Kenyan and American flags adorned the roadway leading out from Nairobi’s main airport this week where U.S. President Barack Obama will arrive Friday. It’s Obama’s first trip during his presidency to Kenya, where his father was born, and the visit has been hailed as a joyous and long-overdue homecoming by many Kenyans, who have taken to wearing Obama-themed merchandise and downloading his speeches as their mobile phone ring tone.
But Obama’s return to his father’s homeland has also stirred a contentious debate over gay rights, with many calling his visit an unwelcome opportunity for the liberal American president to promote gay marriage in an African country where homosexuality is criminal. In the wake of a watershed U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide last month, Kenyan leaders have warned Obama not to force his views on gay marriage on the Christian-majority nation. Gay rights activists, meanwhile, said Kenya must accept its LGBT community, which is growing in size and visibility, but remains vulnerable to threats, harassment and discrimination.
Kenyan gay rights activist Denis Nzioka said the country has also seen a rise in homophobia leading up to Obama’s visit. In recent weeks, gay couples have been outed and evicted from their homes, students have been thrown out of school and demonstrators have gathered in the streets of Nairobi to protest against same-sex marriage. But the spotlight on gay marriage has also provided a forum for activists to speak out in support of LGBT rights, he said.
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