Zimbabwe's vice president says the government will block a scholarship for LGBTQ+ people
Source: Associated Press
Zimbabwes vice president says the government will block a scholarship for LGBTQ+ people
BY FARAI MUTSAKA
Updated 10:42 AM EST, February 16, 2024
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) Zimbabwes powerful vice president said the government will block a university scholarship for young LGBTQ+ people, a move that human rights groups described Friday as a perpetuation of the African countrys homophobic practices.
The state university scholarship for people between the ages of 18 and 35 is sponsored by GALZ, a membership organization for LGBTQ+ people in Zimbabwe. The association started offering it in 2018 without incident. But a recent online advertisement inviting applications attracted a harsh response from Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, a self-proclaimed devout Catholic and former army commander.
In a strongly worded statement Thursday night, Chiwenga claimed the scholarship was a direct challenge to the governments authority.
Our schools and institutions of higher learning will not entertain applicants, let alone enroll persons associated with such alien, anti-life, un-African and un-Christian values which are being promoted and cultivated by, as well as practiced in decadent societies with whom we share no moral or cultural affinities, he said.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/zimbabwe-lgbtq-university-scholarship-gay-415f8e2b99c03dffab8ea62b33a74f96