Am 17. Mai ist Internationaler Tag gegen Homo-, Bi-, Inter- und Transphobie! Seit Anfang April spitzt sich die Lage für queere Menschen in Tansania dramatisch zu. Im Netz findet eine regelrechte Hetzjagd statt und auch im alltäglichen Leben müssen sie sich ungefiltertem Hass aussetzen. Wir haben Zitate von Betroffenen gesammelt. Let’s listen to their voices!

1) Anonymous, Dar es Salaam

"With two or three years I knew who I am. People here think that you are either like that because you are raised by wazungu people or you were sexually abused in early childhood. Imagine, nothing was the case. I never met wazungu only when I was an adult. And I had a very lovely childhood. However, I lost so much during my childhood trying to be as they wanted me to be.

The worst thing is to loose yourself. I will never loose myself anymore. I am who I am.

People tried to harm me eversince. But I tend to forget that again and again. But now it is really serious. It is more than ever before I think.

I love to be independent, I have my dreams. But in this situation you become a prisoner. Going out there is a danger for your life now. I am only inside since almost one month. I feel like in prison. People made me feel like an outcast. Even my own family. I search for niches. With people from other countries I feel more safe. They are open minded and do not care about my sexual identity. It belongs to me and nobody offenses me about that. But here in Tanzania people feel so offended just because I look and behave differently. I cannot connect with many of my own people. This makes me so sad. I live like two different lifes. I want my friends to be on my side. I don't want to justify who I am and discuss about my sexuality. I just want them to say: I am on your side. But what they ask me for is: Can you not hide? Can you not do your things secretly?People here have double standards actually. They always say that it would not be our culture. But they forget that what they defend is actually the colonial culture and the religious morality of former times in western countries. They forget that in our African societies it was not a moral offense if people live in same sex relations. Very less Tanzanians are open minded and respectful towards queer people. The majority judges you just by looking at you. And if they notice you are queer they will not respect you anymore.

Even my own family!

But I still love these people and pray for them. My personal story is just fucked up but I found my way. I want to tell a happier story. This is my dream."

2) Anonymous

"A most confusing time: I allow me to be my real self while they want to ban humans with identities like mine.

They call it a sin.

They say it's written in the bible.

When I listen to them I want to scream my lungs out but for my own safety I have to remain silent.

Do you know what else it says in the bible? To love your neighbour as your self - the highest law of all!

But even the pastor seems to forget about this...

Instead of preaching about love he spreads nothing but hate to thousands of people, who take his words seriously.Who is the sinner now? We humans can't judge about it. Only God. And all I know is, that God loves ALL his children!"

3) Anonymous, Moshi

"My own brother asked me why I never bring a girlfriend home. I told him that I am gay and that I would never bring a girl... Then he said: Please think about it again. Probably it is better to change. Then I knew, he would not understand my struggle."

#fighthhomophobia

#humanrights