Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org
Paynesville -- An activist couple living in the suburbs of Paynesville has been alarmed over repeated threats on their lives due to their open acceptance of people from the LGBTQ+ community in Liberia.
The couple, Mr.& Mrs. Nyanti, said their calamity began in June 2023 when they posted photos on Facebook wearing apparels which depicted support for the LGBTQ+ community while on vacation in the United States.
"On June 8th 2023, we arrived from the United States via Niarobi, Kenya at about 5pm GMT," said Mr. Nyanti. "In the wee hours of the night at around 11:00 PM, we heard heavy knocks on our door, and rocks being thrown over our house; we also heard voices shouting outside, using the words: 'Y'all come outside, we will stone y'all tonight. No gay rights people welcome here, y'all go back to where y'all came from. Y'all don't bring your demonic gay rights activities in our country. We could hear them saying they saw our pictures that we were wearing LGBQT-shirts abroad, for that we will not live in peace."
The Nyantis said their predicaments were further exacerbated by the presence of more incensed men in their community. "When we looked out the window of our room, we could count 20 men angrily stoning over our house, banging our gate with sticks and rocks, and shouting anti gay slogans. After 15 mins of throwing stones, we heard a smash on our car windshield."
They said they were warned that there would be further attacks if they do not stop wearing apparels that show support for the LGBTQ+ community in Liberia.
They mentioned the situation was brought to the attention of the community chairman who downplayed it. "We reported this to our community leader who then told us that knowing that Liberia has an Anti-Gay law and one who is affiliated with gay rights or advocating for the rights of gay people will be persecuted, so the men had the right to come to our premises."
The couple revealed that it was the first of many attacks to come which have threatened their lives. According to them, they were attacked on their wedding anniversary.
"On Dec 27, 2023, while celebrating our ninth wedding anniversary, two guys came into our premises at 4:00PM and started to shout outside; they accused us of having gay party because they recognized three persons from the LGBT community--who are friends of ours--celebrating with us.
"We were told not to come outside; some of our guests then came out and confronted them, they started to take them from the yard. The next day Dec 28, 2023, at 12:05 PM, while my wife and I were out cleaning the yard, we saw four guys, including the two guys who came to our anniversary the day before, they surrounded us and threatened to harm or kill us if we continued encouraging LGBTQ activities in Liberia. A guy they were calling Lion said our guests tried to beat their friends while we had gay party, so there will be blood for blood war.
They had knives, sticks, cutlases, and scissors. The group of boys started kicking and slapping my wife and I. I was hit on my knee with a big stick and dropped on the ground."
Following the cessation of hostilities, the couple said they took a complaint to the Zone 3 police Depot, but they were told to discontinue their friendship with the party attendees who are gay in order for the attacks to cease.
"At the police station, they told us to explain what happened. After the explanation, the Police gave us a warning to avoid the guys and cut off friendship with our LGBTQ friends to avoid further attacks. According to the police officers, they are unable to arrest anyone who goes against people involved in LGBTQ activities. They too will receive public outcry. The police officer asked me, 'If we could arrest someone who attacks you for an activity like LGBTQ that is illegal and is punishable by law, don't you think the Community will attack us too?"'
Again on April 6, they were attacked by nine persons in Margibi county, after a lady named Jebbeh carried them under pretense to resolve a domestic violence case she has been suffering from her boyfriend,
It can be recalled that Mrs. Nyanti who is the Co-Founder of a local NGO in Liberia since 2012, and is currently the Female Champion of the Interfaith Dialogue on Violent Extremism (IDOVE), with support from her husband has been an advocate for Human Rights & Social Justice, Gender Based Violence issues and Conflict Resolution. They have been actively involved in spearheading a series of workshops, community engagements on social rights and justice, peace and gender based violence. Following her return from the Paris Peace Forum in 2018, her NGO hosted IDOVE's first ever workshop in Liberia which was announced at the Paris Peace Forum.
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LGBTQI+ persons continued to record instances of assaults, harassment, and hate speech by community members, according to the 2021 US State Department report.
On May 8, members of a community watch team allegedly beat three men on suspicion they were gay in the Gobachop community of Paynesville. According to two of the victims, the community watch members threatened the three men and assaulted them, rendering one of the men unconscious.
Liberian law criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults. Articles 14.74, 14.79, and 50.7 [of the Penal Code of 1976] consider "voluntary sodomy" as a first-degree misdemeanor, with a penalty of up to one-year imprisonment. There has been no publicized case in recent years. But the gay community says harassment and discrimination are widespread.
