Claim
On September 28, 2022, the Patriotic Front-PF Page published an article on its Facebook page claiming that the LGBTQI community in Zambia is being protected by the Human Rights Commission. The publication attracted mixed reactions from the followers of the page. Following the 2022 Lusaka July event which was held in Lusaka on September 3 2022, key national stakeholders such as the Church expressed concern on the dressing and activities that characterised the event, observing that the event had the potential to corrupt the cultural and national morals and values. Some members of the public also issued threats to anyone who openly said they belonged to the LGBTQI community in Zambia.
Rating Justification
iVerify Zambia has determined as misleading the claim by the Patriotic Front-PF Facebook page that the LGBTQI community in Zambia is being protected by the Human Rights Commission.
In a statement obtained by iVerify Zambia, the Human Rights Commission explained that any citizen by virtue of them being human, is entitled to the protection of their human rights as enshrined in the Bill of Rights and the international and regional human rights instruments that Zambia is a party to.
The Commission also stated that a distinction must be made between supporting the human rights of the LGBTQI community and supporting them to freely and publicly exercise their sexual orientation and gender identity which is a criminal offence in Zambia. “….the continued hate speech and threats of physical attacks against persons based on their perceived or real sexual orientation and gender identity is a criminal offence and/or a violation of the right to personal security and life, among other rights,” said Human Rights Commission.
