By Linda_Villarosa September 22, 2012 Huffington Post Those of us who are black and gay approach Africa with deeply conflicted feelings. On a recent trip to Zambia, along with my point-and-shoot and anti-malaria medication, I packed equal parts pride and shame, curiosity and fear. Homosexuality is illegal in nearly 40 African countries, and in the
Zambia was occupied by the British as a protectorate of Northern Rhodesia towards the end of the nineteenth century. On 24 October 1964, it gained independence with the new name of Zambia. Zambia’s economy has been traditionally dominated by the copper mining industry; however the government has recently been pursuing an economic diversification program. During the 1970s, the country began sliding into a poverty from which it has not recovered. The growing population strains the economic growth and HIV/AIDS is widespread. The average per capita income is $395, placing Zambia as one of the world’s poorest countries. Homosexuality is illegal in Zambia and there is no recognition of legal rights for same-sex couples. Section 157 applies to “any act of gross indecency” committed between males, “whether in public or in private”, and classifies such acts as felonies punishable by imprisonment for five years. The law also includes lesbian homosexuality.
Name: Zambia
Population: 9169000
Capital: Lusaka - Pop. 1394000
Area: 752618 sq. km/ sq. miles
Language: English, indigenous languages
Religion: Christian, Muslim, Hindu
Status of Homosexuality: Illegal
Telephone Country Code: 260
Zambia – Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital of Zambia; it’s a non-descript city of about 1.5 million people that bustles in the day and rolls up at night. In recent years, Lusaka has become a popular urban settlement for Zambians and tourists alike. Its mostly stable government and improved infrastructure sector have increased donor confidence and as such
Zambia – Victoria Falls (1)
Victoria Falls are very spectacular from any point of view, land or air. Although the Falls constitute neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, the claim is that it’s the largest is based on a width of 1.7 kilometres (1 mi) and height of 108 meters (360 ft), forming the largest sheet
Zambia – Victoria Falls (2)
Victoria Falls are very spectacular from any point of view, land or air. Although the Falls constitute neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, the claim is that it’s the largest is based on a width of 1.7 kilometres (1 mi) and height of 108 meters (360 ft), forming the largest sheet
Zambia – Train to Zambia
The Tazara train from Dar es Salaam to (almost) Lusaka, Zambia takes about 43 hours–give or take some hours–and covers a distance of about 2000 kilometers (1200 miles). Along the track and across the green landscape life teems with energy, rural peasant life, curious children, aggressive vendors and even a wedding (photos 58-63). The track
Zambia – Livingstone Town
Home to the spectacular Victoria Falls, Livingstone is a modest town of about 100,000 people bustling with commerce, tourism and the usual hardscrabble laborers. On the outskirts of town are many rustic houses and some nicer homes as well as various private grammar schools. The roads in these areas are unpaved and rough and the