channel to address your protests and
leave the Bible and Christianity out of your petty gay nonsense.

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 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.

ndugu Bukyanagandi nikuelimishe kuwa the south african constitution passed a legislation in 2006 to support gay rights

By Kituko

Wamarekani ni nchi ya ajabu sanaKama Kenya wanasheria ya kupinga hayo mambo na yanayoelekeana na hayo, inakuwaje tena ubalozi wa US unaenda kuvunja sheria za nchi nyingine?

Wa ajabu hapo ni Kenya, Tanzania na hizi nchi zetu ambazo kimsingi zimeuza uhuru na utashi wa kuamua mambo kwa kuendekeza misaada. Hivi unadhani wamarekani wanaweza kufanya kitu China kinyume na sheria ya nchi ya China? Kwa nini inakuwa rahisi sana kufanya vitu kwenye hizi nchi zetu? Lazima tuna matatizo makubwa na tutaendelea kudharauliwa mpaka hapo akili zetu zitakapoanza kufanya kazi sawasawa.

By Tata

Wa ajabu hapo ni Kenya, Tanzania na hizi nchi zetu ambazo kimsingi zimeuza uhuru na utashi wa kuamua mambo kwa kuendekeza misaada. Hivi unadhani wamarekani wanaweza kufanya kitu China kinyume na sheria ya nchi ya China? Kwa nini inakuwa rahisi sana kufanya vitu kwenye hizi nchi zetu? Lazima tuna matatizo makubwa na tutaendelea kudharauliwa mpaka hapo akili zetu zitakapoanza kufanya kazi sawasawa.

The day we stop begging we will gain more respect but so long as the begging cycle is on the madharau hayataisha. Usisahau Uhispania sio Uganda, think of what that was supposed to mean

Je haki za gangsters, rapists, thugs and murderers nani atakaye zipigania kuwa pia ni binadamu ambao mda mrefu hawakukubalika kati ka society kama vile hao gays wanao pewa rights kidogo kidogo. Hao ma rais 44 wa marekani kwa nini walikuwa hawaja wakubali gays?

By chash

Je haki za gangsters, rapists, thugs and murderers nani atakaye zipigania kuwa pia ni binadamu ambao mda mrefu hawakukubalika kati ka society kama vile hao gays wanao pewa rights kidogo kidogo. Hao ma rais 44 wa marekani kwa nini walikuwa hawaja wakubali gays?

Kawaida hii sio kuashiria kuwa Obama anependa kuwa gay lakini ni hesabu tu ya uchaguzi ujao unapangwa ya presidential primaries. lakini ajabu ni kwamba asipofaulu kupata msimu mwingine wa uongozi ndio atagundua kumbe historia itamulika sera zake na kuwa unpopular. Obama hivi sasa anapata stiff opposition kutoka kwa state machinery nyingi kama inavyodhihirika katika hii video

By Dhuks

The day we stop begging we will gain more respect but so long as the begging cycle is on the madharau hayataisha. Usisahau Uhispania sio Uganda, think of what that was supposed to mean

You are right man. We cannot be respected if our leaders spend the little money we have travelling abroad in first class cabins to beg wazungus. These wazungus know for sure that ours are poorly managed resource rich countries.

By Kabaridi

ndugu Bukyanagandi nikuelimishe kuwa the south african constitution passed a legislation in 2006 to support gay rights

Heshima yako ndugu Kabaridi, thanks for the info - Mkuu, I can assure U that no SOUL can LIVE openly as a GAY in South Africa! There is xenophobia, homophobia and racism. The so-called country's constitution forbiding discrimination on basis of sexual ORIENTATION is on "PAPERS ONLY".

South African (LGBTI) are verbally abused and beaten up mercilessly and when they go to report these incidents to the POLICE they start laughing asking " WHY ARE YOU GAY/LESIBIAN?? JUST GO TO THE HOSPITAL"

By Bukyanagandi

Heshima yako ndugu Kabaridi, thanks for the info - Mkuu, I can assure U that no SOUL can LIVE openly as a GAY in South Africa! There is xenophobia, homophobia and racism. The so-called country's constitution forbiding discrimination on basis of sexual ORIENTATION is on "PAPERS ONLY".

South African (LGBTI) are verbally abused and beaten up mercilessly and when they go to report these incidents to the POLICE they start laughing asking " WHY ARE YOU GAY/LESIBIAN?? JUST GO TO THE HOSPITAL"

LGBT rights in South Africa is currently infiltrated with apartheid. Itakuwaje LGBTI gays wanapigwa na police senseless wakati gays wazungu wanaruhusiwa kufanya lolote. Ndio nikaja kutazama mambo ya katiba. There is a lot of hypocrasy that goes on ikija kwa constitution making na upitishaji wa katiba mpya. Tusiharakishe kupitisha katiba kama jambo ceremonial. Kwanza ichunguzwe kupitishwa kwake ni ya masilahi gani?


Inavoonekana wakati mwingine profound wisdom is better than kuhitimu kutoka vyuo vikuu mbali mbali na madigrii nyingi. Watu walimchekelea Moi kwamba hakua na Kisomo lakini kuna wakati aliuliza swali "What does wanjiku (ordinary mwananchi wa mashambani) know about Constitution making?" Wasomi walibaki kimya ndii wasiwe na cha kuelezea!