Catholic School Fires Coach Connected to Antigay Violence

Last week, a Philadelphia Catholic high school fired an assistant basketball coach for a connection to the beating of two gay men. The extent of the men’s injuries sent both to the hospital.

Police didn’t name the coach as a suspect, but rather as a person of interest. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia removed him from the school, even though he is not a subject in the case.

The Archdiocese stated, “We expect all those who work with students in our school to model appropriate Christian behaviors at all times.”

Pennsylvania’s hate-crime law does not include attacks on the LGBT community. In response to this attack, the state is pushing for a change in the law.

African States Use Stereotypes in Arrests

Cameroon is a central-west African country bordering Nigeria. In Cameroon, it is illegal to have sex with a person of the same gender. It seems to also be illegal now to have any characteristics, as a man, that are feminine, including drinking Bailey’s Irish Cream, being a male hairdresser or wearing women’s clothing because it is “blatantly gay.”

A majority of those arrested and convicted of being gay in Cameroon have never actually been caught in the act of having sex with someone of the same gender. Instead, the government and the court system rely on “gay” stereotypes to catch the perpetrators. Those convicted can receive up to five years in prison and hefty fines.

Citizens of Cameroon cannot so much as go to prison to be tested for HIV/AIDS in fear of being arrested for having or getting testing for a stereotypical “gay disease.”

Kazakhstan Uses DNA to Prosecute Gays

The Asian country of Kazakhstan is home to a rising movement of extreme conservatives who believe “degeneratism” can be found in the DNA of the LGBT community.

Conservative political leaders are calling to ban “gay propaganda” and for the testing of DNA to identify out LGBT people.

Kazakhstan continues to fight against equality for LGBT people and continues to pass laws that limit more and more freedom for the LGBT population.