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U.S. Embassy Holds Kenya's First LGBT Pride Event

U.S. Embassy Holds Kenya's First LGBT Pride Event

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The event, a low-key forum at the embassy in Nairobi, was part of the Obama administration's campaign for global LGBT rights.

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The U.S. embassy in Kenya hosted an LGBT pride event Tuesday, believed to be the first ever held in the nation.

The event was a "small invite-only forum," attended by "activists, allies, and diplomats," Voice of America reports, but was nonetheless a milestone. It, like pride observances being held at other U.S. embassies around the world, is part of the Obama administration's effort to fight anti-LGBT discrimination.

"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," said John Haynes, a public affairs officer at the embassy in Nairobi, in opening the event.

MaqC Gitau, general manager of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, acknowledged the forum's groundbreaking nature. "What makes this day stand out for us here in Kenya ... is that more than anything else, it is about visibility," he said.

Some LGBT activists feared the event would cause backlash, and some accused the U.S. of cultural imperialism, according to Gay Star News. Others, however, welcomed the event. "The fact that the U.S. embassy has taken the initiative to invite me and other LGBTQI people shows they are reaching out, and I am going to the event to show support and to show solidarity," said Denis Nzioka, editor of the LGBT Identity Magazine.


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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.