Global gay

ACTIVIST ON THE RUN
CAMEROON: A lawyer is on the run after being accused of treason for seeking a European Union grant to combat homophobia in the country. Alice Nkom, founder of Cameroon’s Association to Defend Homosexuals (ADEFHO) was accused by a government official on TV of crimes against Cameroon’s sovereignty and independence for seeking a 300,000 Euro grant for the “support and training of sexual minorities.” Cameroonian authorities are now seeking Nkom. Homosexuality is punishable in Cameroon with five years in jail and a fine of up to 200,000 Central African Francs.

RUN OUT OF TOWN
NEW ZEALAND: A gay couple have closed their bakery four months after moving their business to the Christchurch suburb of Hoon Hay after the months of harassment from a homophobic family and their associates.
New Zealand news site Stuff.co.nz reported that the couple endured homophobic slurs from the family, who told customers not to shop there because they were gay, while the store’s windows were smashed repeatedly and their home and car damaged. Police have arrested a youth over one of the window breaking incidents and are talking to the family, but the couple, who moved their business from the Christchurch CBD after last year’s September 4 earthquake, have had enough.

BOYCOTTING CONVENTION
USA: Far-right conservative groups are threatening to boycott this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference after conference organisers allowed gay Republican group GOProud to take part for the third time. Groups including Concerned Women of America, the Heritage Foundation and the Family Research Council have said they will not attend as allowing gay conservatives to attend means that the conference will be “not conservative enough”. However more centrist Republican groups have welcomed the participation of GOProud.