https://politicalresearch.org/ The latest research related to Africa en https://religiondispatches.org/2025/05/09/white-smoke-black-pope This article was first published by Black Catholic Messenger, an independent, nonprofit digital media publication covering stories of interest to African American Catholics. The Catholic Church has a new leader, with the Augustinian cardinal Robert Prevost elected as Pope Leo… Fri, 09 May 2025 12:52:23 EDT Nate Tinner-Williams 4adaa06e-c9b5-4656-8d9d-291e7d730455 https://religiondispatches.org/2017/11/06/anti-lgbt-culture-warriors-march-more-global-lgbt-recap International ILGA published its 2017 Global Attitudes Survey on Sexual, Gender and Sex Minorities, which it calls “the largest investigation of attitudes towards sexual, gender and sex minorities around the world ever conducted.” A section of the survey asks whether… Mon, 06 Nov 2017 12:14:03 EST Peter Montgomery 6a889402-6d5f-4d5c-a9f5-2f72451aca19 https://religiondispatches.org/2017/10/17/sydneys-anglican-diocese-gives-1-million-no-campaign-marriage-and-more-global-lgbt-recap Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies: “It is a consequence of our discipleship to uphold the gift of marriage as God has designed it.” Tue, 17 Oct 2017 08:41:19 EDT Peter Montgomery 1230ca0c-9c25-4b99-85ba-ece278972bb5 https://religiondispatches.org/2017/09/05/catholic-cardinal-slams-jesuits-bridge-building-book-and-more-global-lgbt-recap Reports from several international LGBT gatherings: The Interfaith Diversity Network of West Africa (IDNOWA), founded in 2016, reported on its August gathering in Accra, Ghana, which drew more than 30 delegates from 10 countries, for interfaith worship and conversations about… Tue, 05 Sep 2017 11:26:44 EDT Peter Montgomery de0731a2-d5ea-4f4c-b711-320073d2610a https://religiondispatches.org/2017/06/12/scottish-episcopal-church-angers-conservative-anglicans-embrace-same-sex-marriage-and The Global Interfaith Network on Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression has published an e-book, “ Behold, I make all things new: What do the sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam really say in regard to human sexuality?”… Mon, 12 Jun 2017 12:32:18 EDT Peter Montgomery 2af81c60-a424-45b3-b09d-693967619a7c https://religiondispatches.org/2017/06/05/pride-month-prejudice-worrisome-time-lgbt-people-global-lgbt-recap LGBT communities in many parts of the world celebrate Pride month in June. The U.S. State Department told embassies and consulates that they may recognize local celebrations. The Associated Press’s David Crary kicked off the month with a June 1… Mon, 05 Jun 2017 11:56:51 EDT Peter Montgomery b8f4d533-0d8d-497d-9bc3-434b42022294 https://religiondispatches.org/2017/06/01/complicating-prosperity-gospel-story-microeconomics-pentecostalism-international-edition Pentecostalism, prosperity gospel, and a mining economy? Sounds like West Virginia, but here we’re talking about Zambia. In this RD10Q author Naomi Haynes shakes up some widely-held assumptions about the role of Pentecostal Christianity in social and economic life. ____… Thu, 01 Jun 2017 03:27:03 EDT Naomi Haynes 36aad8ba-a8fe-4dbb-a0f5-1885fac4c093 https://religiondispatches.org/2017/03/12/religious-traditionalists-resist-marriage-equality-artist-questions-what-un-african-more ILGA notes that some women in more than 50 countries went on strike on Wednesday’s International Women’s Day: “We demand that our lives and labour be treated with dignity for they form the basis of this society,” the platform of… Sun, 12 Mar 2017 10:12:47 EDT Peter Montgomery 64d111c1-a18c-49f2-9fb2-1bd2ac599d88 https://religiondispatches.org/2016/12/05/gambian-voters-reject-anti-gay-strongman-jammeh-activists-ponder-trump-impact-lgbt-human APCOM produced an animated video about the Yogyakarta Principles, which have provided a foundation for the promotion of LGTBTI human rights for 10 years. World AIDS Day was commemorated on December 1; Pope Francis put out a statement that included… Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:03:47 EST Peter Montgomery 872fff1a-e4a4-488e-862e-fedbeed44fad https://religiondispatches.org/2016/11/27/what-fidel-castros-death-means-lgbt-rights-cuba-and-more-weeks-global-lgbt-recap Cuba’s long-time dictator Fidel Castro’s death was both celebrated and mourned. Sun, 27 Nov 2016 11:15:48 EST Peter Montgomery aa4c768e-da91-4e9d-9604-e16e87961bcf https://religiondispatches.org/2016/09/17/more-bleak-times-indonesian-lgbts-south-africa-bans-extremist-anti-gay-us-pastor-mexican OutRight Action International’s Rashima Kwatra reviews the record of human rights work by Vitit Muntarbhorn, who has been tapped to fill a historic role created by the UN Human Rights Council this summer over the strong objections of anti-gay countries… Sat, 17 Sep 2016 12:10:47 EDT Peter Montgomery e2c50241-4183-432d-ae6c-68216f846ee3 https://religiondispatches.org/2016/09/03/mexicos-religious-conservatives-seek-anti-lgbt-constitutional-amendment-lgbt-activists The anti-equality World Congress of Families has regional conferences scheduled in Belgrade, Serbia on September 16-18 and Nairobi, Kenya on September 23-25 each featuring an array of speakers from the global religious right. Another regional conference is planned for Cape… Sat, 03 Sep 2016 05:25:41 EDT Peter Montgomery 0294c666-7d0b-418f-ad82-585375985156 https://religiondispatches.org/2016/05/21/competing-visions-family-freedom-un-methodists-try-avoid-schism-sexuality-catholic Tuesday, May 17 was commemorated as International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, or IDAHOT. Among the many projects undertaken: The Bedayaa Organization for LGBTQI in the Nile Valley Area (Egypt & Sudan), the Maseahat Foundaiton for Sexual and Gender… Sat, 21 May 2016 04:08:15 EDT Peter Montgomery f37de147-b48c-4a22-8271-f084be5d0573 https://religiondispatches.org/2016/03/05/broadcast-officials-china-censor-gay-tv-characters … and more, in this week’s Global LGBT Recap. Sat, 05 Mar 2016 07:37:47 EST Peter Montgomery a4bad24c-a939-4df9-9146-319bbb74cc49 https://religiondispatches.org/2016/02/27/catholic-leaders-offer-criticism-support-boxer-pacquiao-after-anti-gay-comments Plus, reports from Italy, New Zealand, Turkey, and more in this week’s Global LGBT Recap. Sat, 27 Feb 2016 02:54:06 EST Peter Montgomery 8d179786-596a-4d9d-8ea9-44dbe8781e98 https://religiondispatches.org/2016/02/06/putins-children-push-traditional-values-latvia-jewish-reparative-therapy-group-finds International Activism and Advocacy The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released “ Born Free and Equal: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in International Human Rights Law.” The report promotes five core legal obligations states have… Sat, 06 Feb 2016 12:14:30 EST Peter Montgomery 4200daf9-4e44-4c2a-baae-4e9a2983e4a0 https://religiondispatches.org/2015/12/07/religious-hostility-gay-nigerians-popes-visit-africa-irelands-religious-schools-cant International Human Rights Day is Thursday, December 10. On Saturday, December 12, OutRight International (formerly IGLHRC) is holding a global activist gathering in New York, OutSummit: Pushing the Boundaries for Global LGBTIQ Activism. Nigeria: Report on anti-gay violence and extortion… Mon, 07 Dec 2015 12:14:45 EST Peter Montgomery 7240ccda-ad8e-4cd5-9869-9551cf57537e https://religiondispatches.org/2015/11/25/will-popes-african-tour-change-attitudes-divorce-and-lgbtq-among-african-catholics Today, Pope Francis arrives in Nairobi, Kenya. After two days in Kenya, he will travel to Uganda, and then to the Central African Republic. The Pope’s message of care for those on the margins and his consistent focus on poverty… Wed, 25 Nov 2015 05:08:45 EST Kaya Oakes 9c165716-f7f4-495b-8147-3473d702dbff https://religiondispatches.org/2015/11/12/new-mormon-anti-gay-policy-sparks-mass-exodus-church-christian-aid-workers-africa-refuse Mormon Church: Policies Targeting Same-Sex Couples, Children Spark Mass Exodus We wrote in the last recap about the Mormon Church’s new policy declaring married same-sex couples apostates and banning their children from baptism until age 18 – and only then… Thu, 12 Nov 2015 11:46:59 EST Peter Montgomery 5811979a-ad7f-4881-a746-dd8078686ea9 https://religiondispatches.org/2015/10/18/conservative-bishops-unhappy-synod-ignore-walkout-call-australian-religious-leaders-step Novelist Marlon James became the first Jamaican author to be awarded the Man Booker Prize. “However,” writes Joe Williams at Pink News, “a number of Jamaican commentators have highlighted that while being celebrated as a Jamaican author, James in fact… Sun, 18 Oct 2015 11:08:08 EDT Peter Montgomery 41f48f0b-bff5-4d66-8fd9-b74e355d2711 https://religiondispatches.org/2015/09/11/challenge-un-africanness-homosexuality-lgbt-catholics-africa-face-church-cooperation In the Guardian, Bisi Alimi writes, “If you say being gay is not African, you don’t know your history.” His story notes, “The idea that homosexuality is ‘western’ is based on another western import – Christianity. True African culture celebrates… Fri, 11 Sep 2015 12:28:01 EDT Peter Montgomery b0622fb5-2241-4ed1-826b-ae3faa9a08d5 https://religiondispatches.org/2015/08/08/lgbt-human-rights-un-sustainable-development-negotiation-swiss-bishop-says-speaking Photographer Robin Hammond has launched a social media campaign with the hashtag #WhereLoveIsIllegal to document through captioned portraits the stories of LGBT people from around the world who are living in fear. One participant, a lesbian woman from South Africa… Sat, 08 Aug 2015 01:50:59 EDT Peter Montgomery 76d94241-ca89-4f7e-9918-8aaa77559dea https://religiondispatches.org/2015/07/31/african-religious-leaders-complain-about-obama-advocacy-lgbt-rights-ultra-orthodox-man Africa: Religious leaders criticize Obama comments on LGBT human rights A story from the Catholic News Agency rounds up critical commentary from members of the church hierarchy in response to U.S. President Barack Obama’s advocacy for the human rights of… Fri, 31 Jul 2015 10:01:20 EDT Peter Montgomery 3122d501-cc72-4af7-a824-c84d8c4fda5a https://religiondispatches.org/2015/07/23/fear-us-marriage-equality-exported-africa While LGBTQI people and allies in America enjoyed a hard-fought victory in last month’s Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, the reaction overseas has been far uglier. In countries like Uganda, Nigeria, and Kenya, same-sex couples and LGBTQI people aren’t… Thu, 23 Jul 2015 04:45:47 EDT Kapya Kaoma d7ca3063-7504-42a5-8357-1426fb9f215a https://religiondispatches.org/2015/07/03/international-reax-us-marriage-ruling-official-violence-turkeys-pride-marriage-advances Last Friday’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn remaining state laws banning same-sex couples from getting married generated apocalyptic responses from America’s Religious Right and their allies at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. LGBT rights advocates hope… Fri, 03 Jul 2015 11:51:33 EDT Peter Montgomery c244758e-c37c-4b26-96e3-97783a1bbbd3