A well-known gospel singer in Rwanda is
facing rejection and discrimination after he announced he's gay.
Albert Nabonibo, 35, announced he's gay
on a Christian group's YouTube channel last month.
Speaking with the
BBC, Nabonibo said that he's faced “horrible” rejection from
family, friends, and strangers. Nabonibo also said that he fears he's
lost his accounting job.
“Some have insulted me, some have
called me crazy, and some stupid. But there are some who understand
me – like my brother, who always encourages me to be who I am. I
will live with those who accept me and those who reject me,” he
said.
“[Of] all [the] people in the world,
Rwandans should be the first to understand that no group should be
targeted, mocked, insulted, discriminated against or persecuted,”
Nabonibo said, referring to the Rwandan genocide during the Rwandan
Civil War that killed as many as 1 million Rwandans. “We know where
that ideology led to. Obviously, some of us didn't learn lessons from
history.”
“Criticism and sadness. What does it
matter? What's important is that I have taken my choice,” he told
the AP.
While same-sex relationships are not
illegal in Rwanda, opposition to LGBT rights is high in the country.