Collage of structures inspired by landmarks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, overlaid with Fatteh’s map of the African continent generated by AI.
Fatteh’s monthly round-up of LGBTQ+ news from the continent features Nigerian filmmakers, Ugandan students, Egyptian football execs and stories from Namibia, Burkina Faso and South Africa.
by Beza Lealem
First and foremost, we’d like to wish you all the very best in 2026. In the month that led up to the new year, LGBTQ+ Africans once again found themselves in the spotlight for no other reason than being themselves. Although sobering news dominated the headlines, there were also brighter moments in December, including a story of Nigerian filmmakers securing a global platform for their documentary about same-sex love.
Fatteh launched a TikTok Live series to provide our Ethiopian community with a regular forum to come together and discuss important issues. One topic that had many feeling anxious was a story circulating on social media about a famous Ethiopian broadcaster who had been entrapped, beaten and humiliated in an outing video after being suspected of being gay. The idea that Sofonias Wasihun, one of the country’s most popular television hosts, could be targeted in such a way does not bode well for ordinary Ethiopians. What’s more, “the footage triggered renewed hate speech and threats against LFBTQIA+ people nationwide,” noted local advocacy group House of Guramayle.
Another topic of concern was the arrest of six TikTok creators who attended the social media platform’s Ethiopia Creative Awards ceremony a fortnight earlier — simply for wearing what the police deemed to be “indecent attire.” According to Kalkidan Yibeltal, an Ethiopian BBC journalist interviewed by the World Service, some arrests were fuelled by conservative figures calling for the punishment of those who had ventured into “dangerous territory” with their fashion choices. “What they mean by this is that they associate [unconventional outfits like men carrying ‘man-bags’ and other looks] with being queer…or gay [which in Ethiopia] is against the law,” he said.
December is also a time when the international LGBTQ+ community joins the wider world in commemorating three observances: World AIDS Day, Human Rights Day and International Migrants Day. The latter prompted organisations such as Canada-based Rainbow Railroad and UK-based African Rainbow Family to remind the international community of the need to stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers amid an increasingly hostile environment for migrants.
UNAIDS, the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, marked the two other occasions by calling on African leaders to “resource the HIV response, protect human rights and seize the opportunity of new innovations to end AIDS,” citing the “sudden, rapid acceleration of cuts to international HIV financing.” On Human Rights Day, the organisation said that “the global HIV response is facing its most challenging moment in decades.”
The organisation made special note of the fact that “political leadership is paramount to advancing policies that address structural inequalities and protect vulnerable populations” globally, including “LGBTQ+ people who continue to face disproportionate barriers in accessing healthcare.” A spokesperson blamed “punitive laws, stigma and discrimination” for the continued exclusion of such communities from HIV services.
Here’s our round-up of the other headlines from December, highlighting some of the important stories affecting LGBTQ people across the continent.
Ten Men in Gay WhatsApp Group Jailed in Senegal for ‘Unnatural Acts’
Filmmaker Behind Nigerian LGBTQ+ Documentary Secures Streaming Platform
Student Suspended After Leading Homophobic Lynching at Ugandan University
Coordinated Violence Against Ethiopia’s LGBTQ+ Community Escalates
Burkina Faso Records First Conviction Since Criminalising Homosexuality
South African Police Question Homophobic Motive in Gay Man’s Murder Five Men Arrested on Homosexuality Charges in Senegal Ahead of Fashion Show
Uganda LGBTQ+ Advocates Denounce Surge in Abuses on Human Rights Day
Namibia and Egypt Back LGBTQ Removal from UN Disability Rights Vote
Egypt Calls for Cancellation of Pride Celebrations at Football Match in US Religious LGBTQ+ Ugandans Form Their Own Online Faith Communities