European Parliament Condemns Violence Against LGBT People in Africa

The European Parliament, the European Union's legislative wing, passed a resolution yesterday to condemn violence against LGBT people in Africa, specifically lesbians.

The resolution came at the heel of increasing reports of "corrective rape" for lesbians and arrests of LGBT people in Cameroon. Uganda and Nigeria were also noted as countries in which the situation for lesbians is worsening.

Support for the resolution was broad, with representatives of several European Union member countries as well as European Commissioner Connie Hedegaard speaking on its behalf.

However, the European People's Party, a center-right group, withdrew support from the resolution before debate commenced. Some party members, according to Pink News, said they did not wish to mix criticism of violence with nondiscrimination.

Twenty-seven African countries consider being a gay female a crime, and thirty-eight criminalize male homosexuality as well. South Africa is the only country in Africa to have legalized same-sex marriage, and its distinction is not likely to change anytime soon.