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 Love” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. The original single featured Kenyan rapper Nuludini Kabugo Mugerwa who was one of the six artists who remade “Same Love” under the moniker Art Attack. The remade video highlights the struggles LGBTQ people face in Africa, in particular the rising rates of suicide among gay men.
The video proved massively popular and connected on a meaningful level with tens of thousands of people yet was banned by the Kenyan Classification Board who also tried to remove it from YouTube and Google but were unsuccessful.
Shortly after the video’s release, Dayon was interrogated by police and government officials who arrested her on suspicion of being gay and confining her to a small cell for two weeks without anyone knowing where she was.
After her release from prison Dayon went into hiding until she was able to secure asylum in Canada. Only a few months later Dayon is now settled into her new life in Canada and continues her advocacy for LGBTQ people in Tanzania.
The screening of the documentary is announced for March 2020 and it is directed by Raymond Helkio.
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