Outfront Sponsors U.S. Campus Speaking Tour

By Susan Carty, Indiana University

Tsitsi Tiripano, a prominent member of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), spoke to groups of students on more than a dozen college campuses during a March national lecture tour sponsored by Outfront, Amnesty International's Program on Human Rights and Sexual Identity. She told her own story and responded to questions.

In 1996, Tiripano (not her real name) was volunteering at a GALZ stand at the Zimbabwe International Book Fair when she and other volunteers were attacked and their literature burned. Police offered no protection.

People in her hometown saw photos of Tiripano at the incident, and she returned home to an angry crowd. She said her friends and neighbors are "still saying vulgar things and pointing their finger at me. I'm always haunted by that sad and tragi c day."

"African women are oppressed and victimized in the name of culture," she said. "If they find out you're a lesbian, you're beaten and thrown out of the house. Some end up committing suicide because they have no means of support and empowerment."

To combat this treatment and provide support for homosexual and transgendered people in Zimbabwe, GALZ was founded in 1989. In 1993, Tiripano joined as the first black member. GALZ programs now include social education, human rights activism, p roviding support for people who have HIV or AIDS and counseling and outreach to rural areas.

"We want to go to rural areas, because in rural areas there are still people living in the closet," said Tiripano. "We go there and people say ÔI was so scared, but now I just feel like I can say ÔI'm gay.'Ô"

In rural areas, GALZ also wants to talk about the prevention of HIV transmission and counsel those who have HIV or AIDS, Tiripano said. She said she is interested in learning more about how to do this. "AIDS is everywhere; AIDS is with everyone , even straight people," she said. "We want money so people living with HIV and AIDS can buy condoms. We want pamphlets from organizations so counselors know how to handle it when someone comes to them and says ÔI have HIV/AIDS.'"

More information about Amnesty International's Outfront can be found at

www.amnestyusa.org/group/outfront