By Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org Paynesville—Daniel Johnson, Richmond Jones, and Joseph David were returning from a wake keeping ceremony in the early morning hours of Saturday, May 8, in the Gobachop community of Paynesville when they were hassled and severely beaten by members of a community watch team over unfounded suspicion they were gays. Daniel (name … [Read more...] about Suspected Gay Men, Teenager Brutalize in New Wave of Homophobic Attack
Suspected Gay Men, Teenager Brutalize in New Wave of Homophobic Attack
Did Ex-Soldier ‘Murder’ Dominic Renner and Winston Toe for Being ‘Gay’?
Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org Monrovia-It has been nearly five months since Dominic Renner and Winston Toe went missing on September 24, 2020, and October 4, 2020, respectively. There appears to be no end in sight in the case of the missing men. The only clue of their whereabouts lies with Cheeseman Cole, an ex-soldier of the Armed Forces of Liberia who was … [Read more...] about Did Ex-Soldier ‘Murder’ Dominic Renner and Winston Toe for Being ‘Gay’?
New Online Course: Media Advocacy for LGBTQI+ Equality in Sub-Saharan Africa
Taboom Media, a global media development and monitoring group, invites you to apply for a spot in our upcoming week-long Media Advocacy for LGBTQI+ Equality workshop. This free and interactive course aims to help civil society organisations from across Sub-Saharan Africa create and implement media advocacy strategies and campaigns that advance LGBTQI+ equality. The course is … [Read more...] about New Online Course: Media Advocacy for LGBTQI+ Equality in Sub-Saharan Africa
Case of Alleged Brutalization of Gay Men Suffers Setback
Monrovia-The case of the alleged brutalization and torturing of 27 men over their sexuality by Cheeseman Cole, ex-personnel of the Armed Forces of Liberia, continues to suffer setbacks as there appears to be a grave lack of interest on the part of the Ministry of Justice to prosecute. Cole has been released on bail filed by his lawyers. The case, currently … [Read more...] about Case of Alleged Brutalization of Gay Men Suffers Setback
Ex-Soldier Charged over Brutalization of 27 Persons
By Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org Monrovia-Cheeseman Cole, ex-soldier of the Armed Forces of Liberia has been formally charged and forwarded to court. Cole has been charged with Aggravated Assault, Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder, Possession, Sale of Physical Objects for Lethal Use, Felonious Restraint, and Theft of Property, according to the charge sheet in … [Read more...] about Ex-Soldier Charged over Brutalization of 27 Persons
Did Police Shoddily Handle Investigation of Cheeseman Cole?
By Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org Monrovia-A second search of the residence of Cheeseman Cole yielded no results nor clues into the whereabouts of Dominic Renner and Winston Kortee. On Friday, October 16, a team from the Liberia National Police accompanied by Emmanuel Renner, father of Dominic, searched the nook and cranny of Cole’s isolated home along the … [Read more...] about Did Police Shoddily Handle Investigation of Cheeseman Cole?
Mystery Over Missing Men Deepens as Police Make a Break
By Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org Monrovia-The mystery into the whereabouts of Dominic Renner and Win Kortee continues to deepen as the Liberia National Police appears to have make a break in the case. The disappearance of the duo has been strongly linked to Cheeseman Cole, ex-personnel of the army who was dishonorably discharged for acts of criminality, … [Read more...] about Mystery Over Missing Men Deepens as Police Make a Break
Police Arrest ‘AFL’ Personnel; Two Fear Dead
By Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org Monrovia-The Liberia National Police, acting on a complaint—including a writ of arrest, search and seizure warrant—from the family of a missing man and journalRAGE’s story which was lifted on FrontPage Africa, have arrested Cheeseman Cole. Win Kortee (named modified to protect his identity) reported to be one of … [Read more...] about Police Arrest ‘AFL’ Personnel; Two Fear Dead
‘Army’ Personnel Uses God as Subterfuge to Brutalize 27 Suspected Gay Men
Monrovia—When Gbada Flomo (name changed to protect his identity) chatted with Cheeseman Cole—a ‘personnel’ of the Armed Forces of Liberia—on Facebook, little did he know it was a booby trap meant to bait him to an obscure location to be deathly beaten and have him robbed of his belongings. “He used a Facebook’s friend account to chat with me,” said Flomo in a state of … [Read more...] about ‘Army’ Personnel Uses God as Subterfuge to Brutalize 27 Suspected Gay Men
Fashion model to release a book on ‘coming out’ in Liberia
Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org I was always scared to speak of my sexuality.”TARUS P. COLE “This represents my soul, my passion the pain in me to add value, and to grow. Most of all, it reflects the confidence and strong believe [belief] I have in myself and my potential,”TARUS P. COLE This represents a new level of self-belief. You’ll be seeing a lot of … [Read more...] about Fashion model to release a book on ‘coming out’ in Liberia
journalRAGE, others benefit from SRHR training
By Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org Monrovia-In a bid to deepen media practitioners’ knowledge on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), the Liberia Initiative for the Promotion of Rights, Identity, and Equality (LIPRIDE) alongside Stop Aids in Liberia (SAIL), Action Aid-Liberia and the Anti-Aids Media Network conducted a two-day training workshop for a slew of … [Read more...] about journalRAGE, others benefit from SRHR training
Fundraising nets support for Trans community in Liberia
Monrovia -An online fundraising organized to help the transgender community in Liberia has netted over CAD$400 in support of the transgender community in Liberia. The fundraising, organized by Canadian graphic designer and filmmaker, Raymond Helkio, was based on a plea from the executive director of the Trans Network of Liberia, Madam Karishma Richards-Kwofie, … [Read more...] about Fundraising nets support for Trans community in Liberia
‘Most Liberian men are gay’: Fashion model riles social media
By Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org Monrovia-Fashion model, Tarus P. Cole, has riled social media over comments that most Liberian men are gay. “I can say—I’m not afraid to say it—99 percent of Liberian men—they are gay,” he said, though he did not provide the reliance for his statement. In a live Facebook interview with the government-owned Liberian … [Read more...] about ‘Most Liberian men are gay’: Fashion model riles social media
From Tanzania With Love: documentary on persecuted trans artist screens in March
Toronto-Last year Tanzanian authorities arrested fourteen LGBTQ people, jailing them for two weeks, without anyone knowing where they were. One of those people was Dayon Monson, a 24-year-old trans woman, artist and activist who went into hiding, eventually seeking asylum in Canada. Dayon originally captured the authorities attention after appearing in a remake of “Same … [Read more...] about From Tanzania With Love: documentary on persecuted trans artist screens in March
Anonymous donor defrays cost of gay man’s tuition in Liberia
Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org Monrovia-A donor, who prefers not to be named, has defrayed the cost of Mohammed Sheriff’s semester 2 tuition to enable him to complete high school, following a meeting arranged by journalRAGE’s founder, Gboko Stewart. Sheriff was accompanied to the meeting, which was held at an undisclosed location, by Alfred Jones … [Read more...] about Anonymous donor defrays cost of gay man’s tuition in Liberia
Gay man struggles to survive in Liberia amid beating and bullying
By Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org Monrovia-Mohammed Sheriff (not his real name) still remembers the day his mother disowned him when she discovered her first child was gay. “She asked me to moved out and said I was no longer her son,” he said. “She said she can’t have a child who’s into such sexual behavior.” Petite in height, Sheriff, 22, who had … [Read more...] about Gay man struggles to survive in Liberia amid beating and bullying
Monrovia party goers stoned and beaten over suspicion of being gay
By Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org Monrovia-Rocheforte Jones, (not his real name), walked into a fence in the quiet suburb of Sinkor to celebrate a friend’s 33rd birthday on Saturday, November 9, when he and others were stoned, beaten and severely wounded by community members over suspicion that they were “gays.” “It was a birthday party, not an LGBT party,” said … [Read more...] about Monrovia party goers stoned and beaten over suspicion of being gay
Fueling the rage with a tinge of kindness: A Letter from the Editor
Dear Readers, As may of you may have come to know, we run a news service which caters to the exclusive coverage of sexual minority in Liberia, thanks to help from Prof. Ken Harper of Newhouse Center for Global Engagement at Syracuse University. This service, aptly titled journalRAGE, began over a fit of anger felt in a homophobic, biased and … [Read more...] about Fueling the rage with a tinge of kindness: A Letter from the Editor
Did PSI abandon victims of homophobic attack?
By Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org Monrovia-It was a rainy Saturday morning when lanky Mitch Johnson (not his real name) was chased and beaten in a quiet suburb on the outskirts of Monrovia for being gay. Johnson, 31, said he was recovering from an operation of appendicitis when he and some friends huddled in a high-walled fence during the evening hours … [Read more...] about Did PSI abandon victims of homophobic attack?
Transgender Community Mourns Loss of Cute White
Monrovia-The Liberian transgender community is in a state of shock over the passing of trans socialite, Cute White. I worked very closely with Cute on some community activities and projects. She was dedicated not only to her work but also to the improvement of the lives of trans women in and around Liberia,” Karishma Richards-Kwofie, TNOL executive director Cute, … [Read more...] about Transgender Community Mourns Loss of Cute White
EDITORIAL: Liberia’s LGBT Community Deserves Respect of Its Pride
Nearly a fortnight ago, Liberia’s gay community celebrated the closure of pride month at a discreet location. So discreet that it called for sexual minorities and allies to clad themselves in black to celebrate the passing of many—some of whom had died from AIDS, suicide, rape, hate crimes, discrimination , lack of access to adequate health care, lack of access to social … [Read more...] about EDITORIAL: Liberia’s LGBT Community Deserves Respect of Its Pride