“You’ll Be Chased Away”: Sources, Experiences, and Effects of Violence and Stigma among Gay and Bisexual Men in Kenya
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Published:2023-02-05
Issue:4
Volume:20
Page:2825
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ISSN:1660-4601
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Container-title:International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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language:en
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Short-container-title:IJERPH
Author:
Lewis Katherine A.1, Jadwin-Cakmak Laura2ORCID, Walimbwa Jeffrey3, Ogunbajo Adedotun4, Jauregui Juan C.5, Onyango Daniel Peter6ORCID, Moore Darius M.2, Johnson Gabriel Lee2, Odero Wilson7, Harper Gary W.2ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA 2. Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA 3. Ishtar MSM, Nairobi 00100, Kenya 4. RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA 5. Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA 6. Let Good Be Told In Us, Nyanza, Rift Valley, and Western Kenya (NYARWEK) LGBTI Coalition, Kisumu 40100, Kenya 7. School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Maseno University, Kisumu 40100, Kenya
Abstract
Gay and bisexual men in Kenya face extreme socio-political stigma which manifests in widespread violence and discrimination across socio-ecological levels. We conducted individual in-depth interviews with 60 gay and bisexual men in western and central Kenya. Interview transcripts were thematically analyzed using an inductive, phenomenological approach to qualitatively examine experiences of stigma and violence at the interpersonal and institutional levels. A total of seven primary themes and four sub-themes emerged from the data. At the interpersonal level, participants described stigma and violence from family, friends, and romantic/sexual partners with sub-themes for gay-baiting violence, blackmail, intimate partner violence, and commitment phobia. At the institutional level, participants described stigma and violence from religious, employment, educational, and healthcare institutions. This stigma and violence severely impacted the lives of participants including their mental health, physical health, sexual health, socioeconomic status, and ability to access health-promoting services. These data identify sources of stigma and describe how this stigma manifests in the everyday lives of gay and bisexual men in Kenya. Study findings and quotes from participants highlight the severity of violence, stigma, and discrimination faced by this community and emphasize the need for decriminalization of same-sex sexualities as well as interventions to support health and wellbeing.
Funder
African Social Research Initiative within the African Studies Center
Subject
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Reference45 articles.
1. Human Rights Watch, and PEMA Kenya (2015). The Issue Is Violence: Attacks on LGBT People on Kenya’s Coast, Human Rights Watch. 2. Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) (2011). The Outlawed amongst Us: A Study of the LGBTI Community’s Search for Equality and Non-Discrimination in Kenya, Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC). 3. Harper, G.W., Crawford, J., Lewis, K., Mwochi, C.R., Johnson, G., Okoth, C., Jadwin-Cakmak, L., Onyango, D.P., Kumar, M., and Wilson, B.D.M. (2021). Mental Health Challenges and Needs among Sexual and Gender Minority People in Western Kenya. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 18. 4. Experiences of Violence and Mental Health Concerns Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adults in Western Kenya;Jauregui;LGBT Health,2021 5. Odula, T., and Kazziha, K. (2021, November 11). Kenyan Court Upholds Laws Criminalizing Same-Sex Relations. Available online: https://apnews.com/article/956fc74acf9b40599ad46a8817071910.
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