In late March, the new coalition government in Zimbabwe began drafting its new constitution. And despite calls to include LGBT rights, Minister of Presidential Affairs Didymus Mutasa—seen above last March with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad—says he'll see to it that homosexuality is outlawed in new constitution.
"Mutasa said the new document should contain stiff penalties to ensure those who indulged in homosexuality were dealt with severely. He said he had been angered by some Christian organisations, which were lobbying for the inclusion of gay rights in the new document.'We are surprised that some Christian organisations are advocating for gay rights to be included in the constitution, yet we know that gay marriages are even forbidden in the Bible,' Mutasa said.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe—who infamously described gays as "worse than dogs and pigs"—have also rejected calls to include gay rights in the new constitution.
Gay men and transgender women face widespread harassment, violence and rape in Zimbabwe, the U.S. State Department reported recently in its annual human rights survey. Two gay activists were arrested and tortured last month.
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