addis gays cafe

2010-12-11T17:40:00.000+03:00

Addis Gays Cafe goes to WordPress.com

The favored gay blog in Addis Ababa, AddisGaysCafe, will be published on WordPress.com, under the URL ad: addisgayscafe.wordpress.com until the existing page under blogspot.com domain name is accessible in Addis Ababa.

See you at WP :)

2007-01-22T08:10:00.000+03:00

A Second Look at Coming Out
Written by Sonic Casuist (SC)
Moderator of EthioGLBT (North America Division)

The other night Ethiopian Lesbians hosted our first chat session with members, called “Talk to Me.” We had some great conversations and there was one in particular that I’m still thinking about.

I loved the coming out discussion; it was interesting to hear all of the different perspectives. I was very pro-coming out during "Talk to Me" (and still am). But, I wonder what I would do if I were the one faced with having to come out to my best friend who I'm also secretly in love with.

In my experience, coming out to my best friends has been relatively easy past the mini-inquisitions that they all like to give. I’ve always found myself having to answer a myriad of questions: “So does this mean you’re bi-sexual, bi-curious, bi-laterally intersected with the gay gene because you live in the states?” “Wait do you go down on women? Oh my god, if you go down on women then you’re definitely gay.” “Hmm but wait how do two women do it anyway?” And the list goes on… Yet, once I got past the interviews, coming out to my best friends was a walk in the park.

But telling my best friend that I'm in love with her is just plain scary to me. You're just leaving yourself open for so much…

SC: "Hey it was great seeing you again, gosh we've been friends for so long, I remember when we were in first grade together like it was yesterday"

Best friend: "ha-ha Yeah really, I'm so happy we're best friends"

SC: "Yeah me too, by the way the reason I'm not seeing anyone right now is because I'm in love with you and I've wanted to kiss you ever since you walked in through the door."

With that the words have escaped your lips and you can't ever take them back. If your friend flips out on you well then I suppose you'll have to pick up your ego along with your bruised heart from the floor and try to hold back your tears until after you leave the room. But, damn at least you finally came out and now you have your answer rather than pining after a dream that you're afraid to wake from. Hmm but, what if she answered, "then kiss me?"

I think we have been looking at coming out all wrong. Maybe it shouldn't matter whether the reaction of the people we love is good or bad. Maybe, coming out and/or being honest enough to tell some one you're in love with them is just something that we have to do in life. Like when we finally took off the training wheels from our bikes when we first learned to ride.

In Peace & Love

2006-12-03T04:34:00.000+03:00

Being real, abandoning the fake identity
Article Published by, Hodye

[This article has been modified from its original source]

Gay Ethiopians struggle to be themselves

As a gay Ethiopian man in Los Angeles, I interact with many communities including: the gay male and lesbian community, the Ethiopian community, and the American society at large. Each is rigidly defined and strongly independent.

These communities expect me to conform to their manner of living and adapt to their ideas, which is like visiting three different worlds each time I interact with them. I have experienced discrimination within each of these communities, and being a minority within a minority makes one more vulnerable to discrimination.

The Gay Community

When I discovered the gay community in Los Angeles, I felt relieved that there were other gay people like me. As a result, I was so blinded by my need for a supportive community that I totally merged with the gay community and its popular assimilationist ideas.

As a gay activist, I focused more on external coming-out activities like marching in gay pride parades, and followed an extroverted approach of being gay. I did not know gay liberation should include the internal journey of taming the demon of internalized homophobia, and consciously experiencing my repressed feelings of hurt and rage for growing up in a violent homophobic world.

I set myself up by looking into the gay community to be the loving family I did not have when I was growing up. Today, I have a psychological approach toward gay liberation and equal rights, and focus on gay liberation in my inner world. I am interested in embracing what is unique about being gay and do not concern myself with getting approval from heterosexuals or losing status in the straight world.

Ancient homosexual wisdom and tradition going back before Plato and practiced by many other gay Philosophers has been about discovering what gayness offers through self-realization. This self-realization involves coming out inside, and, after years of coming out to the world and marching in different gay parades, I realized I have not really come out.

I have been fighting homophobia in public, but not aware that I need to face it inside myself. I used to say I have no shame for being gay and wave my gay flag marching on the streets of Los Angeles. In reality, I had a lot of feelings of shame for being gay, but I never gave myself permission to feel my shame and partner the feeling. I was too ashamed to admit that I have shame, and I did not know I was entitled to experience all my feelings including my shame.

Growing up in a homophobic society and heterosexual family, I learned that feelings must be repressed. I compensated for my shame by participating in extroverted political gay marches. Many gay activists claim they have no shame for being gay. How can anyone grow up in this homophobic world and not have any shame for his or her gay identity? The greatest struggle to be free takes place inside oneself. As Jung said, "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious."

Coming out inside has been about facing the demon of internalized homophobia and having regard for the painful experiences of my gay inner child. The more I am connected to my gay self, and have empathy for my struggle of coming out, the more compassionate I can be to myself and others. I can better recognize how I was made to feel ashamed for being gay and have empathy for the child I once was.

Ethiopian Community

Also, I am struggling not to merge with the Ethiopian community. Many gay Ethiopians who do not have a strong sense of self find it difficult to have an identity outside the Ethiopian community or the gay collective. Many gay Ethiopians deal with this complexity of interacting with different communities by creating different personas and merging with each community.

For example, I know many gay Ethiopians go to work every day and totally merge with the corporate system, then they visit their Ethiopian families and pretend they are heterosexuals and into dating women. Finally, on Friday nights, after dropping off their so-called girlfriends, they are off to some anonymous gay cruising place to experience their homoerotic feelings. Even worse, they continue with their lonely closeted lives.

There is a high price to pay for playing so many different roles and not being real. Hence, the fake identity and lying can eventually become one's dominant character. It must be a painful awakening in one's 40s or 50s to realize that one has gone through life with a fake identity and the closest he or she ever got to experience gay love was few anonymous sexual encounters. For many gay Ethiopians who live in Los Angeles or elsewhere, this closeted lifestyle was either chosen or forced on to them for many reasons.

When I was in the closet I used to come up with creative lies to hide my true identity because I was made to feel ashamed of myself and very scared of losing family support. Moreover, I grew up in a heterosexual Ethiopian family in which I was reared as if I too were heterosexual and was constantly told that heterosexuality was the only reality.

Any expression of my gay self would result in receiving violent treatments from kids in school and my family. This violent homophobic society was too scary for me to express my genuine self. In order to survive, I had to hide my true identity, and it makes me very angry to realize that I was robbed of the opportunity to experience a normal gay adolescence.

I have empathy for myself and other gay men and lesbians for spending many years of our lives hiding our true identities in order to please our heterosexual families.

The Ethiopian family in North America

It is very difficult to have an independent identity outside an Ethiopian family unit. The traditional Ethiopian family is patriarchal -- the father is the undisputed head of the family. The mother tends to encourage her children to respect the father's authority and seek family approval. No one dares to question the system, which sacrifices one's needs in order to keep parental approval.

In the Ethiopian family system, there is no room to express one's gay identity, and coming out to the Ethiopian family is viewed as bringing shame on the family. It is almost equal to committing a crime. For example, family members might blame their health problems on the coming out of their gay child.

It is not uncommon for Ethiopian parents in North America to keep their gay children in the closet by using guilt factors such as accusing the gay child of being ungrateful for everything that has been done for him or her. My intention for coming out to my parents was to have a real relationship with them and stop pretending. Unfortunately, many Ethiopian parents are more concerned with how others might judge them.

If having a gay son or lesbian daughter might make them look less favorably, then families prefer that child to stay in the closet and lie about his or her identity. What people might say is more of a concern than how their child might benefit from coming out.

As a gay Ethiopian man, I do not deny the complexity involved in interacting with three very different communities and coming out to an Ethiopian family. But I believe staying in the closet and creating a false identity is not the answer to this complex issue. One has to face the truth and learn how to be real despite the demands from each community to merge with it.

There is a saying, "In the world but not of the world." Just because I have to interact with different communities does not mean I should merge with them. No community can possibly provide all our needs, and the only place one can find love and acceptance is within. Having a connection to our inner world helps us to be less dependent on the outer world for approval and acceptance.

Internet Source

2006-11-25T15:44:00.000+03:00

Four Seasons

(Could it be our Four Seasons?)
Article contributed by, Hodeye
Moderator of EthioGLBT (North America Division)

When we browse Homosexuality in Ethiopia in the past, unlike our rich history, it is something of a blank. As most of us knew, tradition and culture is a key element for all habesha people in this world. I don't know why I start to write this but I felt we need something different and I want to bring up this for today.

By experience when we are aware of our homosexuality we felt that we are the only Ethiopian one that exists in this world until we meet someone. After that if we are lucky we might find others, though we will plan our future by formulating our own identity.

This identity is my topic for today. After I start meeting up with habesha gays I noticed they categorized themselves in several classes. Only for this posting, I want to categorize them in four classes and on top of that I will name them with easy things to remember. Just like seasons, I would say we have Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring kind of identity we have.

Lets start up with Summer boys. These hot guys just like the summer sunshine, they are rare and hard to find and they don't care about their sexuality at all. Some of them even work at open gay places as striper, promoter or whatever job there is out there. They live their life as destined by God. To live such a wonderful free life though, they have to pay heavy price. They are anti socialized with their fellow Ethiopians because of their outness. Unfortunately, though thanks to rigid tradition and culture, it is unthinkable for straight Habeshas to accept another homosexual habesha.

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When we go to the Fall seasons ones, I was trying to put here people who are very skeptical. These ones know they are gays but they want to do all their staff secretly. They don't look or act as gays, on top of that they rarely go out to the clubs. Only they want to do it when they feel the urge. If they are young, they pretend to have girlfriends to kid themselves or close friends. If they are older, mostly they have wife and kids to accompany their long journey in life. They really live two double life, one for themselves and the other one, for friends and family's, mostly though in this case for family. The funniest thing is how they try to separate the respective life styles. I bet you here, if they put their resume on line they can get nice careers out of it.

Lets move to Winter boys, my special ones, I don't know why but I have some soft spots in my hearts for this category boys. Mainly, I have been there not so long ago. Here and there, I hear some sort of stories about winter boys in one way or another I feel their pain. I want to associate wintry boys with the winter dark and cold. They are in deep closet and they never had any experience with another human beings. They never been in ghetto places, their only fantasies are limited on cute guys on the street and Hollywood hot actors. Basically, they are handicapped to live their life for so many hidden reasons. Some of them have complicated situation, some of them are not mentally ready to go to the next level. The next level would enlighten their life entirely. Other who passed in this route should help out this folk's life, left and right.

Last but not least, come Spring boys. These are the luckiest ones and they do all the gay activity clubbing, going out with their boys and don't care about their identity that much. The good thing about them is since they are in between summer and winter they can get the both benefit with out heavy price. Benefits like not being reject by their own community. I get a chance to meet guys in this category even though I would like to appreciate their effort to live life at the fullest, I must say though; I am a little disappointed in the lack of unity shown between them. Most of habeshas gays who are in this categories can do a lot things for others (by saying this for other I was trying to say for the distant gay) for instance, if someone from summer boys come out and want to share his problems, he wouldn't get that much response from others.

One of this group member, once, put his personal number here and when I asked him if he gets any response out of it, he told me he didn't get any. The fall and winter boys have some other problems to solve with, let alone to do some gathering. The reason I start up writing this, is at this point of in time, it is essential first to let know where did we stand. If we know our position, we can go forward with more opportunity. I also want to ask people are they happy with their life and life styles? If they don't, what do they want to change?

" Ability is of little account without opportunity"
- Napoleon Bonaparte

2006-11-19T17:30:00.000+03:00

Online forums, blogs, articles on
Homosexuality and Ethiopia

Although it's not in big extent, it's noticeable. Even if for the most part it's dreary, it's praiseworthy. Lately, few Ethiopian websites/blogs are giving due attention to homosexuality in Ethiopia. Be it for a positive outcome or merely just to discourse, my admiration goes for the darers to instigating the issue.

It wouldn't be a tall tale at all, if one evoke, homosexuality is becoming more common in our society than prior days, after observing recent developments.

The other day while I was just browsing on Ethiopian GLBT related links, I have come across an interesting results I haven't seen before and thought, there could be others who have missed it like me, so why not put them all together here - both the known and unknowns.

Apparently, in the forums, most discussions lack decency and civility especially due to ultra-conservatives' one-sided posture and hatred. But this is not the case on CyberEthiopia website in the Warka Forum section. Entitled 'Homosexuality...what lies underneath,' the forum mainly tries to examine the cause of homosexuality and hence, encompass studies that try to reason out. And remarkably enough, one of the forum members forwarded EthioGLBT group's promotion message. (Thanks to whoever who did that). Read More
[For people in Addis, if you encounter difficulty with the above link, check it through Secure Tunnel, HERE.]

And we're all acquainted with this one and perhaps, have already had a say on it, as it might be the first to raise such issues on Ethiopian blog. Meskel Square's - Holding Hands article was one of the most popular, if not the leading, that grasped everybody's attention and made many to contribute their thoughts. Read More

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Here are other miscellaneous links worth read-through:

Leoul Goshu on Nazret News Portal - The Young and the Homeless
First appeared on The Daily which then shortly, the Ethiopian News Portal, Nazret.com post it in it's EthioBlog. The piece portrays the hardship, a young gay Ethiopian had gone through in US and how he managed to stand up for his rights. But, in a while, his story envisioned another issue among readers. Issue if I can put it like, 'Ethiopia & Homosexuality'. As many as our homophobic citizens, many of the comments offered are negative. Read More
For viewers in Addis, check it here

My Fashion's Gay Ethiopians Behind the Mask - Meskel Square Review
On its third issue, the first glossy fashion magazine of the country dare to deal with minorities' way of life, no matter how the majority of the society try to overlook it. Here is Andrew Heavens, the man behind Meskel Square, analyzing My Fashion Magazine's article. Read More

Leoul Goshu on Seattle Times

- Students hope Day of Silence sends message loud and clear
Cara Solomon at the Seattle Times tells us how the National Silence Day had an impact to convey the message - tolerating the presence of GLBT youths in the society. Along with Leoul Goshu's personal experience and others, the author had a wide look on the pressure GLBT youths are challenging in their social life. Read More

Haile Selassie's view towards Homosexuals
RastafariSpeaks.com, a Pro-Rastafariansim website, extraordinarily raise an issue, whether the Emperor was against homosexuality or not during his rule. Look what it takes the enthusiastic members of the forum to come up with the conclusion. Read More

Wikipedia - Gay Rights in Ethiopia
Accurate information about Ethiopia's constitutional stance towards homosexuality. You can also find other related figures regarding the country's deal with homosexual. Read More

Homosexuality in Ethiopia
The original story first appeared on Behind the Mask website. A three parts commentary by a gay Ethiopian living in South Africa. He tells of threatening conditions and persecution of LGBT people in his native country. Read More

Ethiopian gays are organizing themselves in Washington D.C.
Sebastople, one of those behind said that "we feel proud to announce that the gay Ethiopians in D.C are busy preparing for the annual Ethiopian Gay Summit Pride parade on June 11 2005 at Washington DC...They feel its time that they raise a flag of their country with the gay flag alongside..." Read More

We are Gay and Ethiopian
In the struggle for gay equality, it's important to at least get others to listen to what we have to say. Not because we have to get a majority of people on our side: civil rights does not (or more accurately, isn't supposed to) depend on majority approval... Until we learn how to fight oppression systematically, all we can really do is... Read More

SGL Revolution in Addis Ababa
Here is a post fom the EthioGLBT yahoo group; a stunning report on how SGL life is taking more public and private space. The site emerged from the successful gayethiopians yahoo group with about 300 members, mostly in the diaspora and moderated in the US. Read More

Enjoy them all and prepare yourself to be the next headliner! :)

2006-11-15T21:00:00.000+03:00

When is the opening of the Africa Park?

Is the event shortly to be held in the park, for its inauguration?

For years, Addis dwellers have been waiting for it's launch and yet, still not opened for public. Though it looks finished, you can happen to see few workers doing something that I'm not exactly aware of. The greenery, the simple fence and the pavement with stylish carved blocks, gave it all the grace and the stamina to stay as one of the great features of the city.

Located in between the Palace at Menelik II Avenue and headquarter of ECA (Economic Commission for Africa), Africa Park was established by the founding fathers of OAU. On the establishment day, H.I.M. Haile Selassie I, Jomo Kenyatta, Kwame Nekrumah, Julius Nyerere and other leaders of African nations were in attendance to have planted trees as a sign of unity among nations, striving to peace and growth of their continent.

Considered to be since the military regime, the park started to deteriorate and not until recently, Sheik Mohammed Alamoudi felt he had to do something with it. The billionaire decided to renovate the park with considerable amount of investment and once again, the current leaders of Africa were available to implant their own trees to mark they have enhanced OAU to AU, targeting mainly on economic and social development along with spreading 'democracy'.

Recently, when I passed through that road, I saw people engaged with building sort of a stage. I speculated is the long awaited paradise to be opened, which then I decided to go back in a while. I managed to ask the guardian, when the park will be opened but nor does he has any clue as to when but he suppose the stages being constructed at the moment right in front of the flags scenery, could be for the inauguration but, still not certain.

It's been three years since the renovation operation commenced, as the guardian affirmed and that it's likely the park to be opened soon for the public as most part of the renovation is completed. He told me that most of the trees planted by the founding fathers still exist today and in fact, he pointed at the tree planted by his H.I.M. Haile Selassie I, even though I failed to spot.

The park also consists children playing field, waterfall sceneries and cottage-like bungalows likely to be shops and/or cafes.

And no doubt such places will turnout to be a good environment to link up. When feeling lonely and opt to spend the time admiring nature, another person trapped in same situation is likely to be found there. And searching and finding love in that 'piece of heaven,' could become the parks ideal feature.

UPDATE l NOV 17, 2006 l 8:36 PM

Just a moment ago, I was at the barbershop and then I headed to home and on my way I saw a crowd at Meskel Square, all of them gazing at big plasma screen. And I gave a glance - it's a music concert. I asked one of the guys, what is it all about. He told me it's a live transmission of a music concert from Africa Park. What for was my subsequent question and he told me, it's an event arranged for the current assembly of the African leaders.

I just switched my route and headed to Africa Park. I began to hear sounds from distant though not clear enough to grasp. And when I reached there, I saw a tight security of the Federal Police, standing in every corner. And many cars parked around the fences. I tried to take pictures but couldn't do so, as people around the fences made crowd and at the same time, the federal police are demanding the people to disperse. But inside, there is a huge spectator sitting and chanting around the flag area. The music I heard is African tune and it sounds fine. At the back of the crowd there is a kind of buffet - and this is the time I had enough. :) I'm starving like hell and I better get home to have my dinner.

Overall, the event isn't for the inauguration of the Africa Park but arranged for the African leaders assemblies and I suppose, Koffi Annan is attending as well.

2006-11-08T21:20:00.000+03:00

Gay spots in Addis

It's amazing how nature always has the power to withstand man-made beliefs that attempts to bar it. This is so true when you happen to witness, in one of the most conservative society, homosexuals link up with one another so secretly, to satisfy their essence needs. Addis is such a good example that has got all the fascinating stories.

Not until I became a member of GayEthiopians group and then, met gay guys, which ultimately I have become aware of gay spots in Addis. At first, I thought it was merely a craving although I was eager to check it out.

It's one of the busiest areas in Addis, where the populace always known to be on the move even though at one time, many considered the area has calm down. But to my surprise, as I have heard about it at all times, this area is 'off the hook' and yet coming back bigger and better without breaking it's real characteristic.

I went there with good friend of mine who happen to have little clues about the spot than me. Even though I don't recall exactly what happened on the first days we went there, I do remember one thing that I was disappointed since I haven't felt the ambiance of the 'gay spot.' I remember we have seen guys but not sure whether they're there to link up or ordinary regulars who just came to have fun. And I said, is this the place where people really claim to be the gay spot!? However, I haven't stopped going, as I haven't renounced and as I also want such a place to exist.

Shortly, in one of the nights we were there, we begin to see guys together and from day to day; I begin to differentiate who seem to be gay, from the way they dress to the way they act. Some of the guy's outfit is so stereotype that you will be able to notice them quickly. Tight top and pants accompanied by their sexy walk tells all to be told.

How to hook up then? I have never managed to do that but grasped the tips on how it's done. Eye Contact is perhaps the prime method to hook up at such spots. If you can see without blinking and eventually, if you dare to pass by and wait by the exit, surely he will crop up from somewhere but, only if he is interested in you. If not, get back to your sit, engage with browsing again and try your next luck. If passing by is so plain for you, you can pretend as you're talking on cell-phone at the entrance as some prefer to do that or you just can go to toilet.

This amazed me greatly at that time but in due time, to an ever greater incomprehension, where we witnessed guys dancing together and holding each other dearly. Not only these, hardly ever, we happen to see guys kissing each other.

Once, I went there with two friends of mine. None scene to be seen where one of my friend decided, why we return back without nothing so long as we can be one of the performers. He insisted me and our other friend to kiss in the middle of straight crowds and waiters. Actually, it wasn't packed as usual but few individuals were there. And yes, we did kiss and the next thing I know is nothing happened, no attack, no tag behind my back - I'm here breathing - talking about it.

2006-11-08T20:08:00.000+03:00

GayEthiopians.com plea
keen members' to donate

The first and the largest online group, GayEthiopians, recently appealed to its interested members to donate for the survival of it's newly founded official website. The new site, www.gayethiopians.com, is based in US, founded and supported by devoted gay individuals.

The new site is easier to access and on top of that it has many features than the other site as it has news section and professional forum. But up till now, for an ambiguous reasons, the site's members don't exceed 30 and isn't active as well. It seems most members preferred to keep conversing on the initial group.

As the volunteer team behind the website stated, the hosting service requires 83.50 USD per year excluding the cost of the domain name which is being paid by few of the team members.

'If you have any comments/questions or are willing to help out, you can contact us,' says the team, 'at gayethiopians@yahoo.com.'

2006-11-06T18:15:00.000+03:00

Initiating dialogue
on society's human right
and the prospect of minority groups

Action Professional Association for the People (APAP) is a local non-partisan and non governmental organization established in 1993 with an aim to provide legal and professional services to the poor, women and children. Lately, the organization formulated a new approach, which is currently being put into practice that focuses on economic, social, and structural rights with particular emphasis on the right to housing, health, education and food.

Recently, on Thursday November 2, 2006, the organization in collaboration with Tame Sol Communications inaugurated a new edutainment drama at the Hilton Addis. Ato Debebe H/Giorgis, APAP Managing Director, told Capital that the main purpose of edutainment drama is to disseminate information and understanding of legal concepts and rights of various members of the society.

The 20 minutes Yebet Serategnawa Tarik drama issues the rights of home maids underlining most of the maids in the country come across mistreatment. Most home maids in Ethiopia don't have a fixed working hours, which they are deprived of having their own social life, like contacting and spending time with friends and beyond that sexual harassment that has been ignored to date due to society's downgrading attitude.

Ato Debebe told Capital that his organization is planning to support the program on a continuous basis if the same support exists from the electronic media. For the moment, the organization selected Ethiopian Television to present a weekly forum that is devised to initiate discussions among the spectators to achieve a better remedy for such issues.

Such an organization like APAP could benefit a minority group like ours that is disregarded in the community for traditional beliefs. The professionals can come up with a presentation stressing a need for the ratification of laws to secure rights of 'ignored members' of the society and they will try to do so by inducing the community through dialogue.

Certainly to some extent, the progression necessitates the active involvement of the minorities. We must be able to approach organizations like APAP to assist us on alleviating our problems. It's with cooperating with such organization that we can achieve our dreams. We have to overcome our fear of emergence, which is playing a greater role in hampering us from moving ahead. For how long are we going to detain ourselves with the excuse of fear? We can't afford other phenomenon, 'fear' in excess of prejudice.

Our community has waited long enough and apparently very little it gained from. It's time where we are provided opportunities than ever before and for us to use them prudently to create awareness that homosexuality exists in the community. But once more, the bigger question underlies, are we ready to get involved? Or, at least, are we trying our utmost to get involved?

2006-11-05T19:11:00.000+03:00

Charge empty of
concrete proofs
Teddy accused of hit-and-run car accident

Ethiopian Icon, musician, songwriter and producer,
Tewodros Kassahun alias Teddy Afro was released
on bail yesterday after being held in Police custody
as of Friday November 3, 2006, for allegedly hit-and-run
car accident that cause a death of a homeless, young boy.

Police claim (from Fortune Newspaper):
A man claiming to be taxi driver called the police and gave the plate number of a BMW that had allegedly caused the accident. A car with the same number later collided with a concrete barricade in the CMC area near Lucy Academy. The sources said that the car was registered under Teddy Afro's name.

Teddy appeared at court on Friday, where the court adjourned the hearing for next week as to grant Police few more days for investigation and; released him on 50,000 Br. bail.

And again on Fortune Newspaper, it stated:
A source from Addis Abeba Traffic Police Main department said that police were trying to find the person who claimed to be a taxi driver and tipped the Police about the accident.

The Police aren't even aware of their informer neither they have examined Teddy's car. This assures, they don't have any tangible evidence as yet that asserts Teddy or even his car being involved in any accident. All the information they have is, a homeless, young boy reported to be dead and an anonymous person informed the police that he had witnessed the accident and thus he gave the plate number of the committer's vehicle, which turnout to be Teddy's car. And it seems, the reason the Police asked for four more days is to clarify these points.

The Ethiopian Criminal Code states, a driver who hits pedestrian to their death and happen to drive more than 15 meters from the accident scene, will be considered to have committed homicide. And, if enough evidence is found against the accused, a serious punishment of up to 15 years imprisonment will be enforced.

It's to be recalled that Teddy Afro's last album that consists the song "Yasteseriyal" is regarded as hazardous political song along with "Chemin de Fer" and "Uu Uutaye" by state-controlled Ethiopian Television and radio channels and that the songs to be banned from going on air.

Many linked this scenario with the anger the regime might have conceived on the artist for releasing those songs and that this could be a fabricated charges to lock him up as an avenge.

Teddy Afro was out of Ethiopia for almost ten months and his departure was a relief for many of his fans fearing he would encounter problems with the government, if he stays. Though, it appears the artist haven't feared repression as his fans does that he returned to his country as soon as he finished touring to US, Europe and the Middle East, reassuring once again, he is the man ahead of the game.

2006-11-01T20:59:00.000+03:00

JR, producing
a new album

Yohannes Bekele a.k.a Jonny Ragga, is believed to be the first home grown reggae artist. Many audiences got familiar with JR after he featured on Teddy Afro's 'Haile G/Selassie' song. But the artist came in to play long before while he was only 18 years old working with Medina Band. He has also worked with Chaka Demos, Pilers, Chaci, La-Fontain and Shewandange Hailu and toured to many nations in Africa, US and Europe.

His last album entitled 'Kulfun Sitchegn' or Give Me the Key has shown his creative abilities that indeed enabled him to become the first Ethiopian to win The Best African East Music Video award in Channel O Spirit of African Music Video Awards that was held in South Africa, on September 15th, 2006.

It seems that this bold artist is not satisfied only to make his record that now he embarked on his own record label called JR production that endorses new talented youths to join the music industry. He doesn't want to restrain his record company's pursuit that he also looks forward to organize talent shows and music concerts.
Currently, he is engaged in producing an album for young artist named Ras Yohannes and you can listen, the pre-release of his single, 'Tefekari Honkugn' or 'I'm loved' where JR also features in it.

Enjoy!

2006-10-30T22:31:00.000+03:00

5 Things that give Addis a dreadful look

Addis Ababa is one of our world top diplomatic cities. Being the spot for African Union and other international organizations, the city hosts various meetings that accompany top officials of many nations. However, this city is not up to the standard to be in charge of all these things when it comes towards the city's appearance and the services it provides.

It's obvious that it takes a huge investment to eradicate all the deficiencies the city has but from the current circumstances, I'm sure, the city's caretaker with dwellers can work out some of the problems regarding the city's appearance that seems minor tasks but could make a big difference.

1. Electric/Telephone Lines & Poles
The Electric/telephone lines are in poor shape that looks as if rats has messed them up. This disordered structure with the old wood pole gives the streets an awful image. Even though, such things are not witnessed in newly founded residential areas, the rest of the city has stick with this old and rubbish appearance. The city administration must give an appropriate consideration.

2. Clothes hanging on Condo's Balcony
This is one of the most horrible things to see when you're out in the city. Many people who leave in apartment or condominium hang their clothes on their respective balcony in order for the clothes to dry up. But my question is, when the apartment first designed, haven't the architect devised a place for such things, could be at the backyard, where residents can share. Because, the clothes adding up with the condominium's unattractiveness makes a whole ugly stuff, just standing in front of you to make you sick. Or if people do this for security reasons, an alternative method they should come up with rather than this that is tarnishing the city's class.

3. Bulky Fences surrounded by Greenery
Every villa house in the city has huge fences and moreover greenery such as trees surrounding it. Including my home, the same thing exists. I have learnt that during Emperor Haile Selassie I regime, villa houses used to have a very short and simple fences so that it wouldn't look heavy. But after the Derg regime, things turns up side down for a reason I don't know and since then, every house has a huge fence and sometimes, a lot of money being invested on it as a trend. And if you try to amend yours, you would just single out yourself from your area in which it doesn't make any difference. Such things should be of a similar mode among a specific residential area. A code must be set by the sub-city and apply them so that in that certain area, you will see a neat and corporate outlook.

4. Road Barriers
The barriers to partition narrow roads in the city are too old and most of them out of condition. And few of them that seems in a better condition are so packed with excess greenery. The trees and other plants make the street too heavy to ride on it. And some of the roads barriers are almost equal to the road size itself, which is really non-sense. This was an old mechanism in which it should be altered in our time. As, with the extra space, one can broaden the track or the pavement but instead, we see those ridiculous roads being restored (without any conversion). Roads neatness has a big impact on city's image.

5. Posters on Fences and Walls
I don't really understand to place posters on places where there are lots of posters being posted one over the other, where it looks so nasty. From advertising point of view, I don't know how the advertisers possibly think that pedestrians can view the posters, if it's not neat enough to attract. Ok maybe that could be how they play their business but, what about the look of the city? Every fence and wall your face turns to, you see countless posters that make you turn away quickly let alone to see what is written on it. If the city administrators set a board to put posters at certain places (such as bus and taxi stop) and if they regulate it well, we can get rid of such problems easily.

Nonetheless, I know it's easy to criticize than to act up on but, if you're not given the space to get involved and thus, only a room for criticism, what should you do? I would be happier if the piece I wrote was all about applauding the city caretaker had it fulfills all its responsibilities. However the fact remains, no, it's not doing it's best and it deserve evaluation.

2006-10-30T00:14:00.000+03:00

Focusing on Barriers that hinders our Progress

Too many times we dedicate ourselves in linking our problems to homophobias for being the main cause. And too little attention we give to our own obscurity that is causing our slow progress. Why? Would this take us any further?

From ignorance, the greatest disease of our time, to the tittle-tattles, it seems our community has faced barricades from progressing much further. Apparently, these sicknesses that look as if our community has been infected with, came from nowhere but only from us.

Ignorance or a reluctance attitude amongst SGL people is a very common facet when it comes to bringing change for their plight in Ethiopia. Either this weakness has generated from fear of coming out not therefore to face any consequence (if occur) or lack of faith, in which they find it hard to imagine Ethiopia being a safe place for SGL people. However, both grounds are non-sense.

Our target is to create a safe and favorable environment for SGL people in Ethiopia that takes every one of us strength from fully coming out to ourselves, to slightly coming out to other close individuals (could be to family or friends.)

Accepting the fact that coming out to someone I'm close with as an intermediate to bring awareness in the community, I have told my sister that I'm gay, not long ago. Many questions she asked and I tried to address all, in which she finally swayed to be ok with it. This being the first incident for me to come out to a family member, I was excited to tell my other gay friends if it could motivate them and tomorrow if they contemplate to come out as I did. To your amusement, few appreciate the courage while unfortunately; most warned me to be careful and not to utter anything to my sister about my gay friends. And none said, they would try to do the same. We all know coming out isn't easy in a society like ours but at least, having the aspiration would indicate our eagerness to attain our rights. Conceiving is the start and executing follows.

Apart from this, most gays especially from Ethiopia, don't even wish to participate in the groups. They don't find the group for other function unless for dating purposes. So many times I have tried for people in Addis to get involved in the group, where in most cases they agree to disagree. And then, I started assuming these groups could be hectic to operate than any other professional forums. But later that I found out, the same stillness occurred in the new Gay Ethiopians Forum.

Or, is it the moderators and the key players in the groups who have made the groups disinteresting and thus discouraging others to participate?

All that is needed is a space where we can grow out of it. Why can't we see this in a bigger and better picture?

2006-10-29T23:49:00.000+03:00

New Look for Ethiopian Lesbians

EthioGLBT, an organization working on the well being of GLBT people in Ethiopia, has recently offered a new logo for Ethiopian Lesbians group, openhandedly, as a sign of helping one another. It seems for a reason to build a tight bond between the two groups albeit, nothing confirmed yet from Ethiopian Lesbians group, whether they accept the new logo or not.

Ethiopian Lesbians group, founded a year ago, has only sixteen members and designed only for Ethiopian and Eritrean lesbians.

/The designed logo can be viewed in EthioGLBT File section/

2006-07-09T00:03:00.000+03:00

Gay and Lesbian People 'Are Here in Africa'

"We are here in Africa. We live in the mainstream, we pay taxes like everybody else in the mainstream, we relate with people in the mainstream. We are a naturally occurring phenomenon in the universe," said activist Donna Smith of gay people in Africa. Full Text

■ ADDIS NEWS: MeskelSquare.com reviews Myfashion's 'Gay's Behind the Mask' Day
■ SPECIAL: New Site - GayEthiopians.com

2006-01-17T07:55:00.000+03:00

Doing Research on Gays in Addis

Ten days before, rather strange issue turn up on GayEthiopians group. A man with pseudo-name Zinabu Zenebe, who claims to be a professor at AAU, disclosed that he is preparing to make a research on gays in Addis but needs help from the community in order to do so.

Zinabu Zenebe, who is an assistant professor in AAU, has made researches on sexuality and HIV/AIDS among male street youths in Dessie. He strongly affirmed that on his researches, he instead used pseudo-names for security reasons of his informants; and that the same system will be applied on the impending research on gays in Addis.

But in a little while, some doubted Zinabu’s appeal, giving their opinion in a positive manner. While others accordingly alleged, it needs a careful look but will continue their support in any way they can. Consequently, Zinabu wrote a letter for the group, expressing his disappointment and that he may likely will discontinue it as he has precious little time. He said that he was expecting few to come forward and talk to him which none does that.

GayEthiopians Group Moderator, Muesik, replied to Zinabu,
…Nothing is guaranteed in this life....... so do what your gut tells you........ It would be nice if you succeed. But there is something you should know...... Unless you are GAY, it is very hard to understand why most of us are not coming forward..... or why we have some doubts.
So good luck

And Kassa, who keenly is supporting Zinabu by supplying past researches on gays, answered,
Even if you run short of time and could not meet this deadline, please keep the idea and work on it for another round some other time. Till, then hang around here in the group and you will learn more about us. As I said earlier, if you can modify your research some how to include the Ethiopian gays in the Diaspora, am sure you will get a fairly good sample size (I hope so).

And as the matter mainly center gays in Addis, I have asked Zinabu, what the GLBT community in Ethiopia gain out of the research? He replied,
I am sure that the study contributes in a positive way. The aim of my study is to increase understanding about the sexuality of men who have sex with men; identify the social, cultural, behavioral, and service delivery factors that place them at risk for STIs, including HIV/AIDS; and use this information to sensitize policymakers and programme managers to the need for interventions for this population. A key goal of the study is to conduct rigorous, ethical research that accurately captures the voices of men who have sex with men in Addis in order to inform policy and programme development. The study focuses on the experiences and perspectives of gays in order to develop interventions that respond to their needs. In additio n, in studying something is stepping stone to breaking the silence. It provokes other researchers and policy makers and may lead to social movement.

The above and alike constructive backups seem to make up Zinabu’s disappointment. But nothing is known up to what the research has gone so far. And nothing is clear whether the very problems have been solved or not.

Along these lines, EthioGLBT group set up a poll starting from Jan 14th [you can vote here.] The poll is devised to know the majorities point of view toward the research worthiness for the community. So far 11 voters have cast, in which 6 agree the research is worthy and safe to continue while the rest assert that it’s not safe.■

2006-01-10T13:02:00.000+03:00

Us Helping Us, grant free Safe-Sex Kit to EthioGLBT

Us Helping Us has provided a free safe-sex kit [Condoms and Lubricants] to EthioGLBT Group. Through our key member by pseudo name Sebastople, who have been making contacts with the organiziation, we are able to receive some 600 condoms and 200 lubricants. And the group moderator, pseudo name Sonic Casuist, will bring the condoms and the lubricants to Addis.

The group is grateful for the kind support of the organiziation and we hope this prolific relation will continue in the future. And we also would like to extend our thankfulness to Sebastople for his relentless support.

2005-12-01T11:00:00.000+03:00

"Within the typical secondary school curriculum, homosexuals do not exist. They are 'nonpersons' in the finest Stalinist sense. They have fought no battles, held no offices, explored nowhere, written no literature, built nothing, invented nothing and solved no equations. The lesson to the heterosexual student is abundantly clear: homosexuals do nothing of consequence. To the homosexual student, the message has even greater power: no one who has ever felt as you do has done anything worth mentioning." -Gerald Unks, editor, The Gay Teen, p. 5.

check out: FAMOUS GLB IN HISTORY