Homophobic protests kill two in Haiti

Homophobic protests kill two in Haiti

Haiti FlagTwo men were killed in anti-gay protests last Friday in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. Anti-gay sentiment in the Caribbean nation appears to be on the rise after over 1,000 protesters took to the streets to protest homosexuality and a recent proposal to legalise same-sex marriage.

The violence occurred around 1pm, and Haitian media reported that the bodies of the presumed-homosexual men were still lying on the ground at around 4pm.

A group calling itself the Haitian Coalition of Religious and Moral Organisations was among those who planned the protest, which included a mix of religious groups.

Protesters carried homophobic placards and sang songs, even threatening to burn down the Haitian parliament if the planned marriage equality proposal succeeds.

The protest comes just days after a local LGBTI advocacy group publicly condemned a series of threats against the community. The president of gay rights group Kouraj, a man named Jeudy, had an anonymous caller threaten to burn down his home and office.

Homosexuality is legal in Haiti, but LGBTI advocacy groups say there is widespread social stigma as well as fears of violence, and overt discrimination by police and judicial authorities.

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