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office name: Republic of Angola
capital: Luanda
independence: 1975 from Portugal
president: Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS
population:18 million
languages:Portuguese (official) and Bantu
currency: kwanza (AOA)
religion: Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15%
homosexual status: Illegal
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Angola
Migrating from Africa due to Sexuality, Partnership and Poverty
by Ndanji Chola
25 April 2006- Damiyano talks
about his views of his life and how he’s very much prepared to leave his
country, to africanveil. I’m 25 years and gay not that I don’t like my
country no, I’m about to leave my country for couple of reasons and
looking at poverty and sexuality for me these are the main issues.
To start with I would like to point out that the one that introduced the
internet communication did a great job, we all use the internet for so
many reasons but I will not support those that use it for the sake of
abuse no. Looking at my country Angola I don’t think I would say it’s a
rich nation, a lot of people are suffering in Luanda and that includes
me and other gay people here.
Being gay here is even worse so as looking at the whole Africa excluding
south Africa, there are a lot of stories that we hear that Africans are
migrating to other countries especially to the western countries, its
very much true, but the world at large should know that there are
reasons why this is happening. I must point out that there are a lot of
westerners and Africans that communicate to each other on the net on a
daily basis, with some westerners are on the net looking to find that
African boy for all sorts of reasons vice versa with African men.
Looking at it from here in Africa, honestly here I’ am as a poor boy I
meet a guy on the net and just because someone likes me that does not
mean that I’m able to purchase an air ticket no, speaking on behalf of
some African gay men, I must say its not that easy to migrate to Europe,
when a western man finds a black gay man out here, they communicate on a
level that suits both, there after the African guy starts preparing for
the west, now you might be wondering where all that sponsorship is
coming from, its all from the west.
To be honest how many of us poor African gay boys will reject an offer
of that nature? We do not mind what comes after but what matters for us
is getting out of here and being anywhere where we are able to express
our sexuality without being discriminated against there after we try by
all means to elevate and just find our selves in higher education and
all that. In most African countries it’s hard to get visas to travel to
the western countries, so all the supporting letters come from the other
side and yes its very shocking when you turn up at the embassy for them
to start processing your visa because they can now tell that you are
probably gay.
I have a partner from the west and
we have been together for 2 years, and within these 2 years I have
travelled to the west a couple times and now we are getting married
which now allows me to live there, but my main point here is there are a
lot of reasons why as gay young Africans will go to extremes just to
migrate all because of Poverty, Sexuality and Partnership. Lets not
forget about young gay Africans , when they seek asylum in the west its
not that easy, they go through a lot and for starter being locked up in
detention its not something that is enjoyable no.
There is nothing wrong falling in
love with a western guy, those western guys that feel betrayed by guys
they invite over, surely one must be able to tell if the poor black gay
guy is in love with your money or just a way to get there or they really
love you. I’m black, gay and proud to be the way I’ am, but it’s sad
when you hear that’s stories, its not about black gay Africans out here
this is an issue that should concern both, its not supposed to be a
blame on us.
As an African I can’t force a
western to marry me or taking me abroad, it’s something both sides agree
on, and if I have issues I would have to express them personally and
take it from there, so its not just that we all want to migrate just for
fun we there are so many reasons and like I mentioned its up to two guys
agreeing what they feel is right to do, putting a blame on African gay
men wont help at all it’s a matter of understanding why one is migrating
and how.
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